The Perfect Vision
Buyers Guides Plus: Surround Speakers (under $2000)
Product Reviews
If The Perfect Vision ever publishes a
Home Theater Manifesto, the first line
we'd contribute would say: "Don't even
think about skimping on audio components."
TPV's editors have long advocated reserving
50 percent or more of your total system budget
for audio equipment, with the lion's share
going toward a good surround speaker system.
Given that wonderful, high-definition TVs
can be had today for as little as $1500-$2500,
there's more interest than ever in speaker
systems that cost $2000 or less -- and rightly so.
The sub-$2k price range is a hotbed for
fervent speaker development activity, and
judging by our recent experiences, it's an area
where you can expect to find systems that
deliver mind-blowing performance for the
money. In fact, today's best sub-$2k systems
come tantalizingly close to achieving performance
levels experienced listeners associate
with good $3k-$4k systems. Can you say
"bargain"?
For this Buyer's Guide, we evaluate a representative
group of five very good though very
different sub-$2k surround systems. Our intent is
to present an open-minded survey that will give
you a good idea of the scope and breadth of
the options available.
Five Guidelines for Speaker Buyers - and One Golden Rule
- Neutral Tonal Balance Keep an ear out for speakers that offer accurate, neutral tonal balance, meaning that all frequencies -- from the highest highs to the lowest lows -- receive equal emphasis. Important tip: Resist the temptation to buy speakers that even slightly emphasize a particular frequency range (bass, for example). Remember, in the long run, colorations prove fatiguing and neutrality rules.
- Full Range Sound Pay attention to how speakers sound at both frequency extremes. Down low, listen for bass extension (very low frequency sounds), power (to play loudly), clarity (to differentiate pitches), and control (to reproduce transients cleanly). Up high, listen for treble extension (the "air" surrounding instruments), clarity (to capture delicate details), and smoothness (freedom from edginess).
- Transparency and Focus Good speakers should reproduce subtle textural and transient details at all frequencies -- it's the difference between speakers that sound "nice" and those that sound breathtakingly real. Our advice: Be picky and demanding in this area.
- Imaging and Soundstaging Believe it or not, you don't want speakers that call attention to themselves. Good speakers effectively disappear and create the illusion of musicians performing in real three-dimensional spaces (ranging from recording studios to concert halls). With movie soundtracks, you should feel like you're in the environment where the onscreen action is taking place. If all you hear are blobs of sound emanating directly from the speakers, keep on looking.
- Dynamics Choose speakers that can play at satisfying volume levels in your listening space. Hint: The higher a speaker's sensitivity rating, the louder it will play for a given amount of power. How you define "satisfying volume levels" is up to you, but the key is to find a system that can handle loud musical passages gracefully, yet offers enough finesse to catch the finer points of musical performances, sound effects, and dialog.
...and TPV's Golden Rule
Never, ever buy speakers sound unheard. When in
doubt listen, listen, and then listen some more.
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