Buying PC speakers? Avoid these 5 common mistakes
When you’re shopping for new speakers it’s easy to make mistakes that can have an impact on your listening experience. Buying speakers requires a certain amount of knowledge to ensure you find a model that’s a right fit. Here I look at five common mistakes people make when choosing speakers and suggest what you should do instead.
1. Not defining what you want them for
One of the biggest mistakes when buying speakers is not being clear about why you want them. That can lead to you getting speakers that are a poor fit for your circumstances.
Ask, what do I really want them for? Do I want passive speakers to listen to music, or a surround sound system to get good game audio? You should be as specific as possible and think about the kind of music you want to listen to and the kind of games you want to play. What you want to use the speakers for should be the biggest determinant as to what kind of speakers you should get.
2. Ignoring room size and acoustics
Another problem is not considering the size of the room and acoustics of the room that you’re placing the speakers in. Buying speakers that are too large for a small room can result in an overly loud and unbalanced sound. On the other hand, small speakers in a large space can lose their impact and clarity.
It’s also essential to consider other factors like whether your speakers will have a subwoofer, be connected to the TV, or be used with floor or desktop stands. These things can all affect the acoustics and determine whether your speakers fit the space or whether they will stick out like a sore thumb.
3. Believing power is everything
While power is an important factor, it doesn’t define sound quality. In fact, the internal components and the frequency response of a speaker are far more important than a speaker’s wattage. If you must look at power, then look at RMS power rather than peak power. RMS power is the amount of continuous power a speaker can handle without distortion or damage. Whereas peak power is often exaggerated and doesn’t reflect the speaker’s actual performance.
A better test of a speaker is just to pay close attention to the sound quality. That way you’ll get a real gauge of its performance.
Pexels: Karol D
4. Not paying attention to connectivity
As important as sound quality is it’s not the only factor to think about. A speaker’s connectivity is also critical to get right if you plan on connecting it to multiple devices.
Digital and analog connections have different characteristics and connecting speakers to a TV, console, or PC is not the same. When choosing your speakers make sure they have the necessary inputs and outputs for your devices. Opting for speakers with the right connectivity will save you hassle in the long run.
5. Not researching additional features
While sound quality, size, power, and connectivity are all important considerations when choosing speakers, you’ll also want to ensure your speakers have additional features that can enrich your experience. For example, having manual sound modes or an equalizer allows you to personalize the sound to your liking.
A remote control can make hands-free remote-control operation more convenient. Additionally, features like RGB lighting, large controls, and voice assistance offer greater convenience and add to your user experience over time. It really depends on what your needs are.
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