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Home Theater Speakers: Understanding the Bass
We all know what bass can do to a movie soundtrack. It can create drama, danger, even a feeling of strength depending on the visuals that go along with it. Bass is one of the most important elements of any audio format because it provides balance and contrast to the overall score of a movie, television show, even commercial. Quality bass in a sound system is impressive while not being overpowering.
In a 5.1 surround sound system, one of the most common for home theater installations, the ‘.1′ is the bass. The speaker for the bass sounds on a soundtrack is called a subwoofer. Lower frequency sound waves use a larger diaphragm to move the amount of air it takes to make these sounds. While smaller speakers can produce these lower frequency waves, they typically cannot produce the kind of quality that one would expect from a quality theater. Smaller speakers can often sound tinny when trying to produce these lower sounds. Large home theatre speaker towers are capable of handling this part of the soundtrack though it may require the reduction of sound quality from the mid and high range frequency speakers.
Choosing a good sound system with a quality bass speaker is not impossible, even for people who do not have a lot of experience. First, start with the subwoofer. Homeowners will need to consider whether they require a passive sub or an active woofer. A passive subwoofer does not need a separate power supply. Rather it uses power from the same amp that is driving the other home theatre speakers. Volume from the amplifier can usually be controlled, there is less control overall with a passive sub. An active sub has a separate power supply. This means that the signal received from the amplifier/receiver is enhanced by the subwoofer itself, without taking any of the power from the other speakers.
Once you have your home theater subwoofer and other speakers picked out, lay them out to get the best sound from each. Bass sound is omni-directional, meaning that it goes out from the speaker in all direction. To decide where to place the subwoofer, put it in the same position that you will be sitting in, whether it is on the couch facing the television screen or in a home theater chair. Turn on a favorite film then move around your room and listen. Find the spot that the bass sounds best and move your subwoofer to that location. It can be set on the ground, on a shelf or off of a wall depending on where you feel the best low tone sound is heard. Since the sounds are going out and bouncing around the room in roughly the same direction, the sound should be great when you get it into place.
We’ve all heard the laments of mothers and fathers forced to deal with the incessant thumping and pounding of boom box bass lines from their adolescent’s car or room. There is something to say for the potential for this phenomenon to occur in a home theater as well. While walls, ceiling and floor will generally block high sound frequencies from leaving the room, they can actually increase the volume of the lower range sounds. While laying out your speakers, try to also find the right volume balance for all frequencies that your family can enjoy the sound quality a bass can provide without driving your neighbors crazy.
~Ben Anton, 2008
About the Author
Ben Anton lives in Portland, OR.
Home Theater Speakers
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Is it unnecessary for me to get a speaker amp?
I have 2 pairs of 4×6 alpine type S speakers and a pair of alpine type S 6×9’s all being powered by my alpine CDE 106-BT. I was wondering if it is unnecessary for me to get a speaker amp. If i did get one it would be an alpine, so if i do need one, which Alpine amp should i buy?
That many speakers puts quite a load on the little internal amp which for most Alpine head units is only rated for 18 watts RMS.
If you want a solution that does not require a lot of installation, consider the KTP-445 “head unit power pack”. This little jewel plugs directly into the head unit and vehicle wiring. No amp wiring kits, not complicated installation. And it boosts the RMS output to 45 watts per channel, plenty enough for all your speakers.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTP445/Alpine-KTP-445-Power-Pack.html?search=ktp-445&ssi=0&tp=115
Depending on your specific vehicle and the rating of the original radio fuse, you may need to connect the power wire of the KTP-445 to a separate 12V switched source.
This Alpine 4-channel provides 50 watts RMS.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500MRPF300/Alpine-MRP-F300.html?tp=115
You’ll also need an 8-gauge amp wiring kit.
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_142PA8/EFX-8-gauge-Amplifier-Wiring-Kit.html?search=amp+wiring+kit&ssi=0
And if you go for the MRP-F300, I recommend that you also purchase a “reverse wiring harness”. This will allow you to isolate the speaker wires from the other wiring in the vehicle harness and make the installation easier and more professional.
If you are a first-time purchaser at Crutchfield you can get a $20 discount off a $200 order if you use a “friend referral code” such as mine, which is: p7sdj-hrx8q-9800g, plus free shipping.
