Home Theater Acoustics

We generally think of the speakers in our stereo or home theater systems as the final link in the audio chain — and the one that makes the biggest difference to our ears. But it's really not that simple. There's much more to the sound we hear than just what comes out of our speakers.

The sound that you hear in any room is a combination of the direct sound that travels straight from your speakers to your ears, and the indirect reflected sound — the sound from your speakers that bounces off the walls, floor, ceiling or furniture before it reaches your ears.

Reflected sounds can be both good and bad. The good part is that they make music and speech (like movie dialogue) sound much fuller and louder than they would otherwise. (If you've ever played your speakers outdoors where there are no walls to add reflections, you've probably noticed that they don't sound very good — thin and dull, with very little bass.) Reflected sound can also add a pleasant spaciousness.

The bad part is that these reflections distort sound in a room by making certain notes sound louder while canceling out others. The result may be midrange and treble that's too bright and harsh or echoey, or bass notes that are boomy, with a muddy "one-note" quality that drowns out deep bass.

Because these reflections arrive at your ears at different times than the sound from your speakers, the three-dimensional "soundstage" created by your speakers and the images of the instruments and singers may become vague or smeared.

These same reflections affect the music's timbre, or tonal quality. For example, a flute and an oboe have different timbre; they should sound different even when playing the same note, because each instrument's tones have a different harmonic structure. Reflections can obscure those crucial differences.

So, for all of these reasons it should be clear that your room is really the final component in your system. As with any other component, there are steps you can take to improve your room's performance. Many people find that after accomplishing as much as they can with speaker placement, they still aren't happy with their system's sound. If you feel that the way your room interacts with your speakers is causing problems, it's time to turn to Science; the science of acoustics, or more specifically, room acoustics.

Home Theater - Going Wireless

Dealing with wires and cables is one of the challenges of setting up a home theater system. If you want to eliminate wire troubles such as accidental tripping to unsightly wire clutter, then wireless home theater systems are for you.

You will find wireless home theater systems as an integrated unit or you can buy piece by piece to add to your existing system. As an add-on, the components of a wireless home theater system could include a transmitter and a receiver as well as surround sound speakers. You will connect the transmitter to the amplifier to deliver the audio signal to the receiver, which in turn sends the signal to the rear speakers to which it is connected.

The usual setup of wireless home theater systems consist of the front speakers and subwoofer hooked up to the amplifier with the receiver connected to the rear speakers to produce a surround sound effect.

If you would like a complete set, you can find integrated wireless home theater systems that include three front speakers for the center, left and right, two surround sound speakers, a subwoofer and an amplifier with a fixed transmitter. Some wireless home theater systems also have a DVD player included. Depending on the brand and specific features of the model, wireless home theater systems can cost anywhere from US 200 to 2,000 dollars.

When shopping for wireless home theater systems, a great way to find the best deal is to try out the different systems in person. Visit local electronic stores in your area and then ask a store attendant for a demonstration of the features of the systems they have available that are within your budget. Try out the controls and listen to the sound quality of the speakers until you find the system that suits your requirements best. If you cannot make a final decision yet, make a short list of wireless home theater systems that you like and then go online and read consumer and expert reviews about them.

Once you have chosen the best model, get the best price possible for that system by using a comparison-shopping website. This will save you a lot of time going to individual retailers and checking the price. A comparison-shopping website can survey the prices of wireless home theater systems from online and physical stores so in a few clicks you would know which store has the best price. Just make sure to check if that store is reputable before you make your purchase.