Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

Satellite Sensitivity: 86 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

Center Sensitivity: 88.5 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing closemiking of all woofers) frequency response of the SP-BS41-LR satellite (purple trace), SP-C21 center channel (green trace), and SW-8 subwoofer (blue trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured with grilles at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and scaled for display purposes.

The SP-BS41-LR’s listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +1.62/–4.50 decibels from 200 hertz to 10 kilohertz. The –3-dB point is at 67 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 52 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 6.97 ohms at 224 Hz and a phase angle of –38.35 degrees at 129 Hz.

The SP-C21’s listening-window response measures +1.35/–3.88 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal responses measures +0.98/–4.18 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3-dB point is at 81 Hz, and the –6-dB point is at 62 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 6.31 ohms at 8.1 kHz and a phase angle of –39.38 degrees at 3.4 kHz.

The SW-8’s close-miked response, normalized to the level at 80 Hz, indicates that the lower –3-dB point is at 31 Hz and the –6-dB point is at 29 Hz. The upper –3-dB point is at 154 Hz with the FREQ control set to maximum. —MJP