For listeners who are planning to get satellite speakers to be part of their stereo or home theater sound system and are wondering if they are wired. The answer is yes, satellite speakers are wired and will require an amplifier to power them. They will also need a subwoofer to supplement their bass performance.
The main reason why satellite speakers require the support of an active subwoofer is due to their inability to deliver deep bass frequencies, which they are usually only able to reach down to 80Hz/100Hz. They also sound lean due to their lightweight bass response and this is why many audiophiles do not use them as main stereo L/R speakers. It seems like the satellite speakers have many negative traits but they do have their own advantages.
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Advantages of using Satellite Speakers
Satellite speakers are typically very compact in size and you can easily place them almost anywhere in the room. Some satellite speakers come with brackets for you to wall-mount and this is one of the reasons why they make excellent surround speakers. They don’t look too intrusive when you wall-mount them. As most home theater system owners would have 1 or more active subwoofers to supplement the bass performances, this allows the satellite speakers to focus on delivering the upper registers. There are usually more affordable than bookshelf speakers and are ideal for listeners who have tight budgets and are planning to get a sub in the future. You can check out the Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack which consists of 5 satellite speakers and a subwoofer at a really reasonable price.
There are high-quality satellite speakers which deliver good sound quality for the money and are suitable for music listening as well. Not only do they sound good, but they also look good and stylish too. One such satellite speaker will be the KEF E301 and more famously known as the KEF Egg speaker due to its cabinet design. They are usually part of the KEF E305 home theater pack which has a dedicated active subwoofer to produce the lower frequencies. Another uniquely designed satellite speaker that you wouldn’t mind showing off to your friends or guests will be the Gallo Acoustics round-shaped compact-sized loudspeaker. The Gallo Acoustics Micro is a 4″ all-metal sphere satellite speaker and will pair well with the matching TR-3D subwoofer. They are great as ceiling speakers too.
Disadvantages of using Satellite Speakers
Other than their limited bass performances and needing the support of a subwoofer, satellite speakers also require an amplifier with high power output to drive them. This is because most if not all satellite speakers are inefficient and with low sensitivity. If you are using them as your front main channels, some satellite speaker models can be too bright sounding or sound too lean. This is why some HT enthusiasts will spend a bit more to get an additional midbass module so as to get a fuller sound reproduction. Your amplifier/AV receiver must be able to connect up to 2 subwoofers though if you want to go this route. The soundstage that the satellite speakers can project is usually slightly smaller than bookshelf loudspeakers and is also dependent on the cabinet size as well as their built quality.
To Sum It Up
Wired satellite speakers have their advantages and disadvantages, you can weigh them to see if they are really worth the investment and suit your needs. They are mostly used as surround speakers or home theater speakers and will need the bass supplementation from a powered subwoofer. Some listeners even used satellite speakers as part of their desktop stereo system. Whether it is used for music playbacks or as HT speakers, it is highly recommended to audition them first before making the purchase, It is only after hearing how a specific satellite speaker model would sound then you really know that is the one for you.
