Quality Speakers


Learn how to spot a cheap pair of speakers to protect yourself from unscrupulous manufacturing. Look for a manufacturer's attention to detail through physical examination.

Look closely at the binding posts where the speaker wire will attach. Are they easily accessible to your fingertips? You're going to visit the binding posts many times over the years, usually in poor lighting and cramped quarters. Do any moving parts move easily and smoothly? Are they bi-wirable/bi-ampable (having two sets of binding posts)? This is generally indicative of higher quality speakers.
Are the speakers ported? Ported speakers (bass reflex) use the port to augment the speaker's ability to reproduce bass. Non-ported (infinite baffle or acoustic suspension) are generally considered higher quality. Both speaker types should have a solid feel if you gently knock on them. They should sound well insulated from the inside and never echo. Except for the port itself, and especially for infinite baffle speakers, the enclosures of the speaker box should be airtight. Visible seams should be secure.

Remove the grille and look at the speaker cones themselves. Observe how many active speakers are housed in the box and examine the quality of the materials used. Paper or cardboard cones are usually found in less expensive speakers. Polyurethane and other lightweight materials are superior as they strike a balance between strength and sensitivity.

Also look for substances used to mount the edges of the speaker cone to the outer wall of the speaker. Generally a ring will mount it down, but what comes between the ring and the moving part of the cone? Foam is cheap and will rot quickly. Solid hi-tech plastics will last a long time.