The worst speakers in our homes these days are the ones in our TVs. There, I said it. But why is this always true?
- The obvious problem is that today’s TVs are so skinny, it’s impossible to build a speaker cabinet that’s big enough to allow the speaker to hit any low notes. Speakers that can play the bass usually have bigger cabinets. There are ways around this. Sony, for example, has models that actually vibrate the TV screen to use it as a speaker. They sound quite good but still can’t play as loud as a small bookshelf speaker without rattling.
- TV manufacturers discovered years ago that putting extra money into a proper set of speakers and high-quality amplifiers drove the cost of the TVs high enough that they didn’t sell.
- Buyers who cared about sound already knew that the way to get proper sound was to use a decent audio receiver and a pair of real speakers. Today, stereo receivers have been replaced by multi-channel surround receivers, so no TV maker bothers to build high-quality sound into their TVs.
- In today’s market, inexpensive TVs are so cost competitive that even the higher-quality brands try to match the cheap TV prices. The dealer ends up paying for this with a very slim profit margin. The quick and easy way for dealers to get some of their margin back is to sell the customer a soundbar, but far too often, they are only a little better than the TV’s built-in speakers. The soundbars that can live up to the sound quality of a decent receiver and speakers actually cost far more than the price of a comparable quality receiver/speaker package.
Why It’s So Important
If you only use your TV for the news, the speakers from a reputable brand will probably be adequate. But even in this case, many older ears can’t make out the words when there are any other sounds around them. In this case, if you get quality speakers that present the vocals clearly, with a natural amount of kick, you’ll often regain the ability to make out every word. Surprisingly, often the kickier speakers don’t need to be turned up beyond a reasonable volume to give you the ability to hear everything.
Having a system capable of great audio on your TV is more important now than ever before. When properly adjusted, the picture on even the cheapest HDTV is so much more realistic today that rough sound quality actually takes away from enjoying the beauty of the viewed event.
Recently, I’ve gotten into exploring the latest video blogs, and I’ve discovered musical program treasures like “EllenPlaysBass,” a very young bassist phenom; “Rick Beato,” a true educator of rock music; and “Mohini Dey,” a supernaturally good bassist from Mumbai, India. Other priceless sources of musical pleasure are sites by your favorite artists and incredible concert videos. When your musical events on video sound clear and more real, you’ll wonder how you ever endured music through TV speakers. It’s like the years we all listened to hit music on AM radio, until FM radio’s higher fidelity instantly made us converts. The difference between TV speakers and a home audio system is even bigger than that!
For now, if you must listen on those TV speakers, spend some time exploring what music has to offer you through them. Then get an old used amp and some vintage speakers for your next step. The improvement will be mind-blowing!
As a better option, treat yourself to a well-designed surround receiver and buy a pair of speakers that are good enough for now. Eventually, you’ll add a speaker in the middle for the soloist or to keep the music lined up with your TV picture. A subwoofer off in the corner can give you the ability to hear not only the movie’s special effects, but also how the lows add a richness to the sound.
After that, other musical sources can be connected to the receiver: your phone, computer, game machine, a high-quality streamer, a good record player with a refined phono section. Your new 4K Blu-ray player will give you the ability to stream many apps, and play Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs.
Further refinement can be had by plugging everything into a power conditioner and by replacing all of your important audio and video cables. Each step will reveal more and more of music’s soul and refinement.
Here’s my best advice. Start your journey where you are, and let each step make an audible musical improvement for you. Let the exciting world of today’s video turn you into a world-class listener and a great lover of music.
Paul owns Golden Ears Inc. in Fairfield.