Until a couple of months ago, it seemed the audio industry could not stop adding speakers to our audio/video systems. We went from two speakers to five, then added a subwoofer, then added two more speakers. Some audio pioneers have proposed going to 10 speakers plus two subwoofers. When will the madness end?

Apparently, right now. The hottest trend in speakers for late 2005 is a new product that combines the left, center, and right front speakers from a surround-sound system into a single cabinet. These new three-in-one speakers were created specifically for use with plasma TVs. Instead of left, center, and right speakers arranged around the TV, you get a single slim, stylish, silvery bar underneath. It looks better and it’s easier to install. Now you need only three speakers—a three-in-one and two surround speakers—plus a subwoofer for surround sound.

But wait a minute: Why not combine all five speakers into one unit, and stuff the subwoofer in, too? An asinine question, yes, but it’s rhetorical—the point is that you lose something when you cram several formerly separate speakers into one box. They don’t act so much like separate speakers anymore; you give up some of that enveloping, exciting surround-sound effect. The question is, how much of the surround effect do you lose in your effort to please your cohabiting decor Nazi?

And the only way to answer that question is to put a few of the new three-in-ones through their paces.

An Old-Fashioned Plasma Speaker: Atlantic Technology FS-4000
Speakers for plasma TVs have existed for only a few years, but already an archetype has been established: the cabinets are almost always made from polished aluminum extrusions. It’s a great look, but aluminum can have drawbacks. If the extrusion lacks sufficient stiffening ribs or internal bracing, it can produce a ringing effect. Such is the nature of metal tubes, which is why they make great wind chimes.

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INTELLIGENT DESIGN
Atlantic Technology’s FS-4000 incorporates a 1-inch fabric-dome tweeter, a 4.5-inch woofer/midrange driver, and a 4.5-inch passive radiator to reinforce the bass. An included base lets you place the FS-4000 on a tabletop and tilt it up or down so it points straight at you. The gloss black finish with silver end caps and grille complements the look of any plasma TV, but the two-toned color scheme doesn’t blend into decor as well as an all-silver finish can. (Click images to enlarge)

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Leave it to the conservative, wise helmsmen at Atlantic Technology to spurn metal in favor of good old-fashioned medium-density fiberboard (MDF). MDF is the material used for most conventional speaker cabinets; its well-damped character helps eliminate resonance so you hear only the sound of the woofers and tweeters, not the vibrations of the cabinet they are mounted in.

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