Q: What's the difference between a subwoofer/satellite system and a conventional speaker system?
A: A subwoofer/satellite system is a room-friendly, space-efficient alternative to the conventional stereo speaker system. Sub/sat systems use small enclosures for the tweeters and midranges, and a separate, specially designed box to house the subwoofer. Subwoofer/satellite systems are very popular because they save space, blend into the room's decor, and offer full, rich sound. The bass module can be placed almost anywhere because it produces only low, non-directional bass frequencies. Q: Can I hook up a powered subwoofer if my receiver doesn't have a subwoofer output? A: Absolutely. Most powered subwoofers have speaker-level connections for use with virtually any receiver. Just run one set of speaker cables from your receiver's main left and right speaker outputs to the subwoofer, then another from the subwoofer to your main left and right speakers (you'll need an extra pair of speaker cables). Q: If I buy a set of large floor-standing speakers, will I still need a powered subwoofer? What about speakers with their own built-in powered subs? A: The answer to the first question is going to depend on individual taste. If your main interest is home theater, and you enjoy re-creating the body-slamming bass that you experience in the movie theater, it's difficult to achieve without a powered subwoofer. Also, a powered subwoofer gives you many more placement options. A pair of floor-standing speakers with built-in powered subwoofers will usually deliver plenty of deep, room-filling bass. Q: Can a pair of smaller speakers and a powered sub really sound as good as a pair of larger speakers? A: Definitely. In fact, there are some folks who prefer a bookshelf/sub system to tower speakers. You must be sure to choose bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer that blend well together, and you may need to tweak the crossover to get the ideal sound. But a bookshelf/sub system can deliver impressive, full-range sound without taking up too much space in your home. Q: What should I know about my speakers' impedance? A: A speaker's impedance rating refers to the amount of electrical resistance it presents against current flowing from your amplifier or receiver's powered outputs. Though impedance actually fluctuates as the speaker reproduces different frequencies, manufacturers usually publish a single, average figure, known as nominal impedance. Most home speakers have a nominal impedance rating of 8 ohms; likewise, practically all home A/V receivers are designed to be stable when pushing an 8-ohm load. There are a number of higher-end receivers that are capable of handling a 4-ohm load (if you're not sure about your receiver, check the specs in your owner's manual). Speakers with significantly lower impedance (4 ohms or less) may cause problems with 8-ohm receivers by asking them to deliver more current than they are capable of producing. When you drop from an 8-ohm to a 4-ohm load, you cut the electrical resistance in half, which usually causes your receiver to increase its total power output. Some people are tempted to mate their 8-ohm receivers with 4-ohm speakers, in order to get more wattage. It's wise to avoid this temptation, since it can lead to greater distortion, and cause the receiver to run hot or activate its protection circuitry. Q: Can I use my receiver's "B" speaker connections for surround speakers? A: Definitely not. Your receiver's "B" speaker outputs provide the exact same stereo signal as its "A" speaker outputs. (The "B" speaker outputs are useful for connecting a second pair of stereo speakers for some other area in or around the house.) Surround sound, on the other hand, consists of multiple audio channels which carry different portions of a soundtrack. These channels must be decoded by a multichannel surround sound processor. Fortunately, you'll find a great selection of home theater receivers on crutchfield.com which deliver exciting surround sound at modest prices. Q: What surround speakers should I get for my home theater system? Do I need special speakers? A: Surround speakers are responsible for creating wide, diffuse effects around you (rainfall, for example), while occasionally giving directionality to distinct sounds (like jet fighters passing overhead). You do not need special speakers for your surrounds, but with Dolby® Digital systems, surround information is in full-bandwidth stereo, so it's important to go with surrounds that have enough punch to handle the job. While most people use regular speakers as their surrounds, some use special speakers designed specifically for surround sound known as "Dipole/Bipole" or "Solid/Diffuse." Each of these speakers has two sets of drivers, with a switch that lets you select dipole mode (out of phase) or bipole mode (in phase). If you're mounting the speakers on the side walls in line with your listening position, the dipole mode will create a diffuse, ambient soundfield. If you're placing them behind your position, the bipole mode fires the drivers in phase to flood your room with surround sound. Dipole mode creates a diffuse, ambient soundfield when the speakers are placed on the side walls. Bipole mode fills your room with surround sound when the speakers are placed on the rear wall. And remember, it's vital that your speakers work well together in a home theater setup. If all your speakers are voice-matched, you will experience a seamless surround sound effect. Sounds will move smoothly around your living room just like they do in a movie theater. If your budget and cosmetic preferences allow, try to go with surround speakers from the same "family" as your front speakers. Q: My receiver puts out 100 watts per channel - should I get a speaker with the same power rating? A: Unless you plan to run your speakers at extremely high volume levels, there is no need to worry if they're rated to handle less power than your receiver delivers. The power rating most manufacturers assign to a speaker is the amount of continuous (RMS) power the speaker can absorb without damage. Receivers and amplifiers are also usually rated for continuous power, so as long as the ratings are fairly close, you shouldn't encounter any power-handling