I will give some pointers to help you when shopping for cordless speakers to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Wireless speakers are tempting since they eliminate the speaker cable and do away with having an external amplifier. Just imagine setting up a pair of speakers at your patio in the blink of an eye without a big cable mess or sending music wireless throughout your home. Since wireless speakers have a built-in amplifier, they require power. Most models will plug into an outlet and thereby are able to offer medium to high power to drive the speaker elements. Some speakers come with rechargeable batteries. The plus side is that these can be placed anywhere even in places without a power outlet. The downside is that after each use these have to be recharged. Also, some models are fairly heavy making it hard to move them around. Batteries also tend to age and need to be replaced every so often.
Depending on your application, you want to select speakers with the correct audio power that is sufficient for your environment. Depending on whether you are planning to use the speaker indoors or outdoors, you may want to go with a speaker that is waterproof or at least water resistant.
Next, be sure that the transmitter unit can connect to the source audio that you want to drive your speakers with. Obviously the more audio inputs the transmitter has the better. If you want to connect your transmitter to your surround system, you may need speaker terminal inputs unless your surround equipment offers line level audio for your rear speakers. If you have an iPod or iPhone you may want to pick a transmitter with a built-in iPod cradle. Most transmitters will at least have a line-level audio input. Ideally the audio input can be adjusted in volume such that the transmitter can adapt to different audio sources.
While traditionally wireless speakers would employ analog audio transmission, typically at 900 MHz, the latest generation uses digital audio transmission at 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz and eliminate audio distortion and static. Nowadays there are more and more wireless gadgets out there. Therefore it is important to pick a set of speakers that is robust against interference from other wireless devices.
When buying speakers, a listening test is always a good idea. However, keep in mind that the sound quality will also depend on your environment. However, rather than buying a new set of speakers, another option is to go with a wireless speaker kit and make your existing speakers wireless by attaching a wireless receiver unit to each speaker.
Wireless speakers are tempting since they eliminate the speaker cable and do away with having an external amplifier. Just imagine setting up a pair of speakers at your patio in the blink of an eye without a big cable mess or sending music wireless throughout your home. Since wireless speakers have a built-in amplifier, they require power. Most models will plug into an outlet and thereby are able to offer medium to high power to drive the speaker elements. Some speakers come with rechargeable batteries. The plus side is that these can be placed anywhere even in places without a power outlet. The downside is that after each use these have to be recharged. Also, some models are fairly heavy making it hard to move them around. Batteries also tend to age and need to be replaced every so often.
Depending on your application, you want to select speakers with the correct audio power that is sufficient for your environment. Depending on whether you are planning to use the speaker indoors or outdoors, you may want to go with a speaker that is waterproof or at least water resistant.
Next, be sure that the transmitter unit can connect to the source audio that you want to drive your speakers with. Obviously the more audio inputs the transmitter has the better. If you want to connect your transmitter to your surround system, you may need speaker terminal inputs unless your surround equipment offers line level audio for your rear speakers. If you have an iPod or iPhone you may want to pick a transmitter with a built-in iPod cradle. Most transmitters will at least have a line-level audio input. Ideally the audio input can be adjusted in volume such that the transmitter can adapt to different audio sources.
While traditionally wireless speakers would employ analog audio transmission, typically at 900 MHz, the latest generation uses digital audio transmission at 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz and eliminate audio distortion and static. Nowadays there are more and more wireless gadgets out there. Therefore it is important to pick a set of speakers that is robust against interference from other wireless devices.
When buying speakers, a listening test is always a good idea. However, keep in mind that the sound quality will also depend on your environment. However, rather than buying a new set of speakers, another option is to go with a wireless speaker kit and make your existing speakers wireless by attaching a wireless receiver unit to each speaker.
About the Author:
Gunter Fellbaum has been designing audio and electronic products for over a decade. You can find further information regarding outdoor speakers from Amphony's website.