Speakers are audio terminal equipment, just like the human voice, which determines the quality of a set of speakers to a large extent. It is no exaggeration to say: Choosing a good pair of speakers is the key to the success of a set of speakers, so don’t be careless. However, looking at the current audio market, there are no less than hundreds of finished speaker brands, including many famous international brands: such as BOSE (Doctor), JBL, INFINITY (Yanfeilishi), Westlake Audio (西湖), PolkAudio (Music of Music) in the United States. Sound): British ATC, BW, T annoy, MonitorAudio, KEF, HARBETH: Danish (Crown) DYNAUD10, DALI Ni), Jamo (Junbao): Germany's Heco (Degao), Maagnat, ELAC (Elimination); France's Dream Sound (VIS10NACOUSTIQUE), JMLab (Jinlang): domestic high-quality products with beautiful voices Ares series, Jinlang, HiVi, Xindak, Gospel, Little Tornado, etc., too numerous to mention. Quality varies, and prices vary wildly. Even for speakers of the same brand and series, if the sound quality is a little higher, the price will increase exponentially. This is precisely because since humans invented electronic audio engineering, speakers have made the slowest progress and have the weakest technology. According to the British "Fever Book": Rogersls 3/5, an evergreen British audio system that has been famous for many years, was launched in the 1960s and has been selling well for nearly 40 years. Its sound is so pure and elegant that it is still the favorite of many senior Hi-Fi players. Considered a hot commodity among enthusiasts. Today, with the rapid development of audio technology, it is really puzzling. So don’t underestimate the construction of speakers. Don’t think that speakers are just a few speakers and a few Hi-Fi or Hi-END boxes. The knowledge of the speaker is too big to be written on, and various schools and factions have different opinions. Just like the dispute between Chinese medicine and Western medicine in the medical field, or the treatment of some difficult and complicated diseases: the diseases that can be clearly explained cannot be cured, but the diseases that can be cured cannot be explained clearly. However, for consumers, we only need to learn how to identify and select. So is there a simple and easy way for most inexperienced consumers to learn to judge the quality of a pair of speakers not by price or luck, but by the "seven key points" of speaker audition introduced below:

1. Preliminary understanding of speakers before audition

For the initial understanding of a pair of speakers, you can use the steps of "observation, weighing, knocking, and recognition" to identify them: that is, a look at the craftsmanship , secondly weigh the weight, thirdly knock on the box, and fourthly recognize the nameplate.

The appearance craftsmanship is to judge the quality and quality from the first appearance of the speaker: speakers made of natural logs are of course the best. Many world-famous supreme speakers are priced at astronomical prices, including those from Italy. Chario, Guarneri Homage, etc. However, such good boxes will never be as popular as the ubiquitous "Rejoice" shampoo due to factors such as environmental protection, lack of resources, difficult processing technology, and long time. The price certainly cannot be lowered. Therefore, common speakers are made of MDF medium density fiberboard with a thin layer of veneer on the surface for decoration: speakers with real veneer and fine exterior decoration, especially those with rosewood, bird's eye, rosewood, walnut, nan, red oak Such as rare wood veneer, its natural wood grain visual effect is excellent, and it feels smooth and comfortable. Especially those with symmetrical butterfly pattern real wood veneer and multi-layer coating and polished piano lacquer. Most of them can be regarded as mid-to-high-end high-quality speakers, and there are very few counterfeit products. Boxes covered with PVC plastic are popular products. Although they are finely crafted, they can only be considered mid- to low-end products at best. Although the box decorated with this textured paper veneer looks very good, you should pay more attention to whether the veneer seams on the back of the box and the excavation process of the speaker installation position are accurate. Fake and shoddy products generally do not pay attention to these details, so you can make a correct judgment with a little care.

DEBUG comment: In fact, we can hardly see real log boxes even on HI-FI boxes.

Because wood that can meet the requirements for manufacturing speakers is extremely rare. For example, the wood used by Chario in many of its top products is top-grade Italian red oak that has grown for more than 40 years. According to Italy's environmental protection laws, every time a tree of this kind is cut down, the buyer must Replant 10 saplings of the same type in addition to the wood price.

The second is weight: good speakers are mostly made of high-quality MDF particle boards of 18 to 25mm, while high-end flagship speakers are made of overweight solid wood such as rosewood and yellow pomelo or multi-layer composite plywood. Made so the weight is amazing. Often the net weight of a pair of speakers reaches fifty or sixty kilograms. Most of the mid- to low-end mass-produced goods are made of soft particle board, while counterfeit and shoddy products are often made of low-quality paper and plastic boards, so they are generally lighter in weight. There is often a saying in the audio industry that "experts look at quality and laymen weigh weight." Heavy speakers are definitely better than light speakers. But be wary of unscrupulous merchants who fill the bottom of the sound body with sand, gravel and cement to increase the weight to deceive consumers.

