The first meaning of speaker that the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) mentions in its dictionary refers to the one or that which speaks: that is, who speaks or who makes sounds. It is common for the notion to be joined with other terms to form adjectives such as Spanish-speaking (who has Spanish as their mother tongue), Francophone (the individual who speaks French), etc.
In several American countries, speaker is a noun that refers to the electroacoustic device capable of converting electrical current into sound. Speaker, in this framework, is synonymous with loudspeaker or loudspeaker.
Speakers, therefore, are devices used to reproduce sound. In a first stage, they transform electrical waves into mechanical energy; then this mechanical energy is converted into acoustic waves.
It is important to remember that sound waves are disturbances in air pressure that, in the ear, become mechanical waves that the brain processes. With a microphone, sound can be converted into electrical signals that are transmitted via radio waves or by cables.
A magnetic speaker uses an electrical current that carries the sound encoded or modulated by a microphone. This current feeds an electromagnet and creates a magnetic field, producing a force. As the electromagnet is attached to a membrane, the force moves both components and the membrane generates the fluctuations in the air that we perceive as sounds.
Simplifying, we can say that a microphone converts sound into an electrical signal and that the speaker is responsible for decoding that electrical signal to emit sound.
Choosing a good set of speakers is not easy, since certain technical variables must be combined with some that are subjective in the decision: the quality of the pieces, the technologies used for sound reproduction and the number of speakers are practically unquestionable issues; But the warmth of the sound and the predominance of bass or treble can affect each individual in different ways, given the specific characteristics of their hearing, so it is not enough to study them on paper but must be experienced to know if the device is suitable for one.
In recent decades, the number of speakers per game has not risen to very high limits, but it has risen considerably: from monaural radios and televisions (with a single speaker) to Atmos systems with several hundred speakers, it is certainly not so It is easy to understand a catalog today as in the 80s. But the most important thing is to understand that not all technologies are necessary for all consumers, and that, therefore, not being able to buy a product does not always carry a disadvantage.
Atmos technology allows sounds to be reproduced at different altitudes around the user, providing more accurate sound information regarding the position of objects on the screen. For example, it becomes easier to understand that a bird is singing in the top of a tree and that the river flows at our feet. The most affordable systems have five speakers at seat level and another four that are placed near the ceiling or even hung from it. There are more and more expensive options, up to 400 or more that a movie theater can have.