Listening to the compositions of your favorite music artists, hardly anyone thinks about the numbers associated with hertz, decibels, watts, frequencies, and even with the SOI. However, the clarity of reproduction, volume and richness of sound depend on them. It is hardly possible to unequivocally state that the most powerful is the best active acoustics.
Features of human hearing and speaker selection
Sound refers to mechanical vibrations of elements of the physical environment that can cause certain sensations in the human brain. The propagation speed of these waves depends on the density of water, wood, metal or air in which they move. Scientists have proven that people perceive only a certain part of the sound frequencies by ear: from 20 Hz to 22 kHz. The lower region of the range is infra-waves (very low), the upper region is ultrasounds (too high). As it becomes clear, radiation with values greater or less than these figures, our ear is physically unable to hear.
Music and latest technology
The main number of sound-producing systems is divided by experts into 3 groups.
The first includes the so-called "point" loudspeakers that broadcast speech or music in one direction.
The second group includes emitter systems, the horns of which are aimed at servicing a certain zone: streets or platforms.
The third category includes active acoustics, with a distribution system for sound sources on several lines:
- only on parallel walls;
- on one wall;
- by the ceiling and walls;
Hi-fi linear active speakers are used both on open stages, at home, and in closed rooms.
Is it true that the more powerful the speaker, the louder the music sounds?
The best active acoustics will easily deprive peace and sleep of the household with deafening songs. However, the power indicator has nothing to do with it. This is characterized, rather, by the mechanical reliability of the system: higher numbers - it will work longer. And even the power of the amplifier must necessarily be less than the power of the speakers, otherwise the music will stop quickly, as the speakers can overheat and burn out.
In reality, the playback volume is affected not by force, but by the sensitivity indicators of the speakers, measured in decibels. An index of 85 dB is quite suitable for the musical equipment installed in the apartment.
Another important parameter is the frequency indicator. Home acoustics (active or passive) should have both woofer and tweeter, and midrange speakers. The presence of a full range of frequencies in the music will make it more saturated, and listening will bring a lot of pleasure.
Striped systems - what a joke!
In fact, acoustics are active, as well as passive, not banding, but banding. If the room has only one speaker - it is single-band or wide-band sound, two (one with bass and midrange, and one with treble) - two-band. Sophisticated music lovers acquire for themselves three-, four- and even five-way audio systems, in which each speaker is equipped with beevers that produce sounds of a separate range. A feature of multiband systems is the presence of built-in filters that create sound radiation accessible to the human ear.
Active hi-fi speakers usually consist of a main unit, bass subwoofers and several small speakers - satellites.
When purchasing a ready-made system, you should pay attention to the completeness of the set. It should consist of elements such as:
- subwoofer + loudspeaker;
- paired rear and front speakers;
- central unit with loudspeaker.
Acoustics active for a home theater should be equipped with a rear channel. This will create the effect of complete immersion in the sound environment.
Wooden or plastic?
When choosing a music system, pay attention to the material of the speaker enclosure. Modern active floor acoustics are most often placed in boxes of a phase-inverter type. For the manufacture of the body of the loudspeakers, both wood and plastic are used. It is better if the case has an irregular shape, without ventilation holes and with well-glued joints. The minus of plastic cases is called rattling at a significant increase in volume, distortion of sounds. Therefore, more serious systems than computer speakers, manufacturers traditionally pack in reliable wooden boxes.
How to place the elements of the speaker system in the room?
Good qualities for listening to music have rooms that meet the following basic requirements:
- lack of a “fluttering" echo and local concentration of sound;
- even distribution of sound energy throughout the room;
- minimizing noise interference.
When preparing a room for placement of sound-transmitting devices, it is important to remember that the surfaces of opposing walls should not be perfectly smooth and parallel. Otherwise, the sounds will be reflected from them, like balls, creating the effect of a continuous echo, which will turn the musical composition into one continuous loud hum with phonetic dips. Niches, pilasters, fabric silencers are quite suitable for creating diffuse reflection and improving diffuseness.
If the owners love to sing karaoke, you should consider placing a microphone in the room. It is important to position it in such a way as to avoid self-excitation of the amplifiers. Otherwise, instead of singing, you will have to listen to the creak and screech of the speakers.
When active acoustics are located in the prepared room, the sound quality corresponds to the stated indicators and when listening will deliver an excellent sensation.