DEBUG comment: Here we should pay attention to some wooden speaker products using curved cabinet designs. Although the curved cabinets look good and are beneficial to acoustic design, due to the needs of processing technology, the wood used in these cabinets The solidity is often not as strong as products with pure square structure. This is quite a dilemma.

The third is to knock the box: Use your knuckles to knock the upper, lower, left, right and front baffles of the box. There will be a heavy and slight crisp sound on all sides of the box. It feels like the board material is hard and thick, and there are many roots inside. Supported by reinforced ribs, the box structure is reasonable and strong, and has a variety of sound insulation and standing wave prevention measures. The processing cost and difficulty of this kind of box are high, so there are few fake and shoddy products. If you tap the box with your knuckles and it makes a "pop, pop" sound, it means that the board is too thin, the material quality is too poor, and the structure is unreasonable. There is no sound-absorbing material or reinforcement inside, resulting in a large amount of diffuse reflection and standing waves in the box. It is absolutely impossible to get a good playback effect by purchasing this kind of speaker.

The fourth is to recognize the nameplate: Really good speakers have a well-made gold-plated or chrome-plated nameplate mark. The nameplate usually has a distinctive trademark, company, name, place of origin, corresponding indicators, etc. engraved on it. Imported boxes have English words such as: Made in xxx or Manufacture and corresponding trademarks, speaker specifications, etc. If there is only Designin... (XX design) or only a country name is marked vaguely, or even except for a few simple and extremely loose basic indicators, neither the place of origin nor the manufacturer can be seen, and the trademark has no registered mark. . Most of these three-no products are suspected of being counterfeit and shoddy. Famous brand speakers attach great importance to brand image and corporate visibility, so the nameplate markings are very standardized and exquisite, with all indicators, company names, and origins available. Some nameplates are even made of thin metal plated with 24K real gold, and the fonts on them are concave and convex. The product not only has the date of manufacture, but also has the production serial number, and even the pairing serial number and the ID card that came with the box. For this type of speakers, as long as the price is reasonable, you can generally choose them with confidence.

2. Judging the quality of the speaker from the technical indicators

As mentioned above, there is usually a technical label on the back of the finished speaker: the content is nothing more than the frequency range of the speaker, Sensitivity, carrying power and impedance. Among them, sensitivity is the most important indicator of a speaker, which to a large extent determines what kind of power amplifier the speaker should be equipped with, how much power is needed to push it, and so on. The sensitivity of most listening-grade home speakers is between 86-92dB. For the same power amplifier, at the same volume (for example, the volume is turned to 10 o'clock), the higher the sensitivity, the louder the sound. The power requirements and requirements of the power amplifier will be lower. This is what people often say: this pair of speakers is easier to recommend. The sensitivity of professional speakers used in many commercial OK halls exceeds 100dB. No wonder many people feel that the sound is very beautiful when they go to OK halls to sing karaoke, and they can achieve a high volume effortlessly. But you must not think that the higher the sensitivity, the better. In fact, speakers with a sensitivity of more than 92dB are made of metal cones, PP cones, etc. that have relatively light and thin cones, which will cause the control of the speaker to be impaired, thus As a result, the sound quality is thin, beautiful, exaggerated, and tough, and lacks many details and charm of music. Not very suitable for Hi-Fi listening use.

Many famous brand-name speakers with thick, soft and musical sounds usually have relatively low sensitivity. For example, the sensitivity of top speakers such as British ATC, Italian Famous Instruments, and Zhuoli is only 82dB. This type of speaker is often extremely difficult to maintain. It requires a huge power amplifier with a huge output current to make it work in the ideal linear region, and the cost is by no means small.

DEBUG comment: Most multimedia speakers use very high-sensitivity speakers. In fact, an important reason is that low-sensitivity units require higher-power power amplifiers to drive them, and the added cost of the power amplifier is not a small amount.

