Choosing a new speaker is a world of acronyms, jargon and technical language. Whether you’re buying a small portable model which you can take with you on holiday and use in the garden, or a soundbar for your TV, you’re going to face some words and phrases which leave you stumped.
So Appliance Reviewer have come to the rescue and compiled a glossary of what you need to know about home audio before you have a peruse of our top rated speakers.
2.0 Speaker System
The most common setup. Two speakers, without subwoofer and with limited bass. Works with PCs
2.1 Speaker System
Just as above, but with an additional subwoofer for a deeper sound
5.1 Speaker System
A surround sound setup. Common for use with TVs. Includes left and right front speakers, left and right rear speakers, a front center speaker, and a subwoofer, to create a 360-sound feeling
Amplifier (Amp)
A device which increases the signal level, voltage and/or current when delivered to the speaker
Analogue Signal
A electrical signal, often represented by a wave. Sound is a continuous wave
Bass
20 Hz to 200 Hz on the sound spectrum, which is the low deep sounds you hear. Perfect for any film explosions and other rumbling noises
Bluetooth
A wireless technology which allows two devices to share data over short distances. For music, this may mean sending a song to a speaker for it to play
Cabinet
The enclosure which holds speakers in place. The amount of space and air behind the speaker helps determine the movement of the woofers, so design has a huge impact. Generally, the larger the cabinet, the better the bass
Centre Channel
The channel in a surround sound setup that is directly in front of the viewer. This is the main way of delivering the sound from a television, such as voices
Channels
How many speakers or devices are in the setup, for instance 5.1 has five speakers and a subwoofer
dBs (Decibels)
Measures the relative loudness of the sound. The scale starts at 0 dB, a normal speaking voice is 65-70 dB, but anything over 140 dB can damage hearing
Diaphragm
The part of the speaker which moves to produce the sound
Digital Signal
An range which is usually represented by numbers. It has to be converted into an analogue signal to become sound
Distortion
Anything which alters and reduces the quality of sound and signals
Dolby® Digital
One of several systems used for surround sound and 5.1 speaker setups.
Equalization (EQ)
The ability to manipulate the frequency in order to change the sound. You may wish to increase bass for listening to house music or watching movies, or improve the speaking voice for watching a drama or chat show. Often come as presets
Frequency
One measure of a sound wave. The range for hearing is 20 Hz-20 kHz.
Frequency Response
The range an audio device can produce. Low frequencies (bass) range is 20 Hz to 200 Hz, midrange (voice) range is 200 Hz to 4,000 Hz, and high frequencies (treble) range is 4,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Hz (Hertz)
The measurement of frequency. One Hz represents one cycle per second, and 20 is 20Hz etc
Jack
An input or output connector, for a microphone, another speaker or input device such as phone
Long Throw
A speaker which gives you greater sounds at longer distances
Speaker Cone
The conical-shaped part of a speaker that is partly responsible for the reproduction of sound. When electro-magnetic energy is sent from the voice coil to the speaker cone, it turns into physical energy with movement
Subwoofer
A speaker driver designed to reproduce very low frequencies, such as those under 100Hz
Tweeter
A small, lightweight driver for reproducing the highest musical frequencies, generally over 2000Hz
Woofer
A speaker that reproduces frequencies below a certain range, usually about 800Hz
