Sales Primer - How to Sell an Influence

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Sales Primer
Computer Speakers
Ravi Lakkundi
Product Manager, India
Harman International India (Pvt) Ltd
Published on: 29 Oct 2012

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Introduction
Every Personal Computer (PC) includes some kind of speakers, which invariably are not great (Size and
Acoustic volume constraints). By PC, here we mean Desktop computers, Laptops and even convertible
tablets etc. Most of the media resides in these computers and it becomes essential to have some sort of
entertainment speakers attached to these computers.
One quick search on internet reveals a range of computer speaker’s offerings across various brands.
These computer speakers basically are either a 2.0 system or 2.1 system. Stereo sound out of a 2.0/2.1
system is a preferred choice of many people, even audiophiles like the stereophonic sound; some go to
an extent saying that’s the true sound, natural sound field.
History: Recording sound in stereo (The Channel Concept!) dates back to more than a century, but
Stereophonic Sound a.k.a. Stereo was put in limelight by Dolby. Dolby first introduced Dolby Stereo in
1975 for motion pictures.
So, what is a 2.1 system – Most know its 2 Audio channels and 1 Subwoofer channels, but then how to
choose one such system esp. computer speakers, what types of feature these 2.1 system offer, Should
one buy a 2.1 system or 2.0 system? These are some of the question which often comes in minds of
customers who want to buy a music/entertainment system for their computers.
This primer is a guide to customers as well as sales staff, a guide which will lead you as a consumer to
the right product, in this case computer speakers.
Important Terminology - What is a 2.1?
A 2.1 system refers to a speaker system which has an ability to render stereo sound, sound recorded in 2
– channel. The ‘.1 ‘refers to subwoofer, a special speaker called Subwoofer, which has the ability to play
low frequency sound – Thump of the music/movie.
A typical 2.1 system is shown here for reference.
If one is watching a movie, It’s the
subwoofer which converts a show to an
experience

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PC becomes a single source of entertainment for most people especially youngsters – A primary Speaker
System. They have a personal space or a study table or a small office space of few square feet and would
want to watch a movie or favorite tracks in that space. Owning a home theater for a better sound
experience is too much and probably never comes to their minds (silly thought isn’t it?)
Computer Speakers are the best option for people looking for casual listening/mini-cinema experience.
These computer speakers come in two different configurations 2.0 or 2.1.
2.0 System
A 2.0 speaker system has only Left and Right speakers in it (Can be called as Satellite speakers – Inspired
by home theater systems terminology). One of the satellite speakers will house all the amplifier
electronics and will have the power cable attached. This satellite speaker also will have typical volume
control knob, Treble knob and Bass knob.
As shown above a 2.0 system has a simple wiring mechanism.
These systems are suitable for casual music listeners (No Cinema, No 3D !), Listeners who just listen to
their favorite track while working on their computers should chose these 2.0 speakers.

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These system are differentiated from one another primarily on shape, size, features – as listed and
explained below
Features What it means Preference
Footprint Size of the speaker Small, should be as portable as
it can with amazing sound
performance
Response Bandwidth The frequency response of the Ideally the speakers should
speakers used – Ability to cover 20Hz to 20KHz onwards,
reproduce frequency but then practically they should
cover anywhere between 50 to
70Hz and above for acceptable
quality
Output Power Watt (W) – 3 to 8W Higher wattage not necessarily
means good sound, loud system
– But a higher W is preferred
with Quality !
Connectivity Source that can be connected Should have wired (3.5 mm Aux
and in how many different ways input) as well as wireless
connectivity (Bluetooth)
Headphone Out For connecting headphone Required must for ease of usage
directly to Speaker
Magnetically shielded speakers Called a bucking magnet, Preferred, must
Cancels the magnetic field
around the outside of speaker
magnet
Design, Color, Material, Finish All good !
3D Surround Giving some kind of audio Preferred (Depends on price
surround effect over 2 speaker point)
system
Power options How is the speaker powered USB for small speakers, normal
power line input for large
powerful speakers
THX Certified Quality Assurance Certification Not mandatory, trust your ears
– One of many standards – THX certified is you are
trusting some good professional
ear
Customers shopping for computer speakers can use the above features to compare one offering from
another. Remember, you are buying Speakers – Do keep sound quality on priority!

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2.1 System
2.1 system has subwoofer attached to it in addition to the Left and Right speakers.
A subwoofer is certainly needed if one is watching movies on the PC/Laptop. As said before it’s the
subwoofer which converts a movie show into an experience – That boom boom of your favorite movie
when heard over a subwoofer will keeps your ears locked on to the PC screen! and bet you will be
craving for more action for your subwoofer to react !!! – If you feel we are talking about you/your
experience here – Buy a 2.1 system
Satellite speakers (The left and Right speakers) alone often fail to give that bass (Boom/Thump) effect.
Some of the high end computer speakers often claim that they can provide the movie experience
without the Subwoofer (2.0 system), they either have a subwoofer built into the satellite speakers or
have amazing wide range speakers (20 Hz to 20 KHz) ! or surely are lying about the complete experience.
However some might just be on the edge to giving that cinema experience but as said it will not be
complete experience.
In short – If you love watching movies and want to have a near cinema experience on your computer get
a 2.1 system, casual listener’s go-ahead with 2.0 system – bet you will be happy and satisfied
Some additional features to look for in a 2.1 system are
Features What it means Preference
Subwoofer Footprint Size of the Subwoofer 3” to 4.5” subwoofer driver, 10-
15 Watt power (10% THD)
Subwoofer Response Bandwidth The frequency response of the Typically: 40 Hz to (the set
subwoofer used – Ability to crossover);
reproduce frequency range Total 2.1 System response 45
Hz to 20 KHz – Typical
Wireless Connectivity Is the subwoofer Wired or Optional, For a computer
Wireless speaker being wireless matters
less, since the close proximity of
listener

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Conclusion
A brief introduction of 2.0 and 2.1 computer speaker systems is given in this paper. Computer speaker
market is widely spread, making it difficult for some customers to take the decision. This paper also
provides a some key features of computer speaker systems, features which can be used to compare
against different offerings of speakers.
References
Some of the definitions and materials have been inspired from the reference links provided. For the
ones who wish to read more here are some reference World Wide Web links
[1] www.harman.com
[2] www.jbl.com
[3] http://reviews.cnet.com/