Another most important indicator is frequency range. For example, the frequency range of a bookshelf box is 60Hz ~ 20KHz ± 2.5dB. 60Hz represents the extension value of the speaker in the low-frequency direction. The lower the number, the better the speaker's low-frequency response: 20KHz represents the high-frequency extension the speaker can achieve. The higher the number, the better the audio characteristics. The suffix ±2.5dB indicates the degree of distortion in the above frequency range. The smaller the distortion, the flatter the frequency response curve will be. The distortion level marked by some speakers is ±3dB, and its frequency range should become wider. Some speakers do not indicate this indicator, and the frequency extension range will become very wide. For example, if the Compass No. 1 box mentioned above does not indicate that the distortion is controlled within a range of plus or minus 2.5 decibels, the frequency range can be marked as 40Hz ~ 23KHz. It should be pointed out that it is meaningless not to label the frequency range of distortion. If the manufacturer knowingly commits the crime, it can only be suspected of having bad intentions and intentionally deceiving consumers. It also means that the specifications of the speaker are not standardized, and the manufacturer lacks confidence in its products, making it difficult for people to buy with confidence.

The carrying power is a reference indicator of the speaker, expressed in watts. This indicator does not indicate the quality of the speaker, but only provides a reference for selecting a power amplifier: for example, a pair of speakers The carrying power is marked as 10~200W, which means that the power amplifier required to drive the speaker must have an output power of at least 10W, but avoid using an amplifier greater than 200W for full power output. Otherwise, there may be concerns about burning the box. Generally speaking, there is no need to worry about whether a home speaker can be pushed or not. There are only questions about whether it is good or not, and whether it is good or bad. A carrying power of less than 200 watts is more than enough for ordinary households. Do not deliberately pursue too high a level. .

Another indicator of the speaker is the impedance value, which is generally 8Ω as its nominal value. The impedance value of most two-way bookshelf boxes is 8Ω. Multi-unit and multi-frequency floor-standing models Speakers are also available in 6Ω and 4Ω. The smaller the impedance value, the greater the current that needs to be driven, and the required power amplifier power is correspondingly higher. In the author's opinion, it is best to choose 8Ω impedance speakers for home use, which are better matched with power amplifiers.

3. A good speaker should have obvious personality

Among modern audio equipment, the speaker can be said to be the oldest and magical member. Some people say that it has "spirituality" and "life", and that it is the sediment of a country's national style, history and culture. Indeed, when it comes to brand-name speakers, speakers made by different countries and nationalities are all imprinted with the cultural literacy, natural talents and character traits of the people of the producing country. Especially the higher the quality and the higher the grade of speakers, the more obvious this personality characteristic will be. Secondly, for users, speakers that are equally good but have different personalities still have the problem of whether they suit their tastes and whether they like a certain style. As the saying goes, "Everyone has their own preferences." Some people like the lively and enthusiastic style of a wealthy man; some people like the gentle, elegant and quiet hermit character; some people like grand symphonies, heavy metal percussion, and rock music; and some people prefer small things. The pastoral classical music with flowing flow, the elegant solo music, and the sweet and thick vocal reproduction... It is a good thing to be able to choose the ideal speaker according to your own taste. It would be very disappointing if you don't know the reason and choose a speaker that matches your taste based on what others say! After all, it’s a hefty investment. Therefore, the author recommends that you learn more about it, try it out more, visit more authentic audio boutiques, listen to the opinions of friends, and listen to the opinions of experts before purchasing.

At the same time, you also need to clarify what style you like? You might as well ask yourself a few more times, why did we buy this speaker? Listen to music? Watch DVDs? Sing OK? Or...

As far as the style of the speaker itself is concerned, the so-called American sound, British sound, European sound, etc. are popular in the audio industry nowadays. American speakers focus on strong strength and huge dynamics, especially in the western United States. Speakers produced by: JBL, BOSE, Genesis, etc. It often shows a free and unrestrained, rough and generous timbre personality. This may have something to do with the heroic temperament of the cowboys in the American West who galloped wildly on the grasslands of North America. The United States has a vast territory. The west coast has rugged mountains, lush forests, beautiful sunshine and blue skies, and abundant products. Coupled with the wild and unrestrained character of the western cowboys and the infiltration of Hollywood culture and art, the speakers produced in the western region have bright and beautiful timbres, clean and crisp sounds, open and closed, and reveal a kind of effortless elegance and confidence in their boldness and ruggedness. The margins of various indicators are very large, which is especially suitable for rock, jazz and heavy metal percussion, professional OK halls and other occasions. But in terms of solo violin and classical string music, the musical taste is a little lighter. However, speakers produced in the eastern United States are more influenced by British and Continental civilization due to geographical environmental factors. In addition, the famous Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra advocates classical symphony and influences regional culture with a large number of performances every year. Therefore, speakers produced in the eastern region, such as INFINITY, Westlake Audio and other brands, have a soft, delicate and broad and bright style. Regardless of the music resolution, speed, sound field positioning and pine scent, they are obviously different from Western speakers and are very popular in Europe and the Far East.

