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New member Username: MheadPost Number: 3 Registered: Jul-04 | Hi! I'm building a new Hi-Fi system. This is the first time I'm having Hi-Fi system, built of stand-alone high quality components. For that reason I never really thought about this that I'm about to ask. Most of "budget" speakers, no matter they are these huge floor-standing, or compact bookshelf models, have sound frequency between 20-22.000Hz. Most of them are very affordable, while on the other hand you have "tiny" speakers with higher frequencies (35-50.000Hz), costing a lot more. Also, these are supposed to being able to cover entirely DVD-Audio and SACD sound formats. Fair enough, but what I really wonder is whether I would have any practical use of these "high-tech" speakers, considering the fact that a normal human ear can detect only frequencies up to 19.000-20.000Hz??? Or did I got it all wrong? Thanks in advance! M\ |
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Silver Member Username: LandrovalPost Number: 747 Registered: Feb-04 | The frequency range is not a very important quality on a speaker. Go listen different models and you'll know why the expensive ones cost more. |
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Bronze Member Username: Nm2285Delaware Post Number: 22 Registered: Aug-04 | The extended frequency response of a speaker "theoretically" makes the upper range that we can hear come off as smoother and sweeter. Like landroval said, its not this extended response that makes more expensive speakers more expensive. Do some listening. |
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Gold Member Username: Project6Post Number: 1541 Registered: Dec-03 | aah, the spec reader... first thing you want to do is rid yourself of that burden. Specification of frequency ranges are nice if you have nothing else to base your decisions, but a good listen will undoubtedly sell you on the speakers. There are Tandy Corporation drivers that can reproduce upwards of 22 Khz, but the refinement is just not there. If you are going to look at specs, pay attention to the power handling, sensitivity and impedance ratings as this will tell you if your receiver/amp can handle them. After that , close your eyes, listen and listen well. |
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Bronze Member Username: Look4sunPost Number: 18 Registered: Sep-04 | Strange too, some speakers quote in their specs paper the frequency response looks promising. I wonder how we as customer could check the truth. I know we should listen personally, but I think manufacture should have the good faith in quoting the specifications. |
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Silver Member Username: Rh1Post Number: 158 Registered: Jun-04 | lol...that's asking for a lot, hence marketing depts |
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Gold Member Username: John_aPost Number: 2150 Registered: Dec-03 | MheAd, We are all stone deaf above 20 kHz; most of us cannot hear beyond 16 kHz. The upper limit declines with age. I think I am down to about 14 kHz. You can get a test disc and try it. CD players have a filter to cut frequencies above 22 kHz; they have to, there are serious problems at anything above half the sampling frequency (which is 44.1 kHz for CD). DVD-A and SACD can go higher, up to 96 kHz (192 kHz sampling frequency) for two-channel DVD-A, but no-one can hear up there, or anywhere near it. There are still improvements in DVD-A and SACD, but this is to do with accuracy of the waveform, and resolution of the sounds you can hear. See also Speaker for SACD/DVD-A. |