A Guide to Bipolar, Dipolar, & Direct-Radiating Monopole Surround Speakers (PART I)

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by reyz

thanks for the informative guide! really piqued my interest towards bi/dipole speakers and they sure do look inviting now..

just wondering, do most speakers just fall under the direct-radiating category if they're neither bi or dipole?

currently in the midst of getting a 5.1 setup now... would just like to check whether the Yamaha NS-M325 speakers are bipole, dipole or direct-radiating?

and if one wishes to upgrade to a 7.1 in the future, must the rear surrounds be similar to the surrounds (e.g. all bipole)? or can they just be anything else, even direct radiating?

The Yamaha NS-M325 speakers are direct-radiating speakers.

Out of the three types of speakers, bipole speakers are the best option for the new surround systems. Their placement is also a bit more flexible than dipole or direct.

Dipole speakers had an advantage during the old days of Dolby Pro Logic era where the sound from the surround speakers was mono. They lack a bit in the low frequency extension.

It is a good idea to use bipole speakers for all your surround (side and rear)speakers, but is not an absolute necessecity. Surround speakers are not as important as the front speakers.

As a general rule, bipole/dipole speakers work better for movies as most of the sound from the surrounds are ambient sound. Direct-radiating speakers are more appropriate for multi-channel music such as SACD and DVD-A.

Bipole speakers work for both movies and music and you can also use them for your front speakers.