British speakers have a typical European royal origin, with soft and sweet tone, dignified and elegant shape, flashy but not flashy, and a gentle and elegant aristocratic gentleman demeanor in the natural wood veneer. Several world-class classic car speakers—Rogers, Spendor, and HARBETH—were born here. Coupled with the past glory of the Empire on which the sun never sets and the subtle influence of medieval civilization, as well as the humid and foggy geographical environment of London and the pastoral pastoral like flowing water on small bridges, the British voice is gentle, sweet, delicate, stable, and elegant. It has a very high status in the field of home Hi-Fi and even Hi-END, and is most suitable for classical string music and vocal reproduction. Unfortunately, it is less effective in expressing large dynamic scenes and low-frequency volume.

German speakers fully embody the meticulous, rigorous and self-disciplined professionalism of the German nation. The tone is natural, neutral and gentle, clean and refreshing. It is especially famous in the industry for its exquisite workmanship, which is breathtaking. But strictly speaking, the sound of the German box is slightly cooler and tougher, which is more suitable for the playback of pop music.

Other European voices such as France, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, and Norway are all permeated with the wit and romance of the French, the artistic atmosphere of the Italian Renaissance, and the liveliness, cheerfulness, and exquisiteness of the Nordic people. Traditional craftsmanship: pure and natural sound, slightly exaggerated mid- and high-frequency, but very musical. And it has very good compatibility, making it the best choice for home Hi-Fi/AV ??combined use.

As for domestic high-quality speakers, they should also have a "Chinese voice". Recently, many experts and scholars have also written articles to hype them. It is a pity that China's audio industry started late. Most of the manufacturers that are already well-known in the Hi-Fi audiophile circle only started to get involved in real high-fidelity audio in the mid-1990s. At present, if the original concept of "theory and practice" has not been completed, In the stage of capital accumulation, it is difficult to use any "voice" to form one's own unique style. However, in just a few years, domestic high-quality speakers have made a qualitative leap. The author secretly believes that a very small number of domestic high-quality speakers have formed their own prototypes of style, but they can only be said to be similar to famous brands in a certain country. For example, Swans has a sound similar to that of the United States. The Voice of America Ares series, Xindak Classic series, and Compass series are more reminiscent of the British sound (but perhaps the bursting and speed parts are slightly stronger than the authentic British products).

The Xiaoxuanfeng and Jinlang are more or less dyed with a European style: only the "Canghailonglin" bookshelf box carefully brewed by Mr. Zhang Bailiang has a unique flavor, a peaceful and neutral tone, delicate and elegant, gentle yet bold, and a more elegant appearance. Therefore, the traditional Chinese earthen lacquer has been polished in multiple layers, making it antique and natural. It really makes people feel a bit "Chinese". It is believed that it is based on the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, the ancient rhyme of Bian Zhong from Xia and Shang to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, and the magnificent Gongyan music. It also incorporates the unique Chinese implicitness, connotation, colorful emotions, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The essence of traditional culture such as "the golden mean", "integration of two into one" and "governing by doing nothing", I believe that in the near future, there will be a world-recognized "Chinese voice" application.

4. A good speaker should be very durable

I wonder if you have ever had this experience: when you turn on the speaker to enjoy music with great interest, you will feel the sound when you first hear it. Yes, the sound is powerful enough, especially the mid and high frequencies are bright and moving, and the low frequencies are also satisfying. But after listening to it for a while, I felt uncomfortable and very "tired", so I had to turn off the phone and leave. This kind of speaker that makes everyone feel "tired" cannot retain guests because it makes people feel "very noisy" and annoying. If the speaker is "noisy", it means that the distortion of the speaker is large and it is unbearable to listen to. Definitely not a good speaker.

Listening to high-quality speakers is like tasting the 30-year-old Huadiao daughter's wire buried deep in the ground. The owner will feel sweet and refreshing, and the beer will last a long time. The "sweet" and "warm" musical charm will make you forget time, space, and even your own existence and become immersed in the ocean of music. No matter how long you listen, you will never get bored.

Good speakers have extremely low distortion. So no matter how loud the volume is, it will sound great to your ears. Even if the volume is turned up to full power, the speaker blasts earth-shatteringly, and the low frequency rolls like midsummer thunder, it will only make you feel a realistic and even terrifying shock that is close to nature, but it will never emit a cracking sound that makes you cover your ears and escape. .

