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One of the best things about home theater is the thrilling realism and impact that surround sound brings to the experience. Having a great sound system can make the difference between just watching TV and feeling like you're in a movie theater, immersed in the onscreen action. But what kind of surround setup is best for you? Here are the simple steps that will take you from just thinking about a great home theater to actually having one. Surround Sound Basics The two main ingredients you need for surround sound are a multichannel speaker system, typically with five or six speakers, and a digital surround (A/V) receiver. You can't get surround sound without both of these anymore than you can play tennis without both a racket and a net. (We'll assume you already have an HDTV and a DVD player.) You might think there are just too many speaker systems and receivers to choose from. But the buying process isn't as complicated as it seems once you narrow down the choices to what best fits your needs. You can start by answering these questions: Speaker Setups Most speaker systems are designed for 5.1-channel surround sound, with left, center, and right speakers in the front of the room, left and right surround speakers toward the back, and a subwoofer (which pumps out bass from the ".1" channel) in a corner or along a wall. But 6.1- and 7.1-channel receivers and speaker packages are an option for enthusiasts who want to take things to the next level. These add one or two back surround channels for speakers centered behind your couch. The idea is to produce a more realistic experience. Many 5.1-channel setups can be expanded to 6.1 or 7.1 channels by buying additional satellite speakers. Just keep in mind that you'll also need a receiver that provides 6.1/7.1-channel surround processing and power for the extra one or two speakers, plus you'll have to roll up your sleeves and install those speakers, which includes running wire to each one. If you put speakers right next to a tube TV, magnets inside the speakers can screw up the picture, which is why the front speakers in a home theater setup are magnetically shielded. (You don't have to worry about this with plasma, LCD, or DLP TVs.) While some high-end speakers use exotic technologies like planar-magnetic or electrostatic drivers, most speakers use familiar woofer, tweeter, and midrange cones and domes. Depending on the size of your room and how well you want the speakers to blend with your decor, one of the following kinds of systems will be right for you. Sub/Sat Combos Subwoofer/satellite, or sub/sat, systems are extremely popular for their compact size, excellent value, and installation flexibility. The satellite speakers - everything except the subwoofer - can be mounted on stands, shelves, or atop a TV. And a growing number of satellites are specially designed with slim enclosures and sleek finishes to match flat-panel LCD and plasma TVs - some models can even be mounted on the wall to save floor space. Sub/sat packages range from ultracompact rigs with satellites that fit in the palm of your hand to larger systems that can fill big rooms with sound. Small systems are worth a close look because many of them deliver surprisingly expansive sound for $1,000 or less. Larger or high-end packages tend to cost from $1,000 to $4,000 or more, with many great-sounding speaker systems in the under-$2,000 range. If you like the idea of putting your satellites on sleek stands, you'll need to budget some extra dough - stands are usually optional. Beyond Minispeakers Do you have a big, volume-hungry room? Or do you just prefer beefy speakers? Either way, there are several options. For the front left and right positions, you can go with either bookshelf speakers (so named because in the good old days of stereo, small speakers were often placed on shelves) or floor-standing tower speakers, which will usually put out more bass and play louder. Then there are power towers, which have built-in powered subwoofers. The great thing about this option is you won't need a standalone subwoofer - unless you're a diehard bass freak. In many 5.1-channel setups, the front left/right speakers are complemented by a center speaker, and a pair of wall-mounted surround speakers handle the other channels. Of course, there are exceptions. Some systems use the same bookshelf speaker all around (except for the center speaker, which is usually horizontally oriented), two of which are mounted on the side or back walls to reproduce the surround channels. Many surround speakers use a dipole or bipole design, which radiates sound equally from the front and back to create a more spacious effect. Some models even let you select the sound-radiation pattern, and some have a dual-speaker mode that lets one speaker convey two different channels - a great option if you want 7.1-channel playback but don't have room for two extra speakers. There are literally hundreds of speakers available, from high-value budget offerings to sky's-the-limit designs. While most home theater speakers are sold as a complete system, including a subwoofer, you can also buy speakers a la carte, giving you the freedom to more finely tailor a system to your needs. Just make sure they all have the same tone, or your attention will be drawn away from the movie or music toward the distinctly different sounds of the speakers themselves. Getting a good sonic match usually means buying all the speakers from the same manufacturer, and often from the same line of products. If you're expanding from a stereo system to surround sound, but your stereo speakers aren't being made anymore, try matching them to speakers from the same brand. Hideaway Speakers In-wall (pictured right), ceiling, and slim-profile on-wall speakers have become wildly popular because they take up no floor space, can blend unobtrusively into any decor, and are ideal for use with flat-panel plasma and LCD TVs. Thanks to advances in materials and design, they also sound better than ever and can be used for any channel in a home theater system (there are even in-wall subwoofers). If you decide to go this route, keep in