Expensive speakers can be very alluring and seductive. Everyone wants to have the best sound they possibly can, and it can be incredibly tempting to throw money towards the goal without thinking twice.
But are they really worth it? There is not a one-size-fits-all answer. If you are in an average sized, untreated room and listening to music for entertainment, your best bet will be in the Rs 24000 – Rs 80000 range. The higher you get within that range, you will generally find better results, but a higher price doesn’t guarantee quality. It’s possible to spend Rs 4 lacs on a system that sounds incredible. Unfortunately, it’s also possible to pay same amount for a system that sounds terrible.
IT’s ALL IN THE FREQUENCIES.. HIGH MID LOW
A cheap system with low-quality components will struggle to play low frequencies or clear high notes regardless of the quality of the media. For example, Spotify can play notes down to 30hz, and if your system can’t produce those notes, you’ll notice. There are more important things than price to consider when judging the quality of a speaker.
So again what makes high-end speakers more expensive?
The cost of a speaker comes from more than the electronic components themselves. High-End speakers can be more expensive due to the design of the speakers, the quality of materials, the durability and weight, and even the branding. These elements are often much more important than people realize. Moreover Big companies spend so much on R&D to just fine tune every frequency a human ear can hear.
The biggest thing to watch out for if you care about quality and value is brand-inflated pricing. Beats headphones, for example, are notorious for being a very low-quality product that gets sold at a high price because of it’s branding alone.
You have to be very careful about purchasing expensive headphones or speakers because the brand can play a huge part in the pricing.
Assuming we are not talking about speakers that are expensive because of the brand alone, there are several components where the quality can be seen and felt.
Weight is Usually Associated with the Quality of the Driver
More expensive speakers are typically more robust and substantial. They will have thicker enclosure walls and heavy-duty hardware. Weight is a huge factor when it comes to speaker quality.
Good speakers require drivers with heavy coils that can precisely drive the speakers. The more rigid and complicated a speaker is, the heavier it will be.
Why Lighter Speakers are Usually Not as Good
The added weight also reduces the vibration of the speaker or within the speaker itself. This is dually important.
First, the sound will be immediately affected if you can hear the vibration of the speaker’s components while it’s producing moderate to high levels of bass.
Secondly, a vibrating speaker over time will likely loosen components and start to sound distorted. This means a speaker that isn’t durable might sound great now, but terrible in a year.
Shipping Heavy Speakers is Expensive
Also, the added weight will likely add to the shipping cost as well. This is one reason to avoid buying speakers made in China.
Though China does produce some quality products, bulky items like quality speakers become expensive to ship from low-cost countries. High-end speakers usually get built in the US or Europe.
Engineering
It is common for expensive speakers to use more expensive components, but in some cases, they will design entirely new elements. As an example, some people believe speakers sound better if the audio is all coming from a single point in space.
As a result, manufacturers like KEF put one driver inside the middle of another driver. So rather than a tweeter a few inches above the midrange driver, the tweeter will be inside the midrange driver. This requires extra design and engineering and can add to manufacturing costs as well.
Expensive Speaker Materials
Some speakers may be more expensive because they use high-end or exotic material. In some cases, this may be strictly for aesthetic purposes. Wooden enclosures may be constructed out of finished walnut or painted with a red violin finish.
The level of workmanship or intricate visual detail can add significant cost to the speaker. An extreme example of this is the Porsche 911 soundbar, which retails for 3L – 4L. It has great ratings, but more in-depth reviews detail that the sound is just “better than okay.”
While durability, engineering, and high-quality materials are great, they do not guarantee a great sounding speaker. So sure, you can pay more for better visual aesthetic and material quality.However, if you want a better experience with your media, spending more money isn’t always a better way to get there.
Setting A Speaker Budget
You will eventually hit a point of diminishing returns. As you approach the Rs 1.5 L mark, the quality increases will become much more subtle.
At the lower end of the spectrum, you may spend Rs 50 K more for a system that is 5x as good. When you get up to higher-end speakers, you may be paying Rs 2 Lacs more for a mere 5% increase in quality.
Most consumer-grade speakers under the 1 Lakh will give you a full range of sound. The quality will be noticeably better the higher you get on that price scale, even if you are only listening to Spotify and watching Youtube videos. In general, the most expensive speakers are only worth it if you are working in audio production and listening to extremely high-quality media. Even then, the space you are in will play a huge role in audio quality.
Professional Grade Speakers
When you get out of consumer-grade equipment and into production-level audio gear, you start looking at equipment designed for an entirely different purpose.
Consumer-grade equipment is made to be versatile, to sound pretty in a variety of settings no matter what is playing. This is the personality of the speaker itself and is often referred to as color.
Color can be great and can make small systems sound a lot bigger than they are, or make cheap systems sound impressive. The problem with color when working in a professional environment is precision. The sound might be rich, but it’s not accurate.
Think about it like Instagram filters. Instagram filters can be fun, and add exciting colors and tones to any photo. However, imagine you are a professional photographer, and your camera’s preview screen has a permanent Instagram filter installed. Your photos might look great on your camera – but completely different on someone else’s computer, or tv screen.
The same is true of audio. The speakers are the window through which producers can ‘see’ and judge their work. Because of this, they need incredibly accurate speakers with as little distortion as possible. They need studio monitors – speakers that do not introduce color into the sound.
Do More Speakers Sound Better? Hmmm..Surrounding is also a major factor
Adding more speakers can sound better in certain situations. However, adding speakers all around your living room to create surround sound is not a good solution for getting better audio quality out of your music.
For the most part, to correctly add more speakers to your system will you need an amplifier with additional channels. Additionally, if you merely jump the speaker cables to other speakers, you will get sound coming from more places, but it won’t necessarily sound better. If the speakers are a different distance from the listener, you may get an echoing effect, which can be disorienting and unpleasant.
If you do choose to use an amplifier to add additional channels to your audio setup, you will only want to use them for media designed for surround sound. Movies and films are created this way, but music typically is not. To learn more about surround sound and stereo systems, check out our article on using a Home Theatre Bypass.
Final Thoughts
While premium speakers offer impressive design, materials, and engineering, they aren’t always necessary for great sound. Smart budgeting and informed purchasing can yield excellent results without breaking the bank. Whether you’re an audiophile or a casual listener, understanding what contributes to speaker pricing helps you make the best choice for your needs.
For more insights on audio technology, stay tuned to Techlog!