It’s the 21st century, we’re living in what’s rapidly becoming a wireless world. If you’re considering getting rid of the tangled spaghetti mess behind your home or office stereo, a switch to wireless speakers is a good move but you’ve got some things to consider before you commit money to a choice.
Wireless technology has improved drastically in the last decade, so much so that differences in sound quality between speakers with wires and those without has been virtually eliminated. That said, ask yourself what the end use of your new speakers will be. Are they for a laptop or other mobile computing device? Will they be taking the place of your home stereo speakers? Or perhaps used to broadcast the sound from your mp3 player? Should they be able to be used outdoors too? How far will the music source be from the speakers, once they’re set up? Is your system source Bluetooth capable? What’s the optimal price range?
In most cases, “wireless” doesn’t always mean “wire free,” it can mean simply “less wires.” That said, moving to wireless speakers is a good way to reduce clutter and increase portability for any sound system. Most wireless systems deliver a limited range of audio signal strength per channel, typically 25W to 50W RMS which is sufficient for indoor use, but might not be enough out of doors.
If you’re going wireless, your music player should also have Bluetooth technology built in. Bluetooth is how most devices “talk” to each other wirelessly with a transmission range of about 30′. Your new speakers will likely be “Bluetooth aware,” so make sure whatever is transmitting the tunes will be, also.
Prices vary widely in wireless speakers and as with most other things, you get what you’re willing to pay for. You can get high end A/V receivers here, however price is usually dependent on the audio power that’s available in the receiver and other features the system might support. Higher end home theater speaker systems cost several thousand dollars, but most people who are wiling to spend $100 – $200 dollars can find a high quality, dependable sound system for normal indoor use. Remember though, a speaker setup for outdoors is going to be more expensive and should be water resistant if not waterproof.
Lastly, take your mp3 player loaded with your favorite tunes to your favorite audio shop in order to test speaker setups. There is nothing like having your music playing on the speakers to let you know if they’re the right ones for you!