Everyone is well aware of how difficult is to chose a home theater system with proper speakers that suit the decor of your room, so that you can fully experience the surround sound effect and heart-rendering image transmitted by this intelligently selected technology. However, if one is not careful to the positioning of the speakers and the layout of it, one might not taste this so-called audio and video experience after all, due to an irritating lack of sound balance and destruction of the surround part.
You will know that you have a perfect placing of the speakers the minute a sleek, crystal clear sound hits your ears, without discerning which speaker actually sent the most of it: this way, a realistic cinema will be brought into your humble home, along with an extraordinary audio experience.
The placement of the speakers in your home theater lies mainly on several characteristics: the greatest responsibility is „borne” by the left and right front speakers because they render most of the sound. The rest of the components of the speaker system will be placed so as to combine their output with the items mentioned above, in a smooth way, without having an unbearable din as a result.
Consequently, the items must cooperate in creating the surround effect and their output must be carefully balanced in order to obtain special effects for which the professional movie theaters take so much pride in. The speakers must be of the same type, or at least the same technological features to enable this crisp envied sound.
The Bigger the Room, the Bigger the System
If you have reserved a large space for the creation of your home theater, you should bear in mind that the number and the dimensions of the speakers should measure up to the size of this particular room, because tall ceilings require a tower speaker room, rugs or items of the same sort on the floor absorb the sound as well as sheet rock walls, while high ceilings, namely a big surface across which the sound has to propagate, call for a large speaker system: a number of four good tower speakers should be quite enough to maintain the quality of the audio experience, while this type of speakers does not match small rooms.
Another solution to achieving the perfect sound experience may consist of bookshelf speakers, which make the home theater quality drop a little in terms of bass, but they still are the best recommended for rooms that are not vast enough to allow tower speaker systems, and for entertainment centers.
In case you should desire to mount the speakers in a small room, go for a sub-woofer and profit of the bass experience also. This option has the advantage of consuming little space, since the items are on the walls and clearly not in your path.
Last but not least, take a some time to think of your neighbors: the better the placement of the speaker system is done, the more annoyed your “friends” will be, since the sound is heard so clear and maybe loud, with an enviable bass. Have some pity, and pay attention to their needs. However, if it’s okay with them, you can invite them to the party too!
By: David Faulkner
Posts Tagged ‘Audio Experience’
Light, Sets, Camera, Action – Home Theater Speakers
February 11th, 2010Are Home Theater Amplifiers or Preamplifiers Necessary?
January 29th, 2010
There are many lesser-known components available that are vital to creating a high-end home theater environment. Some of these components include sound equipment like a home theater amplifier or a surround sound preamplifier. If you aren’t familiar with these custom home theater components, don’t be overwhelmed. Below you’ll find descriptions of both as well as how you can find a home theater preamplifier and amplifier that’s right for your entertainment system.
The surround sound preamplifier and the home theater amplifier, though similar, are two separate components for a reason. The following is information on these components that will help you get a better understanding of what each does and how they work in unison.
Surround Sound Preamplifier
The home theater preamplifier was originally a simple component contained in the audio-visual receiver that serves as the core of a home theater system. To allow for better control over a theatre’s audio quality, however, many manufacturers have begun offering preamplifiers as a separate component that can be more directly controlled. This doesn’t mean that it’s been completely removed from the A/V receiver and its functions. Several models such as the NAD T175 from NAD still feature decoding technology as well as control functions which allow for greater customization of the audio experience.
As the name implies, the surround sound preamplifier’s job is to act as an initial amplifier for audio signals that come in to the A/V receiver. This allows the amplifier, or power amplifier (as it is also known), to have much less work to do in order to get the audio level to the point that you want it at. By using one in your system, you will also gain an additional control point for making small adjustments to the quality of your sound so that you can make everything exactly like you want it to.
Home Theater Amplifier
The home theater amplifier was also originally just a component of the A/V receiver. As the use of custom components began to rise in popularity, though, the amplifier was one of the first pieces to be separated. A separate amplifier allows for a much greater level of control when it comes to the volume and clarity of your audio, and when combined with a preamplifier, will allow you to customize your audio experience to the layout of the room or rooms that your system covers.
As previously mentioned, the home theater amplifier is sometimes referred to as the power amplifier because it is independently powered, as opposed to having to share its power with the other components of the A/V receiver. When audio information is sent to the amplifier from an A/V receiver or other decoder, it is sent as separate audio channels which are then independently amplified. The specific levels of amplification can be altered at the amplifier itself, allowing you to “shape” the end result to accentuate the specific qualities of your audio that you prefer and that work best with the acoustics of your home layout. Audio components manufacturers such as PSB strive to include as many options for audio customization as possible, ranging from basic graphics equalizers and volume controls to virtual audio effects, bass boosting technology, and the ability to emulate a wider range of sounds from individual speakers to better control the way that your home theater system plays audio.
If you are designing a very large home theater room or if you plan to have a complicated theatre layout, consider purchasing these components. When the two pieces are installed and are working together, you will have greater control over volume, better sound quality and clarity, and an optimum system for making additional customization changes to. A home theater custom installer can give you specific information about your amplifier needs if you are unclear about whether these items are right for your theater.
~Ben Anton, 2008
By: Ben Anton
