JOIN USLiven up your evenings with these bookshelf speakers
In these Covid-19 times, it can get pretty boring after a hard day’s work. And there is nothing that is better that a session of music listening to uplift your mood before you hit the sack.
Whether you are a fan of streaming music or still adore listening to your LP record and CD collection, it does not matter. What matters is having a good time listening to the music.
It is no secret that even if the amplifier and CD player/ turntable are good, the loudspeaker ultimately has to be of good quality. This is because the loudspeaker is the one that converts the electrical signal to sound. So, it makes sense to invest the maximum possible money one can in the loudspeaker. Even if one is short on cash, it is worth waiting to save money and then buy one solid and well-performing loudspeaker that will serve you well for many years.
How do you judge a good loudspeaker from a modest-sounding one? Simple. Take some of your favourite CDs to the store and listen to them the speakers you intend to buy. One thing to note is that a particular speaker will not sound the same in the store and your house because quite often, the store will have extensive room acoustic treatment. If one gets a bit of acoustic treatment for the room you intend to listen in, it will be fine since the echo and reverberation will be reduced.
Listening is one way of judging a speaker. The other one is the frequency response and decibel level. If the specification sheet says frequency response 39 Hz to 25 KHz, it is better than one with 45 Hz to 20 KHz because the sound reproduction bandwidth is wider, though humans can hear only till 20 KHz. The extra reproduction allows for headroom. With the decibel level, something that is 90 dB is better than 86 dB. These are general rules.
DH lists some popular loudspeakers in the mid-range hi-fi price bracket that sound good and are worthy investments:
Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
This is the 2.0 version of the original Debut bookshelf speaker designed by renowned designer Andrew Jones of the Pioneer fame. Apart from other improvements, the bass port was moved to the front in the 2.0 version.
Specifications:
Enclosure type: Two-way bass reflex
Tweeter: 1-inch cloth dome
Woofer: 5.25-inch Aramid fibre
Frequency response: 46Hz – 35000Hz
Nominal impedance: 6Ohms
Sensitivity: 86db
Crossover frequency: 2200Hz
Max power input: 120 Watts
Dimensions (WxHxD) : 180mm x 341.1mm x 233.9mm
Price: Rs 29,000 per pair approx
Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2
This is the bigger cousin of the 5.2 and the main difference is that it has a 6.5-inch woofer instead of a 5.25-inch woofer in the smaller speaker. This automatically means that there is more punch in the speaker. Both are worthwhile purchases.
Specifications:
Enclosure type: Two-way bass reflex
Tweeter: 1-inch cloth dome
Woofer: 6.5-inch Aramid fibre
Frequency response: 44Hz – 35000Hz
Nominal impedance: 6Ohm
Sensitivity: 87db
Crossover frequency: 2200Hz
Max power input: 120Watts
Dimensions (WxHxD) : 195.3mm x 374.9 mm x 267.9 mm
Price: Rs 35,000 per pair approx
KEF Q350
This unique technology from British manufacturer KEF is that the tweeter is placed in the middle of the woofer. This means that the high and low frequency sounds are more in sync. That is the theory behind the concentric drivers.
Specifications:
Enclosure type: Two-way bass reflex
Woofer: 6.5-inch aluminium Uni-Q
Tweeter: 1-inch vented aluminium dome
Sensitivity: 87 dB
Nominal impedance: 8 Ohm
Crossover frequency: 2500 Hz
Maximum power: 120Watts
Frequency response (+/- 3dB): 63 Hz – 28 KHz
Frequency range free field (-6db): 42 Hz
Dimensions: (HxWxD): 358mm x 210mm x 306mm
Price: Rs 57,000 per pair approx
Wharfedale Denton 85th Anniversary
If there is one speaker you have to pick up, this is the one. This is known to have the typical British sound signature and the looks are to die for. But since these are limited edition, they might be hard to find.
Specifications:
Enclosure type: Two-way bass reflex
Woofer: 6.5-inch black woven Kevlar cone
Tweeter: 1-inch soft dome
Sensitivity: 88dB
Recommended amplifier power: 20-120Watts
Sensitivity: 95dB
Nominal impedance: 4Ohms
Frequency response (+/-3dB): 45Hz – 20KHz
Bass extension (-6dB): 40Hz
Crossover frequency: 3100Hz
Dimensions (HxWxD): 340mm x 240mm x 275mm
Price: Rs 63,000 per pair approx
Wharfedale Evo 4.2
One of the latest from the British manufacturer, this loudspeaker has won accolades from a lot of music enthusiasts from all over the world. This speaker features the exotic air motion transformer tweeter as opposed to the regular dome tweeter in other loudspeakers.
Specifications:
Type: Three-way bass reflex
Woofer: 6.5-inch black woven Kevlar cone
Midrange: 2-inch soft dome
Tweeter: 30x60mm-AMT
Sensitivity: 87dB
Recommended amplifier power: 25-120Watts
SPL: 105dB
Nominal Impedance: 8Ω
Frequency response (+/-3dB): 54Hz – 22KHz
Bass extension (-6dB): 48Hz
Crossover frequency: 1400Hz, 3900Hz
Dimensions (HxWxD): 455mm x 250mm x 340mm
Price: Rs 77,000 per pair approx
Specification courtesy: Respective company websites; prices are current online approximate ones