Is there a difference between stereo speakers and surround sound speakers?

Robert J

Assuming it's a "proper" system with an amplifier and separate speakers: The individual speakers are the same, or can be; normally the main front pair on a good surround system are "full range" types, just the same as with a stereo system. The rest of the surround speakers do not need to be as big or have such a wide frequency range, which is why they are often rather smaller. They do not have to be different, some systems can use large or small speakers for the surround locations. Small ones are generally more convenient for most people as they are easier to locate. The big difference is the subwoofer - a good surround or "Home theatre" system will have an active sub, which is fed by a low level signal from the main amp and has its own internal power amplifier, usually with motion feedback from the speaker cone as that gives much better control and low frequency response than a sub without motion feedback. My surround system has a pair of vintage Goodmans Achromat speakers as the front main channels; they started life on a Technics stereo separates setup some decades ago.

roberto

directionality & spatial sensation, for films,like an in the round play up on stage,where you are in the middle of the action vs concert with 3d sound spread,the middle of the performance courtesy of spatiality generated by the mike placement in the cutting master session,,I E the sound curtain. tastes & preferences vary from lo freq to the highs,dialogue in midrange,explosive bass, whatever rocks your boat in the way of audioviz,the market has a niche out there,,AND can usually be found cheaper than you believed.thrift shops,goodwills,,jewish run old stuff stores,garage sales, high end used audio viz shops,,manned by guys who know & carry whats out there, and have time to let you dally & sniff around before you buy,

ANDRE L

That depends a lot more on their design and construction, than in the specific terms used to describe their use. Many cheap HT systems have speakers that are simply cheap garbage, with, for example, wires that go right into the speaker box, and are not changable by the owner. Proper audio speakers, among other things, have external speaker wire connections on their rear panels. My surround sound systems all use proper home audio speakers and receivers.

Kevin L

Well they are similar in principle, drivers, cross-overs etc. but in overall design they are completely different, contrary to what others will tell you and their knowledge of audio and speaker design. Home audio speakers are designed first and foremost with the goal of reproducing music at the highest fidelity. They are designed to create a open three dimensional image with just two speakers. If positioned properly ! Home theater speakers on the other hand are designed to handle the dynamic contrasts of surround material and made to be directional to direct more sound at the listener and create a more localized image when multiple speakers are being used. These are completely opposite objectives between the two designs. Most people are miss-informed when it comes to home audio and home theater designs, both in speakers, placement, room acoustic differences, and equipment recommendations. Now with that said, you can have the best of both worlds "in my opinion" IF you choose wisely and design it properly. This would have to be done by someone who truly has the knowledge in home audio and home theater design ( like myself ) or at some of the independent high end audio video stores across the country. These stores are the best place to get correct information, they carry the better brands of speakers and equipment, and have the knowledge to design and setup a system properly and to your desires. Do NOT go to these chain stores, most of the equipment is low end at best AND the salesmen at these stores are clueless when it comes to designing a system properly. But no do not assume that all speakers are the same, quite the contrary, its important to choose the right speakers and equipment for your sound requirements. Kevin LaTour 40 years high end audio video specialist

spacemissing

No. They are essentially the same, except that the center channel speaker often has one more driver to improve its performance in that position, and sometimes the surround speakers are designed to disperse sound rather than direct it.

David E

The speakers themselves can be the exact same. Stereo means there are two of them separated into left and right. Surround usually means there are five of them. Front left is same as stereo left. Front right is same as stereo right. Added to that are center for dialog, mostly, rear left, and rear right. The original purpose of a sub is to shake the floor, NOT provide low frequency sounds. But when they decided to sell small speakers that couldn't do low frequency sounds, they made the sub do that too. If the two speakers for stereo or the five speakers for surround are big and can do low frequency sounds on their own, the sub can be returned to the duty of shaking the floor.

AnwersMan

Surround sound speakers are normally 3.1, 5.1, or 7.1. This is either 3 speakers, 5 speakers, or 7 speakers, all with a subwoofer. I would expect that regular stereo speakers have a larger frequency range than a surround speaker. (Check out Klipsch speakers and Bose Speakers)