Generally speaking: speakers with thin sound, cold and hard tone, and too "fast" speed are not suitable for listening. It is certain that they are all caused by thin cabinet sound, poor sound absorption, oversimplified crossovers, and low-grade speakers. Naturally, it cannot be called a good speaker. A good speaker is very durable. Not only can it retain guests, but the longer the listening time and the more familiar it is, the better the sound will be. No wonder so many audio enthusiasts enjoy it to the point of feverish obsession!

5. A good speaker can hear the smallest information in the music background

The degree to which the speaker expresses the details of the music determines the resolution of the speaker. Boxes with high resolution can contain a huge amount of music information, especially music background information. This allows people to hear more music details, harmonic aftertaste and multi-angle, multi-directional, diversified and multi-layered music sound fields through the theme units. Listen to the first song "The Forgotten Time" from Taiwan's Dianjiang album "Folk Song Tsai Chin" (film number DJCD-96108). The first few lines are a cappella: "Who is knocking on my window, who is playing the strings, That forgotten time gradually came back to my heart..." Good speakers can express this period. Although the singing is a cappella, the details are not monotonous. There are 3 seconds, 9 seconds, 12 seconds, and 17 seconds. The sounds of breathing between sentences, the sibilant sounds of the opening lips and the reverberation of the final notes of the human voice are as clear as if Tsai Qin is singing quietly to you in your ears. High-resolution speakers can even allow you to hear the subtle sounds of the band turning the pages of music and the performers' footsteps gently sliding on the ground during a performance. Don't think that the author is just lying. As long as the CD recording is good and the playback equipment is of high quality, everything is possible.

DEBUG comment: Let’s look at it in two. At least for multimedia speakers, most products with particularly clear sibilance actually have problems with frequency division processing...

Good speakers It can faithfully reflect and reproduce various signal sources recorded on the disc, which can be colorful or so delicate that even a tremor in the air cannot be escaped. Therefore, before choosing a speaker, prepare a CD with a large amount of music information that you are familiar with every day. For example, Zhu Zheqin's "Yang Jinma" (film number YT-84) recorded by Taiwan UFO Records is a CD with an astonishing amount of music information. Test CD.

So do these specially designed AV speakers adopt any new technologies and new processes? Are they different from traditional Hi-Fi music boxes? How big is the difference between the two? Many friends have said that the speakers they choose should be able to listen to music, watch movies, and occasionally play karaoke, so they can eat three things with one fish! So I can't make up my mind whether to choose a dedicated AV speaker or a Hi-Fi speaker. Except for a few that have outstanding personalities, most of them have very good acoustic restoration capabilities and are definitely capable of playing a "home theater" role. Various sound effects. Even a small bookshelf box such as the Monitor Audio 700 has insufficient low frequency due to the limitation of the unit, but with the addition of an active subwoofer, it can still be extremely powerful! The only difference is that the so-called home theater box only has a little magnetic shielding treatment on the speaker to prevent it from getting too close to the TV (usually within 35 centimeters) and magnetizing the screen. Then there is the intention to exaggerate the low-frequency end of the crossover to enhance the bass effect. The vibrating cone of the speaker should also be made of light, thin, and rigid materials as much as possible in order to achieve faster speed and higher sensitivity. The quality of most AV speakers themselves is not high, and the distortion is often relatively large. However, when watching European and American action movies, the volume is often turned up high, and there are many exciting and intense shots that attract your attention, leaving you no time to distract yourself from the sound performance. This cleverly covers up many inherent deficiencies and distortions, and does not meet the requirements of real home theater speakers. Real home theater boxes require high resolution and good sound field restoration, and at the same time they must not be noisy.

These requirements are exactly the same for Hi-Fi speakers. It's impossible for really good speakers to keep out a home theater. But the so-called dedicated AV box that can only be used for home theater is definitely not a good box. Generally speaking, at the International Audio Show held every year in Las Vegas, many of the five-star speakers listed on the list never have "home theater" dedicated boxes. In fact, special home theater boxes for the Chinese market are popular and cheap products derived from the needs of VCD, which is widely popular in our country. The reason why we dare to argue with Hi-Fi speakers today is probably due to the hype of manufacturers and misleading advertising. Therefore, when you set up a home theater, the author reminds you that you should give priority to a pair of Hi-Fi speakers with excellent performance as the main box. The rest of the center and surround speakers should also be auditioned and selected strictly in accordance with the above requirements. It is best to buy brand-name products produced by regular Hi-Fi manufacturers. By the way: For those who want to enjoy music and also prefer to play karaoke, choosing a pair of three-way floor-standing speakers can avoid the trouble of matching a subwoofer and the worry of burning the tweeter. You may wish to pay more attention.