When purchasing some PC speakers Many people tend to be guided solely by price; after all, they think, they won't get much use out of them because they'll end up putting the headphones on. GuiaHardware We think this is a serious mistake, because with the arrival of summer, there will be times when you will be overwhelmed by having the headphones stuck to your ear and you will want to enjoy a good sound experience on your PC.
In this way, in today's article we intend to show you the Tips to keep in mind when choosing the best speakers for your PC. We started!
2.0, 2.1 or 5.1 speakers: Which system is better?
You probably already have a lot of information about it, but we will try to be as clear as possible, so that you can make a good mental map: to begin with, the 2.0 speakers They form a pair of speakers configured in stereo, while the 2.1 speakers incorporate the addition of a dedicated subwoofer to improve bass sounds. In the case of the 5.1 sound system We are talking about 5 “satellite” speakers, plus an added subwoofer, and they are configured to be placed around the user in order to create a surround sound environment.
This is all very well, but what's best for me? Well, contrary to what it may seem, and while it's true that choosing the last option (who doesn't want to set up a 5-speaker surround sound system with a subwoofer in their room?) is the most attractive, if you don't have the necessary space which requires setting up the whole thing, you're going to spend a lot of money for nothing.
In this way, we arrive at one of the Key points when choosing the best speakers for your PC: the available space. Along these lines, the easiest option would be to opt for 2.0 speakers, since you only need to place one speaker on each side of the monitor and that's it. A 2.1 system is even a good option if you have the space to place a subwoofer—the best place to place it is centered, under the table or behind the monitor.
If you have the space and have decided to get a 5.1 speaker system, you should keep in mind that these systems are made up of multiple speakers and you can't place them wherever you want because you'll lose sound quality.
La optimal placement to get the best sound performance from your 5.1 system is to place a speaker on each side of the monitor, one below or above it, and two more on each side of the back, creating a sort of circle facing you.
The 5.1 system also requires that pay attention to where you are going to put the subwoofer, and, as we advised in the case of the 2.1 system, it is best to place it in the most central position possible, either on the floor or at the back of the monitor.
Closely related to space is the importance of paying attention to the size of the speakers. Generally speaking, a large number of the speakers you can buy on the market They are usually quite large in size, especially in the case of subwoofer, since low sounds are usually reproduced through passive speakers within a sizable sound box.
For this reason, we recommend that you don't opt for a speaker system simply because it's high-end without first making sure you know the size of the devices that make it up and without having defined the space in which you're going to place them, because you might not be able to fit them because they literally don't fit.
What features should I consider when purchasing speakers?
Well, now that we have shown you the tips that you should keep in mind when choosing speakers based on their layout, configuration and size, we move on a little further and point out to you what features are important to consider when purchasing speakers.
Generally speaking, the thresholds of human hearing are usually located between 20 Hz and 20 KHz (although it is true that the human ear is much more sensitive in the frequencies between 2.000 and 5.000 Hz), so you will see that the vast majority of sound-related products offered on the market have a frequency response of 20 to 20.000 Hz. So, this value should be the minimum you should pay attention to; forget the grandiloquent figures other manufacturers will try to get your attention: they're just sales pitches, so don't be fooled by them because, except for the very high-end models, you won't notice much difference.
At this point it is important to note that there are certain headphones, such as Hi-Res, in which you can find certain changes, but not in the case of speakers unless you go, as we say, to those in the professional ranges.
Another element that different speaker brands will try to entice you with is the speaker power. It's quite common to find 500 watts RMS in 5.1 sound systems on the market; however, to be able to assess these values, we must first know what exactly is RMS power.
Let's try to explain it in a simple way: The acronym RMS stands for «Root Mean Square» (square root mean), that is, this is what defines the average sustained power which is capable of keeping the speakers constant. The commercial trap here lies in the fact that many traders show the peak power or maximum power, so it is not actually RMS power.
Our advice, therefore, is to be wary of extremely high figures, as the manufacturer is likely providing maximum power, not RMS, which is what you're interested in.
Along these same lines, you should also be very careful with combined speaker systems (2.1, 5.1, 7.1, etc.), since it is very possible that the manufacturer will show you the combined power of the entire system; that is, for example, if 2.1 speakers have 100W of RMS power, each speaker actually has 12,5W and the subwoofer the remaining 75W.
Therefore, we recommend caution with these types of figures, which are easily misleading. While it's true that a subwoofer will always have much more power than satellites because it has larger condensers and a box that acts as an amplifier, the reality is that if you encounter a significant difference, it's best not to trust it.
Finally, another of the elements that you will have to take into account when purchasing the The best speakers for your PC is connectivity. Don't make a decision before checking this aspect thoroughly, as you could end up choosing a very striking high-end model with a Jack or RCA connection, only to find that your PC's sound card doesn't have those outputs when you get home. So, be very careful with the compatibility.