The demand for high-quality loudspeakers is growing, and it's clear why. Ultra HD TVs offer cinematic quality movies at home so naturally you would want quality sound to go with what you are seeing. Furthermore, the expansion of music streaming platforms are letting loose new formats in the 5G era, not to mention Podcasts and the popular Clubhouse app. This phenomenon reflects the rapid development in audio entertainment and makes it worthwhile to invest in hardware for a better experience.

The principles of a loudspeaker

Most loudspeakers on the market use 'moving coil' units to generate sound. The unit is the life of the loudspeaker and is generally the part that occupies the biggest space as it vibrates powerfully when the loudspeaker is on. Comes in cone, sphere, horn or ribbon shape. When the loudspeaker receives a signal, current flows through the coil on the unit to create a magnetic field. The positive and negative poles alternates and activate the diaphragm of the unit to vibrate, causing audio waves and air currents, resulting in sound. There is no one single unit that can take care of all frequencies. Sophisticated loudspeakers use a splitter to divide the audio into high, medium and low frequencies for playback in different segments.

Types of speakers

1. Portable Bluetooth speaker

Features

Portable Bluetooth speakers are gaining popularity. Found on beaches, picnic grounds, camping sites and party venues. Easy to carry and suitable for outdoor and indoor activities because you're in control of the music and atmosphere.

Points to note before buying

Portable Bluetooth speakers are designed for a wide range of activities so it's relatively easy to find the right one. Consider its main purpose such as where it is used, the environment, volume and sound requirements.

2. Desktop speaker

Features

Generally speaking, the sound quality of desktop speakers is not as good as acoustic speakers due to the size of their splitter and the actual diameter of the unit. However, compact, flexible positioning and multi streaming platform support make them very suitable for homes in Hong Kong. Thanks to technological advances, there is no shortage of surprisingly fine and rich sound quality options. Many desktop speakers support AI butlers, making them particularly suitable for those wishing to build a smart home.

Points to note before buying

Most desktop speakers are connected via WiFi or Bluetooth. WiFi can be connected at a further distance away than Bluetooth, have a higher power output and often require the use of a socket. Some models offer both connection options so you get the best of both worlds. If the main purpose is to create a smart home, the choice should be based on its operating system and compatibility with other electrical appliances.

3. Floor standing speaker

Features

Most are three-way splitters with three or more units and have a larger unit openings for use with stereo sound installations. Although they takes up more space, they are favoured by audiophiles because of their precise splitting, high amplitude, robust sound pressure and strong bass sound for a true live concert experience.

Points to note before buying

The size of the unit is only one of the factors that affects the sound. When choosing a unit, consider the material of the unit and speaker to get the desired effect. The characteristics of each type are as follows:

Unit Material	Speaker Material
Paper: low cost Ceramic: excellent for heavy bass Metal: bright and soft treble sound Wood: warm sound, superior for vocals and classical music Polypropylene: higher cost	Plastic: low cost, lots of colourful options, lightweight, poor sound quality Wood: less resonance, fuller and purer sound quality

4. Smart Speaker

Points to note before buying

✔️Mobile Compatibility

• Connection: Ensure the speaker has Bluetooth or Wi-Fi features if you plan to connect it with mobile phone or other music player.

• Mobile phone model: Generally speaking, most speakers support both IOS system and Android system smart phones, but some of the old version mobile may not be applicable. Please make sure that your smart phone system is compatible with the speakers.

✔️Function

• Voice control: Speakers can use spoken commands to control lights, alarms, music, video calls, schedules and weather reminders.

• Internet of Things: Smart Internet of Things technology.

• To-do list: You can create or edit a to-do list.

• Calendar: Create calendar events and query itineraries.

• Battery charger: can charge other electronic devices

✔️Language Support

• Language options are very important, especially when using voice control. Some speakers only support a limited number of languages.

• If the speaker system does not support your language, you can check whether if you could download your language through the language expansion package.

✔️Sound Quality

• Stereo: The sound quality of two-channel or multi-channel speakers will be better than mono, provide a soundstaging effect and create a 3D based sounds experience.

• Bass: If you are a fan of heavy metal or rock music, you should choose speakers with excellent bass. A good bass should sound clean, lively, and well-defined.

• Tweeter: A good treble and high pitch should be soft and flexible.

• Frequency response: The speaker is generally at least 50Hz-20KHz. The lower, the better the low frequency sound of the speaker. The higher, the better the high frequency sound of the speaker.

• Sensitivity: The volume level under the same amount of power. When speakers with different efficiencies are input with the same wattage, high-sensitivity speakers have a greater sound pressure.

• Impedance: Common impedance values of speakers are 4Ω, 6Ω, and 8Ω. Under the same voltage, the higher the impedance, the less current flow, and the lower the impedance, the more current flow.

If you are interested in building a home theatre, it is best to choose the same brand for all speakers.