Tips on How to Set Up a Home Theater System For Less
So, you finally went out and bought your dream home theater system and now it’s time to set it up. You could opt to hire a surround sound-savvy specialist to take stock of the acoustical flaws of your room and perform the optimal installation, but that could rack up big bills (US$2,500 to upwards of $10,000!). If you can’t afford to shell out big bucks for a professional acoustician, but want to enjoy a theatre experience right in your own home (minus the stadium seating and 30-foot screen, of course) check out these top tips to get the most sound out of your new system:
1. Room Shape – No matter how advanced your system, the single most important element of successful sound is the dimensions of your room. As sound waves reflect off walls, those waves are distorted, and the size, shape, and symmetry of the room determines what frequencies will resonate, or reverberate, a phenomenon which can distort or overpower the desired signal. In general, the larger the room, the better the sound; and symmetrical rooms ensure that the sound sources simulated by each of the speakers, matches. But, not all symmetrical shapes are desirable. For instance, round, square and cubic floor plans are less desirable than rectangles, which are the best shape because they distort sound the least.
2. Equipment – At minimum, you need five speakers to fully experience surround sound: two large front speakers, a smaller central channel speaker (a Receiver – this can be a four- or five-channel Dolby Digital decoder, or a TV), and two small rear or side speakers. But, the more speakers the merrier, since more speakers means more “sweet spots”, or places in the room where signals mix in just the right way to recreate a sound effect. The final must is a Potentiometer, which adds different amounts of resistance to a current, reduces voltage, and controls the volume of the rear speakers. If you want to provide more power to your speakers, pick up a pre-amplifier. And if your speakers’ woofers cannot handle substantial bass, consider adding a subwoofer to your system. Arguably, subwoofers handle the most important elements of music: low frequencies and bass.
3. Speaker Positioning – It is by virtue of speaker arrangement that the audience receives a combination of signals from different parts of the room. When the signals are sent and mixed properly, they create the desired listening experience. The key with speaker positioning is make the distances between the speakers proportional; if speakers are not equidistant, the bass response will be audibly different. Poor speaker placement also affects overall imaging, the creation of the illusion of a live performance. Even small movements of six inches to a foot can make a significant difference to the bass, and even smaller physical movements will affect imaging.
4. Factors of Distortion – The reflection and absorption of sound waves take place not only according to room symmetry, but also according to items in the room – some of which absorb, and others of which reflect, sound waves. Once again, the idea is to maintain symmetry and to keep the placement of “obstructions” in the room such as furniture, symmetrical. For instance, an open door or opening to a hallway on one side will cause one speaker to load the bass more than the other. Even equipment racks along only one wall will affect the bass. Equalization will not however, fix a high frequency reflection problem. Acoustic panels sold for the home can help, but you can “over treat” a room with absorptive panels, which can result in a bass problem, instead.
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