Amp Speaker
My DIY tube amp and speaker test
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Pyle 4-CH AMP SPEAKER SYSTEM $107.98 Pyle PLMRKT4A 4-CH AMP SPEAKER SYSTEM |
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AUDIO AMP SPEAKER OUTPUT REQ. PS-24 $125 AUDIO AMP SPEAKER OUTPUT REQ. PS-24 |
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Sima SSW-4HP Dual Amp Speaker Selector with Volume Control $208.65 Sima SSW-4HP SSW-4HP Dual Amp Speaker Selector with Volume Control |
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Sima SSW-6HP Dual Amp Speaker Selector with Volume Control $251.52 Sima SSW-6HP SSW-6HP Dual Amp Speaker Selector with Volume Control |
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Infinity 6100M Wakeboard Speaker System, Amp and Mic $574.99 The Infinity(r) 6000M wakeboard speaker system is precision-engineered to deliver high-output sound to a distance of 50-ft for wakeboarding, waterskiing, tubing, or lakeside entertainment. It also comes with an amp that delivers 150 watts per channel of distortion-free output and a talk-back microphone with crystal-clear high output. The speaker system consists of dual, 6-in mid-woofers and a 1-in CMMD(tm) edge-driven dome tweeter. |
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The Speaker $23.37 The Speaker |
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Huffy Pop Star 20 Girls’ BMX Bicycle with AMP Speaker $94.43 Blast your favorite music when you ride Huffy(r)’s Pop Star 20 BMX bicycle! It comes equipped with Huffy(r)’s A.M.P. (Amplified Music Player) speaker, an MP3 amplifier/speaker that fits in a removable handlebar bag. |
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ATLANTIC 76535209 Quad Speaker Stand $34.25 Atlantic Inc – Speaker Stands – QUAD SPEAKER STAND Ultra-adjustable base, speaker platform, height & speaker bracket Modern steel design with plastic parts & black wood accents 2-tone color Packaging with vertical & horizontal panels |
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CBI 14-Gauge Speaker Cable $10.95 This 14-gauge speaker cable features a thick neoprene jacket, pure copper conductors, and jumbo 1/4 in. connectors for more demanding speaker runs. Stop using your inferior instrument patch cable for power amp requirements. |
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Sima SSW-L4EX Dual amp, 4 speaker (pairs) outputs with individual speaker level controls. $174.22 The SIMA SSW-L4EX Speaker Selector lets you add up to four speaker pairs around your house, with individual volume controls for each speaker. Solid metal construction Accepts up to 14 gauge speaker wire Individual speaker volume controls for each output Compatible with 4-15 ohm speakers 20Hz – 20kHz frequency response |
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Sima Multi-Zone Speaker Selectors with Volume Controls $204.99 Sima SSW-L6EX 6-Zone 100-Watt Dual-Amp Speaker Selector With Volume Control |
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Motorola v60g&t Clip-On Speaker Attach $13.2 Motorola 98422/ SPN5028/ 98421/ SPN5027 Hands Free Speaker-phone attachment makes hands-free Plug-in easy!Convenient hands free speakerphone communications are easily started by simply clipping this handsfree speaker-phone either directly to any CE bus type Motorola cell phone model or a compatible Motorola desktop charger such as the Motorola SPN5210 desktop charging stand. Motorola 98422/ SPN5028/ 98421/ SPN5027 Hands Free Speaker-phone utilizes your vehicle power adapter or travel charger and the phones internal microphone to provide clear crisp sound. Professional and stylish this accessory makes it easy to hold conference calls and then switch back to private conversations. No additional power source needed powers itself from the phone???s battery connected travel charger or car charger.For use with any CE bus type Motorola cell phone models. Factory original one year warranty applies. Supported Models and Categories:Motorola A630 cell-phone accessoriesMotorola A830/ A835/ A845/ A920 cell-phone accessoriesMotorola C331g/ C333g (GSM without antenna) cellular accessoriesMotorola C322 cellular accessoriesC350g/ C353/ C359 Series AccessoriesMPx Series AccessoriesMPx220 Series AccessoriesP280 Series AccessoriesT300p Series AccessoriesT720/T721 Series AccessoriesMotorola T722i Series AccessoriesT725 Series AccessoriesT730 Series AccessoriesV120 Series AccessoriesV260 series accessoriesV300 Series AccessoriesV400 Series AccessoriesV400p Series AccessoriesV500/V551 Series AccessoriesV60 Series AccessoriesV600/V620 Series AccessoriesV60p/V65p cell-phone accessoriesV66 Series AccessoriesV690 Series AccessoriesV70 Series AccessoriesV710 Series AccessoriesV750 Series AccessoriesV80 Series AccessoriesV810 Series accessoriesV878 Series AccessoriesA630 Series Accessories |
