They are the last link in the chain, directly responsible for communicating everything that's been done to the signal along the way. Indeed, loudspeakers are one of the most important aspects of a sound system. In other words, what you're usually hearing from a loudspeaker is more than it's output, you're also hearing what's happening to that output as it travels through the space. A wide range of quality professional loudspeakers are available, produced by an equally wide range of manufacturers, for house of worship sound systems. Budgetary issues are almost always an important factor influencing loudspeaker selection.
Aesthetics are another concern.
The only certainty is that every project is different and needs to be treated as such. This column's purpose, the first in a regular series for Technologies For Worship, is to provide a primer on the subject of loudspeaker technology and design. Knowing what loudspeakers are designed to do, what they are intended to do, along with understanding some of the jargon that we inevitably throw around when talking about them, can go a long way in helping to make informed choices. Most church sound systems should utilize full-range loudspeakers, which are intended to adequately reproduce the entire audible frequency spectrum, ideal for spoken word as well as optimum musical performance. This is where subwoofers come into play within a system, to deliver deep, chest-thumping bass.