Comparison Sven MS-2080 vs Edifier S3000 Pro

— 1.0. Single-channel(monophonic) audio system. "Alone" such speakers do not provide a sense of surround sound, but can be used as separate components for multi-channel surround sound systems.

— 2.0. Normal stereo sound: two speakers responsible for the left and right channels. Allows you to create a minimal illusion of "surround" sound by simulating the displacement of the sound source in the space in front of the listener.

— 2.1. A dual speaker system that creates a minimal illusion of "surround" sound, and a subwoofer that delivers powerful and rich sound by adding bass and ultra-low frequencies.

— 3.0. System of three speakers(centre and two front). According to some manufacturers, such systems in small rooms are capable, with some tricks, of reproducing full surround sound without rear speakers.

— 5.0. A set of five speakers(two front, centre and two rear), which allows you to reproduce a full surround sound, which is subjectively perceived by the listener not only in front, but also behind him.

— 5.1. A set of five speakers and a subwoofer for low and ultra-low frequencies, allowing you to reproduce a full surround sound, which is subjectively perceived by the listener not only in front, but also behind him. 5.1 systems ar...e one of the most popular multi-channel audio formats, widely used, in particular, in home theaters.

There are also much rarer options due to narrow needs:

— 1.1. Systems in the form of a subwoofer, on which a general range speaker is installed on top. They are found mainly in concert acoustics — it is convenient to assemble systems for powerful and rich sound from such components.

— 2.2. Further development of the idea embodied in systems 1.1 (see above); in fact, these are sets of two identical speakers of 1.1 format. Such sets are produced from the considerations that for concerts, especially in relatively small rooms, it is often enough just a pair of 1.1 speakers; it is more convenient and often cheaper to buy two such speakers at once than to buy them one at a time.

— 3.1. A system of three speakers (centre and two front), as well as a subwoofer for bass and ultra-low frequencies. It is a "stripped down" version of the 5.1 system; according to some manufacturers, such systems are capable of reproducing full surround sound in the absence of rear speakers, due to which they are perfect for installation in small rooms where it is not possible to place full-fledged 5.1 acoustics.

— 4.0. A variation of 4.1 systems (see below), devoid of a subwoofer, otherwise completely similar.

— 4.1. Simplified version of 5.1 format (see above); such systems usually lack either a centre or one of the rear channels. Anyway, other things being equal, they are cheaper than full-length 5.1, but their sound quality is significantly lower.

— 4.2. This category includes mainly concert acoustics (see "Intended use"), which is an extended version of the 2.2 described above. In 4.2 systems, not one, but two total range speakers are installed above each subwoofer. Thus, you can achieve better and richer sound.

— 5.2. A variation of the 5.1 described above, supplemented by a second subwoofer — this has a positive effect on the quality and accuracy of bass reproduction. On the other hand, setting up such systems is somewhat more complicated.

— 6.1. Extended version of 5.1 format: two front speakers, a centre speaker, three rear speakers (left, right and centre) and a subwoofer for bass and extra bass. It is characterized by a more accurate transmission of surround sound in the rear sector, but is quite rare.

— 7.0. Extended version of multi-channel audio with five main channels (eg 5.1). In this case, the five main channels are supplemented with two more, which allows to achieve a more voluminous and reliable sound. Most often, additional channels are located at the back ("rear right" and "rear left"), but depending on the specific sound format, other installation options are possible — for example, on the sides of the user.

— 8.1. Systems providing 8 main sound channels plus 1 low frequency. The specific distribution of the main channels may be different, depending on the model. However, all 8.1 systems differ, on the one hand, in good reliability of surround sound, on the other hand, in high cost and complexity in setting up.

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.

Impedance is the nominal electrical impedance of a speaker system. Nowadays, a set of standard impedance values are used; the most widely used speakers are 4 ohms, 6 ohms, 8 ohms and 16 ohms.

This parameter is of primary importance for passive acoustics (see "Type"). When connecting such speakers to a power amplifier, it is highly desirable that their impedance matches the speaker impedance for which the amplifier is designed; in case of a mismatch, either overload and distortion in sound (if the speaker impedance is below optimal), or a decrease in power (in the opposite case), are possible.

As for active acoustics, here the impedance is mainly of reference value — the speakers in such systems are initially selected for the corresponding amplifiers. However there is an opinion that a higher resistance reduces the level of interference and has a positive effect on the purity of the sound; however, the difference in impedance between different models is usually not so great that this effect is noticeable against the background of other factors that determine sound quality.

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 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 range of audio frequencies that the front speaker can reproduce. See "Total Frequency Range" below for details on this setting.

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 type of subwoofer included with the speaker.

— Closed. The simplest type of subwoofer: a woofer placed, as the name suggests, in a closed cabinet. Such models provide good sound quality, it is not as susceptible to distortion as the bass-reflex models described below — on the other hand, they are less sensitive.

— Phase inverter. Subwoofers equipped with so-called phase inverters — tubes brought out of the case to the outside. The length of the phase inverter is such that the signal coming out of it is inverted in phase relative to the signal from the speaker (hence the name). It is believed that this has a positive effect on the sound power; at the same time, the movement of air in the tube creates some noise and may affect the clarity of the sound.

— With a passive emitter. The passive radiator looks like an ordinary speaker — however, it is devoid of a coil and a magnet and is not a sound source, but only repeats the vibrations from full-fledged speakers. The purpose of this function is similar to the phase inverter described above, while the advantageous difference between passive radiators and phase inverter tubes is the absence of noise from the air flow.

The rated power of the subwoofer provided in the speakers.

The more powerful the subwoofer — the louder and richer bass the acoustics can produce. In addition, this characteristic determines compatibility with an external amplifier (if its connection is provided by the speaker design): the output power of such an amplifier on the bass channel should not exceed this indicator. And best of all, when the power ratings of the amplifier and subwoofer are the same — this allows you to fully realize all the capabilities of the woofer and at the same time avoid overloads.

Also note that the overall colour of the sound depends on the ratio of the power of the subwoofer and the main speakers, especially at maximum volume. For example, if in one 100-watt 2.1 set the subwoofer has 50 watts, and in another — only 30 watts, then the first speaker at maximum power will produce richer bass, but with a lower volume of the main channels.