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New 100 Watt Electric Guitar Amp Speaker with Overdrive G-100 $59.99 This Podium Pro Audio electric guitar amp with speaker was designed with pride right here in the USA. This state of the art amp is designed to give you years of high performance enjoyment. This amp is perfect for practice or for small shows. Features include a single guitar input, CD inputs via a RCA jacks, headphone output, volume control dial with separate treble and bass dial. This little amp also features an Overdrive switch to really rock!! No cheap materials used, this heavy duty amp is constructed tough with top-grade 3/4 MDF wood to exceed your highest expectations! Tough black PVC coating and steel corners help to prevent premature wear. Your concert is waiting all you need to do is plug in your guitar. |
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Sima Ssw-4Hp Dual Amp Speaker Selector With Volume Control $226 the Ssw-4hp Speaker Selector Lets You Add Up To Four Speaker Pairs Around Your House With Individual Volume Controls For Each Speaker. With Sima Ssw-6hp Speaker Selector Its Gives You The Ability To Feed Audio In Up To Four Remote Locations. Tune In Anywhere In The Home. *Additional Information: wire Gauge 14 To 22 Gauge easy Installation These Sleek Units Are Compact In Size To Fit Into Any System [T54529] UPC: 018359181943 UNSPC: 52161500 18.25L x 8.5W x 4.25H 11.5 LB |
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Sima Ssw-6Hp Dual Amp Speaker Selector With Volume Control $300.23 the Ssw-6hp Speaker Selector Lets You Add One To Six Speaker Pairs Around Your House With Individual Volume Controls For Each Speaker. With Sima Ssw-4hp Speaker Selector Its Gives You The Ability To Feed Audio In Up To Four Remote Locations. Tune In Anywhere In The Home. *Additional Information: wire Gauge 14 To 22 Gauge easy Installation These Sleek Units Are Compact In Size To Fit Into Any System [T54532] UPC: 018359181950 UNSPC: 52161500 18.5L x 8.5W x 4.25H 9.75 LB |
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Scitec AEGIS-HDST-12 Speaker Wgi14Db Amp & 90 V MW $50.99 Speaker Wgi14Db Amp 90 V MW – Single line corded telephone- Half duplex speakerphone – 12 programmable speed-dial feature keys- Amplification up to 14dB- Programmable MSG key- Headset jack- Headset on/off (do not have to lift receiver to answer a call just press handset button)- Redial/flash/hold/mute- Data port- Voicemail visual ring indicator- Wall mount bracket included- 90V Message waiting light/visual ring indicator- LED indicates status of mute hold headset and speakerphone modes- Ringer volume control (high/low/off)- Hearing aid compatible- Black |
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Sima Dual-Amp Multi-Zone Speaker Selectors with Volume Controls SSW-L4EX $271.49 Supports 4 or 6 pairs of speakersIndependent volume control for each channelPower handling: 100 watts per channelAccepts up to 14-gauge speaker wireCompatible with 4 15 ohm speakers20Hz 20kHz frequency responseBuilt-in overload protectionDimensions: 17″W x 3 1/4″H x 7 1/2″D |
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Sima Dual-Amp Multi-Zone Speaker Selectors with Volume Controls SSW-L6EX $318.24 Supports 4 or 6 pairs of speakersIndependent volume control for each channelPower handling: 100 watts per channelAccepts up to 14-gauge speaker wireCompatible with 4 15 ohm speakers20Hz 20kHz frequency responseBuilt-in overload protectionDimensions: 17″W x 3 1/4″H x 7 1/2″D |
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CBI 16-Gauge Speaker Cable $14.95 Affordable light duty speaker cable that is the perfect solution to connect your power amp or powered mixer to your passive PA speakers. Featuring 16 gauge cable with a black jacket, the SRB16 provides excellent power and sound transmission. |
Car Audio speakers Overview
The car audio you use will have the definitive say in how your system will sound. There are many different types of speakers available. A single speaker can be used to reproduce the full range of sounds but it is not ideal. If the speaker is too large it will have problems reproducing high frequencies which require rapid movement of the speaker. If it is too small it will have problems reproducing low frequencies which require large amounts of air to be moved. Because a single speaker cannot reproduce all sounds accurately numerous speakers are used each of which duplicates sound in the frequency range it was designed for. A speaker called a tweeter reproduces high frequencies generally above 2 kHz.
