There is no question that the one audiophile component that will have the most impact on your sound is your loudspeakers. There are a nearly infinite configuration for high performance loudspeakers but the two main varieties are floorstanding speakers and bookshelf speakers. Subwoofers are complementary to any configuration of loudspeakers as subs deliver low frequency sound only and offer a way to radically improve the overall frequency response of a speaker at often a very fair price.

The Main Components of an Audiophile Loudspeaker:

• The tweeter is the driver that reproduces the high frequency content. There are many types or designs of tweeter in the audiophile world. There are dome tweeters (silk, aluminum, paper). There are AMT tweeters which mimic the sound of an electrostatic driver and have an “open sound” but don’t require the amplifier power or the exotic speaker design.
• The midrange drivers reproduce the middle frequencies. More often than not, these midrange drivers are traditional cone style drivers but that’s not a hard and fast rule. The midrange is where a lot of important audio lives be it vocals, pianos, much of the electric guitar. Having a dynamic an open sounding midrange is a very good thing for an audiophile loudspeaker.
• The bass drivers reproduce the low or bass frequencies. Many audiophiles feel like they should get all of their bass from their main speakers but it is so much harder to make very low bass come from even large, audiophile speakers as opposed to getting deep bass from a properly crossed over audiophile subwoofer.

Acoustics Are Everything When It Comes To Audiophile Speakers.

When you look at overall audiophile sonic performance, having a well-treated audiophile listening room is the first and FAR AND AWAY the most important concept. A pair of $2,000 audiophile floorstanding speakers in a well-treated room acoustically can be radically better than what $20,000 audiophile speakers can do without any treatments.

• First Order Reflections: The area above, below and beside your speakers by about two or three feet are the first acoustical malady to repair for any performance seeking audiophile. Abortive panels or fabric placed above and besides your speakers can have a stunningly positive effect on your sound. Removing physical barriers like glass coffee tables is helpful for first order reflections. Installing a shaggy, absorptive carpet in front of your speakers by a few feet can look nice but sound even better. These upgrades can be HUGE friends.
• Bass Traps: You can buy devices that eat physically long bass waves in the corners of your room and this can make your bass sound more tight, resolved and visceral. These treatments come in the form of tubes that can be hidden behind plants and what not. Other solutions can be installed in the corners of the room and covered with a fabric wall. Bot are highly effective solutions for better bass and pair well with the use of a subwoofer.
• Diffraction: Reducing the hard reflections sonically in your audio room are always a good thing to do. There are acoustical treatments that have a “city scape” looking pattern that you will see in recording studios. They often go behind both your front speakers and your rear wall. These acoustical treatments help your ears hear the music that is coming out of your speakers more than the (milliseconds) older sounds which results in far better imaging and overall sound…

Final Thoughts Before You Buy New Audiophile Loudspeakers…

There are SO SO SO MANY different types of speakers that you can ultimately buy and a lot of them are really great even if they are very different in their design philosophy. It is fun to own all of the different types of speakers as part of your audiophile journey. It is perfectly OK to buy and sell your speakers so that you can try different solutions over the years. Remember the importance of treating your room first as you will get better value as well as performance for a very low overall investment.

Best of luck to you in your audiophile speaker endeavor!