Powered Speakers: Why Use Them With Your TV?

One of the main problems of modern televisions is the lack of resources for sound and its reproduction. While it is true that many TVs incorporate specific functions for sound reproduction, such as multi-channel simulations and other technologies, the best solution to improve audio is, without a doubt, use a pair of external powered speakers and finally enjoy powerful sound.

In general, the speakers present in "televisions" are small and of poor quality. This is because in order to preserve the thinness of the frames and the refined aesthetics of the set, very small audio components are used that do not offer the desired sound response, neither in listening quality, because as viewers we are not able to identify the dialogues or the origin of the audio effects present in series and films; nor in output power, since most of the time and depending on the content we will have to regulate the volume constantly.

With this, and if you want to solve the universal problem of sound on television, from VULKKANO we give you the keys to be able to do it. Keep reading!

What are powered speakers?

The Self-powered speakers , also called active, are those that They have an amplifier inside , and therefore do not need external electronics to operate.

They are recommended for use with all types of domestic sound sources such as record players, CD players, Hi-Res players, streamers, etc. but, above all, they are an ideal alternative to connect to the TV and start listening to every detail of your favorite content.

Advantages of self-powered speakers

First of all, if we use them with the television, these speakers have multiple advantages associated with the ease of connection, the use of the physical space in which they are placed, and of course, the sound quality. Let's analyze them.

Components

If at the beginning we talked about the fact that the audio components in televisions are scarce, in the case of active 2.0 speakers, it is important to know What each of them is used for and what frequencies they are responsible for within the set . Although there are several, we focus on the three most important ones: woofer, tweeter and bass reflex.

Woofer

If we look at the structure of a speaker on its front panel, the woofer It is located at the bottom of the speakers and is the transducer responsible for reproducing the low and medium frequencies. In addition, its performance is partly determined by its size, which in the most common self-powered speakers usually ranges between 4" and 8".

Tweeter

In opposition to the The woofer and tweeter are responsible for reproducing high frequencies or treble. They are a delicate component within the set due to their small size and location on the front of the speaker, always placed above the bass transducer and with the responsibility of not "dirtying" the sound with unwanted sibilance.

Bass reflex

He bass reflex It is usually located at the back of the speaker and is an open-port enclosure that allows air to pass between the speaker and the outside. It directly supports the reproduction of low frequencies and its location, with a minimum distance from the wall, is essential to avoid distortions.

As we can see, speakers have various components that fulfill a specific function and their operation as a whole gives rise to what we know as sound profile , which will vary depending on the materials used, the size and prior development by the engineers.

However, for television, it is best to look for a balanced sound profile with clear dialogue reproduction, but with the punch and nuances offered by bass and treble in soundtracks or sound effects such as footsteps, thunder or gunshots.

"The best solution to improve the audio of your television is, without a doubt, to use a pair of external self-powered speakers and finally enjoy powerful sound."

Connectivity

Connectivity and the difference between some connections and others It is essential when we talk about the pair formed by TV and speakers. Let's see which ones are the most used.

HDMI ARC

The connection HDMI ARC - Audio Return Channel -, present in most current televisions, is the most suitable for connecting our self-powered speakers because it is specifically designed for audio reproduction.

With the aim of combining the possibility of playing video and audio from multiple devices in a single cable and connection, HDMI ARC allows us to send sound from a TV to an audio system taking advantage of its high speed, and at the same time, control the volume management from a single remote. If your television has HDMI, there is no discussion.

Optics

Before the standardization of HDMI ARC, the optical digital connection It was the most widely used and remains one of the most highly valued options by users. The DNA of this type of connection is the signal transfer with a very low level of interference but with a lower speed than HDMI. However, if your TV does not have an ARC input, the optical connection will be your great ally.

Bluetooth

Connectivity Bluetooth It is already a common feature in audio devices, and although it can be used to connect speakers to the TV, it is not recommended because some unwanted guests can sneak in, such as cuts, latency and the inevitable reduction in sound quality. Still, if both the TV and the powered speakers have a wireless connection and you don't want to have visible cables, you can use Bluetooth and take advantage of its benefits.

Design: 2.0 active speakers or desktop speakers?

Aesthetics is another key factor when choosing speakers for the television, since it is not the same to choose a stereo couple 2.0 or by a desktop speaker Designed with the same components as the previous ones but in a single body, more similar to what we would find in a sound bar.

Although this is a matter of taste, it is true that both the pair of speakers and the desktop speakers have some differences between them. On the other hand, the active 2.0 speakers give us a wider "image" of the sound, which is what is called a sound scene. Being separated by differentiated left and right channels, we will be able to identify as listeners the origin of the sounds, and therefore, have a more extensive audio scene. Desktop speakers, however, have the advantage of saving a lot of space thanks to their more compact format and ease of placement if we think of small rooms.

Our active and desktop speakers, A6 ARC either VULKKANO T50 ARC , pair with your TV thanks to the addition of HDMI ARC, SUB output and a selection of finishes for all users.

What if we add a subwoofer?

Another debate that arises when we consider adding self-powered speakers to our television is whether to install an external subwoofer or not . Well, our recommendation is that if there is no risk of disturbing your neighbors and you have enough space to place it, the answer is YES.

To choose the subwoofer, you must first make sure that your active speakers have a "SUB Out" function, which you will immediately identify on the rear panel. From there, you only need an LFE cable to connect the subwoofer to the speakers and start vibrating with extreme bass and sub-bass reproduction, putting the icing on the sound cake so that your TV can finally shine.

At VULKKANO we have a subwoofer selection 6" and 8" to complete your audio experience.

"Subwoofer, yes or no? Our recommendation is that if there is no danger of disturbing your neighbors and you have enough space to place it, the answer is YES."

Which powered speakers to choose

At this point and if one thing has become clear to us, it is that Active speakers greatly improve the audio of your television , but as we have seen, our choice will be determined by different aspects to take into account. To sum up and decide which powered speakers to choose, we recommend that you focus on:

• Hall: The size of the room is important when choosing speakers. If it is small or medium-sized, a powerful stereo pair that will fill the entire space with sound will suffice. If we are talking about larger spaces, you should consider going further and exploring the world of multi-channel home cinema; while if it is very small, you can opt for a tabletop speaker, with a performance similar to that of a sound bar.

• Components: Without wanting to make it an obsession, it is interesting to pay attention to the components of our assets and their size. Opt for woofers of at least 4" and tweeters that are made of good materials. If the components are good, the sound quality will be excellent.

• Connectivity: The main protagonist and the origin of this article. Although there are more and more TVs that incorporate HDMI ARC as standard as a more interesting connection, remember that you can also use the optical one or use self-powered Bluetooth speakers and forget about cables. In any case, try to avoid connections such as auxiliary or RCA, since the quality will be reduced.

• SUB output: Whether or not to add a subwoofer is also an important question when we consider improving the audio on our television. You already know that the more sugar the sweeter, so if you have space at home and want to get up from the sofa every time you watch a movie, don't hesitate.

• Design and construction: Although we haven't gone into this in depth, aesthetics and construction are also relevant. It will all depend on your tastes and needs, but our recommendation is that you always opt for speakers that are well built not only to the eye, but also to the touch. The use of quality materials and careful design will complete the sound experience you are about to undertake.

As you know and to finish, in VULKANO We have a wide catalogue of self-powered speakers for TV and Other accessories that will help you decide if your television is finally starting to sound like it deserves. Discover them!