Tweeters are small and lightweight so they can respond rapidly. Very little power is required for powering tweeters because they are very efficient. Woofers are the exact opposite because they usually require large amounts of power to really move air. Woofers are meant to produce sound at frequencies below 250 Hz and often just below 100 Hz (in the case of subwoofers). Because a woofer must move considerable amounts of air they are usually large with typical sizes of 10″, 12″, 15″ and even 18″! On the other hand tweeters are usually very small ranging in size from 1/2″ to 2″ in size. Typically, tweeters larger than 1″ in size cannot respond quickly enough to sound good and are too directional. In between are midrange speakers which handle the frequencies between the woofers and tweeters. Further separation can be done but is usually inessential and just complicates the crossover which must separate the full audio signal into multiple parts for each speaker.
Things to look for:
Power Handling: Just as with amplifiers, RMS or continuous power is critical here. Some manufacturers will declare very high power handling figures but they are usually for very short peaks only. Granted music is not continuous but the continuous power handling gives you a much better impression of how much power a speaker can really handle. For tweeters and midranges, power handling is not as important since it does not take much power for them to play loudly. For woofers though a rough match should be made between the woofer and the amp driving it.
Sensitivity: This is a very important spec for a speaker. It gives you an idea of how loud a speaker will play given a certain input power. If a speaker is insensitive then it will require more power to play at the same volume level than a speaker that is more responsive. Figures between 85 dB and 95 dB at 1 watt RMS at 1 meter are general. If you use anything outside of this range you may have problems matching the output levels of the speakers relative to each other. If you’re going to run speakers off of a head unit then try to get speakers with higher input sensitivities since head units normally do not have much power.
Physical Size: You must pay attention to the size of the speakers you choose. Tweeters are very small but need to mounted where they fire nearly directly at you or they may not be heard properly. Some tweeters have better off axis response than others. If you will not be on axis with the tweeter when you audition tweeters in a store listen to how their sound variates as you move around them to see if they will work in your car. Midranges should fit in the door or dash spaces provided or you will have to do some cutting or fabrication. In general the bigger the woofer the larger the enclosure required to hold it. Some woofers are better optimized for little enclosures than others (Kicker Solobaric, JL Audio W6 for example). Make sure you have enough room in your trunk or hatchback for the woofer. Kickpanels for midranges and tweeters or coaxials typically offer superior imaging than locations in the door however the soundstage is sometimes lower than when you have the tweeters mounted high in the doors or on the A pillars.
How Do Car Audio Speakers Work?
Moving Speaker Speakers are air pistons that move back (on the negative cycle of the signal) and forth (on the positive cycle), creating different degrees of air pressure at different frequencies. The amplifier (either separate or built-in your radio), produces electrical impulses that alternate from positive and negative voltages (AC). This current reaches the voice coil inside the speaker, forming an electro-magnet that will either be repelled, or attracted by the fixed magnet at the bottom of the speaker. The voice coil is joined to the cone, moving it back and forth, creating sound. The surround (rubbery circle that joins top of the cone and metal basket) and the spider (usually yellow corrugated circle joining bottom of cone to magnet) make the cone return to its original position.
About the Author
Professor Apex is an Expert In Car Audio and Mobile Video. He has more than 13 years of experience. You can find him here: Wholesale Car Audio
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PYLE-PRO PSTND2 – 6.5 ft. Tripod Speaker Stand $51.99 - Black anodized telescoping stand – Safety pin for maximum strength & security- Constructed with strong, lightweight tubing- Loading capacity: 100 lbs- Tube dia: 35mm- 6.5 ft… |
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PYLE-PRO PMDK102 – Heavy-Duty Aluminum Anodizing Dual Speaker Stand & 1/4” Cable Kit $163.99 - 2 speaker stands-Telescopes to 6 ft- Black anodized stand-Tube dia: 35mm – Loading capacity: 100 lbs-Constructed with strong, lightweight tubing-Safety pin for maximum strength & security- Includes individual drawstring stand bags, PylePro(R) speaker, stand, gig bag & two 21-ft, 14-gauge .25″ cables… |
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PYLE-PRO PSTND3 – Height Adjustable Anodized Aluminum Sub-Woofer Mounted Speaker Pole $23.99 Main FeaturesManufacturer: Pyle Audio, IncManufacturer Part Number: PSTND3Manufacturer Website Address: www.pyleaudio.comProduct Type: PoleLoad Capacity: 100 lb MaximumStandard Warranty: 1 Year… |
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Speaker Boxx $8.98 Speaker Boxx by LIL PeteyThis product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply…. |
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Virtualy Altarnative [37 Great Hits] [2cd Set] Title: Virtually Alternative Artist: Various Artists Year: 1997 Length: 1:03:37 Genre: General Rock Label: Notes: Tracks: |
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