mind that installation is more involved - you'll have to cut into your walls to mount the speakers and to hide the wires leading to them (a good idea even with on-wall speakers). The bottom line here is that, unless you're handy, you'll have to add the cost of professional installation to your budget. Big, Bad Bass Watching movies at home is especially thrilling when an onscreen earthquake, explosion, spaceship crash, or battle between giant monsters makes your floor shake and pictures jiggle. The subwoofer, usually a nondescript black box that sits unobtrusively in a corner or behind the couch, holds the key to this visceral impact. Subwoofers have one purpose in life - to produce the deep, rumbling bass that satellite speakers can't. But not all subwoofers are created equal. In fact, their performance, flexibility, and price can vary a lot, so it pays to shop carefully. The bigger the sub, the louder it will play, so while a small model might be okay for a bedroom or apartment, it's worth considering a larger, more powerful subwoofer - maybe even two - if you have a generous-size room. Virtually all subwoofers have their own built-in power amps and volume controls, and most have other adjustments to help you achieve a seamless blend with the main speakers. Two of the most common controls are labeled crossover and phase. Auditioning Speakers The Receiver A digital surround receiver is the heart of your home theater. Besides delivering power to all your speakers (except the subwoofer), it lets you switch between your DVD player and other source components, sends the video signal to your TV, and does the surround sound processing that turns your family room into a theater. I'm happy to tell you that today's receivers offer far more features and even better performance than those of just a few years ago. Things like processing for surround sound playback of stereo programs and switching for high-definition video sources are available even in inexpensive models. All home theater receivers decode the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks found on virtually all DVDs, and most also decode DTS and a variety of other surround sound formats (see "Surround Formats"). Most now also offer 6.1- and 7.1-channel decoding and amplification as well. How Much Power? It's important to know how much power you'll need per channel, and it depends on several factors, including the size and acoustic characteristics of your room, how loud you like your music and movies, and how efficient your speakers are, as indicated by their sensitivity rating. (A 3-dB increase in sensitivity means that you need half as much power to produce the same volume, while a 3-dB decrease in sensitivity means you need double the power requirement.) It takes less power to fill "live" rooms that have hard, reflective surfaces than it does "dead" ones that have lots of upholstered furniture and thick carpeting. All things considered, you'll probably need less power than you think: 40 or 50 watts per channel is plenty for most music listening, and unless you have a really big or really dead room or unusually inefficient speakers, 80 to 100 watts per channel will make sure action-movie climaxes don't sound wimpy. Having more power on hand never hurts, but there's no good reason to use a receiver with more than 100 watts per channel in a compact bedroom system. Ins and Outs Make sure you have enough audio and video inputs for all of your source components. Figure out how many sources you'll need to connect - and then allow for future additions to your system. Since you have to use the digital audio connections from your source components to get surround sound - except for DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD playback - make sure the receiver has enough digital audio inputs. (For DVD-Audio and SACD, you'll need a receiver with a multichannel analog audio input.) And make sure your receiver has HDTV-compatible component-video inputs so you can use it to switch between high-def sources. You're going to be spending a lot of time with your receiver's remote control, so consider how easy it is to use. Most receiver remotes can also operate other components in your system, so be sure to ask the salesman about that. And make time while you're in the store to navigate the onscreen menus and operate basic receiver functions from the remote. If the remote feels awkward or seems too difficult to learn, you might want to consider a different receiver. Beyond the Basics Today's receivers offer a tremendous variety of performance and convenience features. These include such goodies as digital signal processing (DSP) surround modes, extra outputs for speakers in a remote room (sometimes with independent control of the source and volume), and upconversion of composite- and S-video signals to component video, which means only one connection between the receiver and your TV. Some models even offer automated system setup so you don't have to balance channel levels yourself or work through menus of options for things like bass management. Shop Around By now you should have a good idea of what type of speaker system and receiver will best suit your needs. It's time to begin considering specific models - knowledge that can be augmented by checking out resources like the Sound & Vision Buyer's Guide 2005 (now on newsstands) and the Web sites of manufacturers and retailers. It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that you should listen to and price as many models and brands as you can - especially for speakers. A/V gear offers better value per dollar today than ever before, and competition is fiercer than ever, both of which benefit you. Before heading for the stores with your wish list in hand, here are some fundamentals to keep in mind: To paraphrase a New York City discount-clothing retailer, educated consumers make the best customers. Armed with the knowledge from this article, you'll be well prepared to find the surround sound system of your home theater dreams! The Lingo see Surround Formats Source: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=5&article_id=729 |
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