Sound Central

What’s watt

What is a driver and why should you care? Does wattage really matter? Let’s start with some fundamentals, move on to common speaker configurations, and finish with a few words or terms you may see when evaluating your choices.

Drivers

Drivers are the heart of any speaker. These devices turn electricity into sound waves in the air, by moving a thin layer of fabric or paper. There are different types of drivers, including tweeters for high-pitched sound, mid-ranges for middle-pitched sound, and woofers for low-pitched or bass sound. For even lower bass tones, a driver known as a subwoofer may be added.

Frequency response

A measure of how a speaker system reproduces individual frequencies. The ear responds to frequencies between approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

	• Low frequencies (bass) range		20 Hz to 200 Hz
	• Midrange (voice) range		200 Hz to 4,000 Hz
	• High frequencies (treble) range		4,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz

Watts or Wattage

Wattage is a common term used to describe power output of an amplifier. It’s the measure of how much energy per second is being used.

Where is the sound?

Do you want to be surrounded by sound or let your music act as a soundtrack to your life? What’s the difference between a 2.0, 2.1 or 5.1 speaker system? Here are the most common speaker configurations:

2.0 (two speakers)

Often called a stereo speaker system, this is the most basic setup with two speakers. It does not include a subwoofer, is compatible with most standard PC soundcards, and is easy to install.

2.1 (two speakers, one subwoofer)

For a more robust sound experience, you can add a subwoofer to your 2.0 setup. This produces more low frequencies. A 2.1 system is just as easy to set up as a 2.0 system, though a subwoofer takes up additional space.

Surround sound

To create surround sound, systems use positional audio (i.e. more speakers or satellites) so the sound can come from multiple locations. The most common configuration is:

5.1 surround sound (four satellite speakers, one center speaker, one subwoofer)

This six-piece configuration includes left and right front speakers, left and right rear speakers, a front-center speaker, and a subwoofer. The benefit of this configuration is its ability to deliver surround sound. To take full advantage of a 5.1 system, make sure your PC has a six-channel PC soundcard.

Words and terms, defined

Sound Pressure Level (SPL)

SPL is a better measure of sound, rather than watts, and indicates the loudness of a sound relative to the threshold of hearing. The unit of the SPL scale is the dB (decibel).

Root Mean Square (RMS)

Most companies publish RMS watt power measurements for their speakers. This specification can be used to compare systems with similar features. It is the only U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recognized standard for power ratings and is based on real measurement data.

Peak Power (PMPO)

Many companies will publish PMPO instead of RMS power specifications. There is no consistent method for measuring PMPO numbers, so results are unreliable.

Logitech technologies

Omnidirectional acoustics

Omnidirectional acoustics is a design emphasis on radiating sound more uniformly in more directions. It increases sound quality and creates a more immersive listening experience.

Frequency Directed Dual Drivers (FDD²)

Two drivers are often used to boost sound efficiency in small drivers. At higher frequencies, the sound radiated by these drivers can interfere, creating zones with too much or too little sound. To enhance our speakers, we developed a technology called Frequency Directed Dual Drivers (FDD²). We use two identical full-range drivers in each satellite. A special filter that detects specific frequencies is applied to one of the drivers. It gradually mutes specific frequencies in that driver as needed to prevent hot spots or dead zones in the soundfield. The result is superior sound quality throughout the entire frequency range of the speaker.

StereoXL™ technology

Widens the sound stage beyond the physical boundaries of the speakers, creating an immersive audio experience.

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