10 Biggest Mistakes in Loudspeaker Shopping

[gene]

<P><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; LETTER-SPACING: 0.05pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face=Arial><A href="http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/buyingguides/10buyingmistakesspeakers.php"><IMG style="WIDTH: 125px; HEIGHT: 88px" alt=[money2] hspace=0 src="http://www.audioholics.com/news/thumbs/money2_th.gif" align=left border=0></A>Axiom Audio gives some great advice on how to avoid the 10 biggest and most common mistakes when shopping for speakers and home theater equipment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>A seemingly obvious pitfall is people who get suckered into buying speakers sold on the street by guys driving white vans or SUV’s.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>We always tell people if you see the word “digital” in a loudspeakers product description, avoid them like the plague.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>In this article Axiom outlines careful methods of avoiding impulsive shopping and making sure you do your research both online and via proper auditions to ensure your purchasing selections are most appropriate for your needs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; LETTER-SPACING: 0.05pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face=Arial><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">[Read the Article]</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>

 

[Sheep]

Good article. This will come in handy with some of the new comers.

SheepStar

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yes, great. Probably should be a permanent sticky?

 

[BostonMark]

Meridian DSP 8000

I thought that these Digital speakers were supposed to be good, I had read favorable reviews on them.

Are all speakers advertised as "DIGITAL" truly to be avoided?

 

[wilkenboy]

This article should be a sticky, not just on every section of this forum, but on every audio forum and also posted outside of every Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.

Excellent work.

~Josh

 

[Audioholics]

Are all speakers advertised as "DIGITAL" truly to be avoided?

It's for the most part a term that is applied to speakers to make them seem high tech. In fact, there really are no "digital" speakers. If a manufacturer can't get this right, or is stooping to this type of marketing to get you to buy product - it is a pretty big red flag.

 

[majorloser]

Number 11

You brought the wife and kids with you when you bought them

 

[Mr.BBQ]

Heh, I had to learn about some of those things the hard way. Good article though, pretty interesting.

 

[billy p]

Isn't this common

sense for most? Oh I see ...... lol

 

[BostonMark]

I was playing Devil's Advocate

It's for the most part a term that is applied to speakers to make them seem high tech. In fact, there really are no "digital" speakers. If a manufacturer can't get this right, or is stooping to this type of marketing to get you to buy product - it is a pretty big red flag.

Meridian actually makes a Digital Speaker in its very high end audio systems. The signal is digital all the way to the speaker, and the D/A converters are in the speaker. From what I've read, they sound outstanding.

I know that White van speakers and many other cheap speakers boast of beign able to handle Digital Signals and CD quality sound , I just threw in Meridian to be a devil's advocate.

 

[Kruncher]

The Speakers in the Parking Lot Scam

A few weeks back, I finally had this happen to me. I went to the mall one morning, and while I was looking for a parking spot, a guy in a van starts talking about speakers and if I was interested. I continued driving away, shaking my head as he spoke. All well and good.

Later in the day, I had to go back for something. As I'm loading my truck, parked in front of patio Starbucks, a different guy and his partner pull up and start the same schtick.

Since I'd kind of been steaming about it all day because I didn't challenge the guy at the time, I snap - lose it. I started ripping on them for their cheap crap, sight unseen. "Oh, things have changed and improved now. Our gear..." he starts. Now I'm really ticked and started thinking about all the poor uninformed that have ever been ripped off by this guy and his type. I start talking about tech specs from enclosures to drivers to soldering. I mentioned that in all likelihood my old bookshelf Paradigms were probably 100x better than anything he had. The driver's still trying to sell me, and his partner is now encouraging him to get the H out of there, because driver hasn't seen it yet, but now I've been ragging on him for a few minutes we've gathered a bit of an audience. Finally they take off and we watched as they drove off the mall lot.

I was really angry because a good friend almost got burned a couple of months prior, but phoned me before she handed over the cash.

I swear every word is true.

What I can't believe is that there continue to be enough marks out there to make it worthwhile for these guys to continue to do what they do. It's our job, no, our responsibility, to stop this scam from happening to our friends and family.

Dismounting soap-box now.

Kruncher

 

[gene]

A few weeks back, I finally had this happen to me. I went to the mall one morning, and while I was looking for a parking spot, a guy in a van starts talking about speakers and if I was interested. I continued driving away, shaking my head as he spoke. All well and good.

Later in the day, I had to go back for something. As I'm loading my truck, parked in front of patio Starbucks, a different guy and his partner pull up and start the same schtick.

Since I'd kind of been steaming about it all day because I didn't challenge the guy at the time, I snap - lose it. I started ripping on them for their cheap crap, sight unseen. "Oh, things have changed and improved now. Our gear..." he starts. Now I'm really ticked and started thinking about all the poor uninformed that have ever been ripped off by this guy and his type. I start talking about tech specs from enclosures to drivers to soldering. I mentioned that in all likelihood my old bookshelf Paradigms were probably 100x better than anything he had. The driver's still trying to sell me, and his partner is now encouraging him to get the H out of there, because driver hasn't seen it yet, but now I've been ragging on him for a few minutes we've gathered a bit of an audience. Finally they take off and we watched as they drove off the mall lot.

