It goes without saying that there are many considerations. This can depend on your intended usage of them, your personal perception of sound (as everyone is different), and even your brand loyalty. We can assist you if you're serious about your speakers and would want some advise.

Furthermore, we won't merely declare that the finest ones are those with the strongest bass response. Use this checklist as a reference for selecting speakers.

1. Clarity and Detail

The first thing you should listen for in speakers is clarity. It sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done.

To do this, play a song or an album you’re familiar with. Make sure everything sounds cohesive, without any parts standing out or being disjointed. The music should have its individual instruments feel balanced, with clear vocals, a strong but not overpowering bass and fine highs. It should sound natural without feeling ill-defined.

Another way to measure balance and clarity is by listening to music that is primarily acoustic. The reason for this is because you have almost certainly heard acoustic instruments and vocals in-person, and have a better point of reference when listening to similar music on speakers. If the vocals and instruments sound like they do in real life, that speaker is providing clear sound.

2. Range

Next, you’ll want to listen to the dynamic range of the speaker. At its most basic, it’s a contrast between quiet and loud, but it provides context to music or movies.

The speaker should be able to make musical or cinematic peaks and troughs clear without blowing out the speaker or rendering the quiet parts inaudible. Is the contrast between the loud and soft parts very sharp or is the difference hard to hear? A good speaker will make ebbs in sound feel delicate.

3. Imaging

Listen for the speaker to render a vast sound field around you. Does it sound like it’s projecting sound from all directions? This is the speaker’s ability to “image,” or create a soundstage.

4. Depth of Sound

You want to listen for bass next — not for how loud it can be, but rather how well the speaker conveys its depth.

The bass should sound very clean and crisp as individual notes. If the bass sounds like one repeating note that thuds along, that’s no good. If you want a good way to measure depth, find a song that uses an upright bass playing a walking bassline, like in jazz songs. These basslines alternate notes on every strum, and because they’re acoustic, they give a true-to-life sound. If you can hear each of these individual notes, that’s a good speaker.

If the speaker convinced you that the sound is coming from 360 degrees around you, then it did a good job of imaging.

Contact the Sound Experts at FBelec
Come talk to the professionals at FBelec if you'd like additional information about assessing and contrasting speakers. Whether they are being used in live music venues or home cinema systems, we have experience with a wide variety of speakers.