
Oh, and you may have heard people talk about the quality of the cables that send that signal, but that doesn't actually matter that much. Passive speakers are more affordable and way more flexible (as you can experiment with different external components to do the amplification part), while active speakers are more expensive but don’t require multiple components to work. Active speakers have their own built-in amplification that's optimized for that specific speaker. Passive speakers require external amplification from a receiver or amplifier to work - they need the signal from the playback device to be amplified for them by another device. There are many internal components within a speaker that will drastically affect the end sound, such as the crossovers - which direct the signal to the correct drivers - the size and material of the cabinet, and the quality and number of speaker drivers.Īt the root of it, there are two main types of loudspeakers you should know about: passive and active. In simplest terms, they take the electrical signal that's fed from your playback device (whether a turntable, CD player or digital streamer) and then vibrate their innards to produce sound. Speakers (or loudspeakers) are the most important components in any audio system because they have the biggest impact on the sound you actually hear. On that note, godspeed, and happy listening! Speakers
However, don't think you need to spend a fortune in order to attain audiophile bliss: for each component, we present different tiers of product priced according to different budgets, though even the budget system will provide you with a setup worlds better than simply plugging a pair of earbuds into your computer.