problems. Actually, an amp or receiver with a high power rating is often safer for speakers than one with a low power rating. A low-powered model may "clip" and produce distortion at high volume levels, which is a common cause of tweeter damage. Q: Can I use my TV's speakers for the center channel in my home theater? A: Well, yes, as long as your TV has separate audio/video inputs, and your receiver has a preamp-level center channel output. However, we don't recommend this approach. In Dolby® Pro Logic® and Dolby Digital soundtracks, nearly all the dialogue and on-screen sound effects come through the center channel. So you want an accurate speaker that's capable of reproducing a full-range of frequencies. You'll add to the realism of your system if you choose a speaker that matches well with your left and right speakers. Otherwise, you may hear a distractingly audible "hand off" as the sound moves between your front three speakers. Most speaker companies offer center speakers that are voice-matched to blend in well with their other models. Q: What is the difference between a 2-way and a 3-way speaker? A: A 2-way speaker's crossover splits the frequency band into two ranges: bass frequencies go to the woofer, and treble frequencies go to the tweeter. In a 3-way system, the frequency band is divided into three ranges. The middle frequencies are sent to a third driver commonly referred to as the midrange. Q: What does a speaker's sensitivity rating tell me, and why is it important? A: A speaker's sensitivity rating (sometimes called efficiency) tells you how effectively the speaker converts power into sound. The higher the number, the more efficient the speaker, and the louder the sound it creates with a given input signal. An efficient speaker helps you maximize your available wattage. Believe it or not, a 3 dB increase in speaker sensitivity produces the same audible increase in volume as doubling your amplifier power. So when you're shopping for speakers, it always pays to check the sensitivity spec - especially if you have a lower-powered receiver or amp. It's a common myth that larger speakers require tons of power and smaller speakers can get by with minimal wattage. In fact, the reverse may be true - some of the smallest speakers we sell are actually pretty power hungry, while larger speakers can be quite efficient. Q: Does "bass reflex" mean a speaker puts out a lot of bass? A: Not exactly. Unlike an acoustic suspension speaker that uses a completely sealed, airtight enclosure, a bass reflex speaker includes a tuned port hole in the cabinet to produce more bass output in a specific frequency range. Bass reflex speakers are highly efficient, and will usually play louder than acoustic suspension speakers when driven with the same amount of amplifier power. However, they may sacrifice some bass accuracy in exchange for the added bass output. Q: How do I know if I should use speaker stands? If so, which size? And what exactly will spikes do for me? A: Because midrange and treble frequencies are very directional, your speakers will sound their best when your ears are at the same height as the tweeter. Floor-standing speakers are designed to be used without speaker stands, but small- to medium-sized speakers will most likely need stands to raise the tweeters to ear level. You'll experience better directional accuracy and hear more treble when your speakers' tweeters are at ear-level. Small- or medium-sized speakers may require stands to raise the tweeters to the optimum height. It's worth taking the time to measure to determine what size stand will work best with your speakers. Or you can simply call one of our Product Advisors at 1-888-955-6000 for an appropriate recommendation. If you have a carpeted floor, and your speakers or speaker stands accept spikes on the bottom, installing them may improve your sound. Spikes often "tighten up" bass response by reducing sound-muddying vibrations. Spikes also provide greater stability on carpeted floors. Q: I've never heard these speakers before - what happens if I don't like them? A: If you're not fully satisfied with your new speakers, you can return them within 30 days and try a different pair, or get a refund. That's the beauty of our return policy. You can choose to audition the speakers in a local store before you order them, but keep in mind that you still won't know how they're going to sound in your home. The size and shape of your listening room, the placement of furniture, rugs, and draperies, and your other A/V components all play a major role in determining how your speakers will ultimately sound. Q: Where in the room should I put my subwoofer? A: The best answer is to experiment. You can start by placing your subwoofer in a corner reasonably close to either your listening/viewing position or the front speakers - the surrounding walls will automatically boost low-frequency output. Many audio/video enthusiasts are very satisfied with this solution. Another technique is to temporarily place the subwoofer in your listening spot, play some music, walk around the room, and listen. The spot that sounds best is where you should put the subwoofer. Q: I've heard that to get the best sound from my speakers, they need to be "in phase" when I hook them up. What does that mean? A: When your stereo speakers are connected in phase, the drivers of the left and right speaker move in and out at the same time. When they're out of phase, the drivers of the left speaker move in, while those of the right move out. If your speakers have removable grilles, you can pop them off and actually see this. Stereo speakers should always be connected in phase. Out-of-phase speakers sound "not quite right" - imaging is vague and there isn't as much bass. To hook up your speakers in phase, just make sure that your positive receiver (or amplifier) terminals are connected to the positive speaker terminals, and your negative receiver terminals are connected to your negative speaker terminals. It helps to pay attention to the markings on the wire - look for print, a stripe, or a rib that may be molded into the wire's jacket. If you find that your speakers are out of phase, don't worry, it's easy to fix. Just switch the positive and negative leads at one of your speakers (not both).