I was really angry because a good friend almost got burned a couple of months prior, but phoned me before she handed over the cash.

I swear every word is true.

What I can't believe is that there continue to be enough marks out there to make it worthwhile for these guys to continue to do what they do. It's our job, no, our responsibility, to stop this scam from happening to our friends and family.

Dismounting soap-box now.

Kruncher

Be very careful when you confront these guys. I had a couple of them confront me on their speakers and I respectfully said I wasnt interested. They persisted and I finally told them I am in the industry and I know all about Street speakers. One man said, "What our stuff isn't good enough for you?" I said "actually your stuff isn't even good enough for Best Buy".

He then treatened he should beat me up for being a wise *ss. Then I followed and said I should report his license tag to consumer affairs or the local law. They took off after that but it occurred to me what if these guys had a Gun or weapon? Is it really worth it, especially if you have your wife or children in your car?

 

[Blundaar]

It's kind of sad, actually. If I'm going to spend big bucks on a product that I'll be using for years, I'll be doing all those common-sense things and what I don't know I'll research. You should have seen the bag of DVD's and CD's I had with me when I bought my KEF's.

 

[BostonMark]

Alright!

It's kind of sad, actually. If I'm going to spend big bucks on a product that I'll be using for years, I'll be doing all those common-sense things and what I don't know I'll research. You should have seen the bag of DVD's and CD's I had with me when I bought my KEF's.

That's what I do! I have a variety I use to test everything from bass response, surround sound, imaging, midrange, male vocals, female vocals, and treble! All stuff that I know what it should and can sound like.

e.g. Finding Nemo for Subwoofer response
House of Flying Daggers & Master and Commander for Surround Sound
The Doors for male vocals
Billie Holiday or Diana Krall for female vocals
Metallica for heavy metal
Neil YOung for soft acoustic etc.

 

[Toji]

This article has only relevance to Audiophiles. The mass mainstream like to have somthing that is affordable and easy to use. Most high end audio systems require lots of research to get the right one, technical aptitude to hook up (HT in box comes with everything you need as well as easy to read daigrams on how to putt it together), and cost lots more than the HT in a box systems.

Most buyers want to have somthing they can plug in and turn on. HT systems in a box present a viable solution to these people.

I got a HT system from Walmart for $76 over 2 years ago (yes i am a cheap bastard ). It' may be only 100 watts, and uses cube speakers, and puny Sub. It's fully suited for my small bedroom. I have ajusted the volume for rear speakers, front speakers, center, and Sub. to my liking.

I was watching Last Exile (anime), on it yeasterday, it rocks litterally, lots of bass in that show. Even House of Flying Daggers sounded cool.

To me it sound like a unit 3 times as much.

 

[Daz3d&Confus3d]

Be very careful when you confront these guys. I had a couple of them confront me on their speakers and I respectfully said I wasnt interested. They persisted and I finally told them I am in the industry and I know all about Street speakers. One man said, "What our stuff isn't good enough for you?" I said "actually your stuff isn't even good enough for Best Buy".

He then treatened he should beat me up for being a wise *ss. Then I followed and said I should report his license tag to consumer affairs or the local law. They took off after that but it occurred to me what if these guys had a Gun or weapon? Is it really worth it, especially if you have your wife or children in your car?

Well put Gene......the obvious right answer is no...its not worth the risk....but I was glad to see you put them in their place.....hehe. I would have a hard time keeping my mouth shut if I were alone.....if the wife and kids are with me, then I just ignore them!

 

[Deathwish238]

hahaha I wonder what Number 10. is referring to...Bose perhaps?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Meridian DPS 8000

I thought that these Digital speakers were supposed to be good, I had read favorable reviews on them.

Are all speakers advertised as "DIGITAL" truly to be avoided?

Meridian is top of the line, killer stuff. It is not to be avoided, and less likely to even be afforded. These aren't fake digital speakers - they are a digital audio delivery system by which audio is maintained in the digital format until the last possible moment. The speakers receive a true digital signal, and then, right in the speaker, convert digital to analog, amplify, and deliver the signal to the speaker. I heard a Meridian system played incredibly loud in an A-B test with B&W 801s and the Meridians sounded much cleaner at an incredible audio level.

No, not to be avoided at all. But, the term 'generally' does not mean 'always' and I would say that anything with the word 'digital' in it when referring to the speaker should be highly suspect and most often avoided.

 

[bryantm3]

Meridian is top of the line, killer stuff. It is not to be avoided, and less likely to even be afforded. These aren't fake digital speakers - they are a digital audio delivery system by which audio is maintained in the digital format until the last possible moment. The speakers receive a true digital signal, and then, right in the speaker, convert digital to analog, amplify, and deliver the signal to the speaker. I heard a Meridian system played incredibly loud in an A-B test with B&W 801s and the Meridians sounded much cleaner at an incredible audio level.

No, not to be avoided at all. But, the term 'generally' does not mean 'always' and I would say that anything with the word 'digital' in it when referring to the speaker should be highly suspect and most often avoided.

that seems like a really pointless idea- because you won't be able to listen to records, tapes, regular analogue television, etc.

 

[annunaki]

Boston Mark,

I too read the review in Home Theater. The Meridian's were one of the best ever reviewed systems. The drawback is that they are over $20,000 for the set.