Comparison B&W 683 S2 vs B&W 684

The number of individual speakers provided in each speaker. Do not confuse this parameter with the number of bands described below — several speakers can be responsible for one band; it is believed that this can improve some of the sound parameters, in addition, it allows you to achieve high power with relatively small speaker dimensions. Otherwise, the number of speakers is more of a reference than a practically significant indicator.

If there are speakers with a different number of speakers in the set, the maximum value of this parameter is usually indicated (most often — by the front speaker). In this case, passive radiators(if any, see "Design Features") are not taken into account in the calculation.

The number of distinct frequency bands into which the sound is divided when played back through the speakers. For each such band, a separate speaker is provided, and sometimes several (for more details, see "Number of speakers").

Among multi-band consumer-level models, the most common options are 2 or 3 bands — LF / HF and LF / MF / HF, respectively. A larger number, usually, indicates a high class of acoustics, because. it is more accurately capable of reproducing the signal and, accordingly, is more complicated. But there are also small satellites with one speaker ( single-way) for the case of an undemanding listener.

Note that, in addition to integers, models are also produced with a fractional number of bands — for example, 2.5 or 3.5. This marking indicates the presence in the design of a speaker that is responsible for two bands at once: for example, model 2.5 has separate speakers for bass and treble plus a combined bass + midrange (similar in design to bass, but also loaded with mid frequencies).

Speaker sensitivity.

This characteristic is indicated on the basis of how loud the acoustics are capable of producing when a signal of a certain standard power is applied to it. Simply put, the higher the sensitivity of the speaker, the louder it will sound at the same output power of the amplifier. Thus, sensitive acoustics can be effectively used even in combination with relatively low-power "amplifiers". On the other hand, low sensitivity also has its advantages: it allows you to achieve a more uniform frequency response and reduces the likelihood of overloading the amplifier. In the least sensitive modern speakers, this indicator does not exceed 84 dB, in the most sensitive it is 95 – 96 dB or more.

Note that in fact, you have to pay attention to this parameter when acoustics are planned to be used with a separately selected power amplifier. Therefore, for active systems (see "Type"), sensitivity is purely a reference value, and, usually, it can be ignored when choosing.

The crossover frequency provided in the speaker design.

A crossover is installed exclusively in a multi-band model (see "Number of Bands"). This is an electronic filter that ensures the division of the incoming audio signal into separate frequency ranges and directs each range to "its" set of speakers. And the crossover frequency shows where the boundary between these ranges lies. If there are more than two bands, there will be several such boundaries: for example, for a four-band system it may be specified "0.15 / 0.8 / 2.8 kHz" or "0.12 / 1 / 3.8".

In most cases, this parameter has mainly a reference value: the frequencies of the built-in crossover are selected to match the operating characteristics of the speakers installed in the speaker system.

Rated power of one front speaker. See "Total Power Rating" below for details on power rating. Here we note that the higher the power, the louder the system component can sound — of course, with a properly selected amplifier. In addition, this parameter is very important for matching with the amplifier: it is desirable that the output power on the corresponding amplifier channel be less than the power of the speaker. If the incoming signal is more powerful, distortions in the sound and even damage to the speakers are possible, and if it is weaker, then the sound volume will decrease (in other words, it will not be possible to use the full potential of the acoustics), but this moment will be critical only for listening at maximum volume.

The highest power rating of an amplifier that the loudspeakers can handle safely. Too much input power can damage the speakers, so when connecting, make sure that the amplifier's characteristics do not exceed the capabilities of the speakers. It is worth noting that this parameter may be slightly higher than the total nominal power of the acoustics (see below), since in this case we are only talking about the safety of the equipment, and not about the absence of distortion in the sound.

The total rated power of all speaker components, in other words, the sum of the powers of all speakers. As a nominal one, they usually indicate the highest average (rms) power at which acoustics can operate for a long time without overloads and damage. In this case, individual power surges can significantly exceed this value, however, it is the rated power that is the main characteristic of any speaker.

First of all, the sound volume depends on this characteristic: the more powerful the speakers, the louder the sound they can produce if there is a suitable amplifier. In addition, in passive and passive-active models, compatibility with an external amplifier also depends on the power: the output power of the “amplifier” should not exceed the power of the acoustics connected to it, otherwise overloads and even breakdowns are possible.

Detailed recommendations regarding the choice of speakers for power for a particular situation can be found in special sources. However, in general, an indicator of up to 100 W by the standards of modern acoustics is considered quite modest, 100 – 200 W — average, 200 – 300 W — above average, and the most powerful sets give out up to 500 W or even more.

In conclusion, we note two more nuances. Firstly, when comparing different systems according to this ch...aracteristic, one must also take into account the sound format in which they work. In particular, if there is a subwoofer, it can account for a significant part of the total power — up to half or more. As a result, for example, a 2.1 set of 50 W with a 20-watt subwoofer at the main frequencies will not be able to pull out the same volume as a 40-watt 2.0 system: in the first case, each main channel will have only 15 watts, in the second — 20 watts. Secondly, in multichannel systems, the total power can be distributed among the channels in different proportions; so, say, two 5.1 systems with the same total power can differ markedly in front and rear balance at maximum volume.

The total frequency range that the speaker is capable of reproducing. Specified from the bottom of the range in the lowest frequency component to the top of the range in the highest frequency: for example, in a 2.1 system with main speakers at 100 – 22000 Hz and a subwoofer at 20 – 150 Hz, the total value will be 20 – 22000 Hz.

The wider the frequency range — the fuller the reproduced sound, the lower the likelihood that some part of the low or high frequencies will be "cut off". It is worth noting here that the human ear perceives frequencies on average from 16 Hz to 22 kHz, and from a practical point of view, it makes no sense to provide a wider frequency range in speakers. However, quite a few models go beyond this range, sometimes quite significantly (for example, there are speakers with a range of about 10 – 50,000 Hz). Such characteristics are a kind of "side effect" of high-end acoustics, and they are usually given for advertising purposes.

Thus, the lower limit of the range in modern speakers can be within frequencies up to 20 Hz, however, higher values \u200b\u200bare more common — 30 – 40 Hz, 40 – 50 Hz, or even more than 70 Hz. In turn, the upper limit in most modern speakers lies in the range 19 – 22 kHz, although there are deviations both upwards (see above) and downwards.

The diameter of the midrange speaker(s) speakers. The size of the speaker determines its operating range, as well as the total power: the larger the diameter, the lower the frequencies and the larger the radiating surface area (and hence the power). Accordingly, the dynamics for the midrange can be quite large, but in this case this parameter cannot be called critical. More detailed information can be found in special sources.