February is the month of the SuperBowl, and lots of people rushed right out and bought a brand new widescreen TV for the Big Game. But transitioning from having a big, expensive TV into owning a true
- Speaker positioning: Experiment, experiment and then experiment some more with speaker positioning in your home theater room.
- Subwoofer: Place your subwoofer in any corner of your home theater room. Corner loading will augment certain low frequencies through the room but may sacrifice some frequency response. Compare the corner position with placing the sub further away from walls. The subwoofer doesn't need to point toward the viewers like the rest of your speakers, it's positioning isn't as critical as the other speakers. Sound emanates from the sub in all directions but is still affected by reflective materials.
- Sound path: Don't let large objects block the path of sound from speakers to the listening area. If living space requires such compromises try a system of temporarily removing blockages for film viewings.
- Porous materials: Sound trapping material is great for walls and floors. Carpets are better than wooden floors. Fabric on the walls or theater curtains are better than drywall but drywall is better than smooth wood or pressboard paneling.
- Reflective materials: Acoustically reflective materials on walls, floors and ceiling should be avoided. Pictures with smooth surfaces should be placed so as to avoid the direct ray of sound from speakers.
- Center speaker: Inarticulate dialogue is a common problem. Do whatever it takes to position the center speaker closer to the ears of the audience. It should be raised off the ground and point to head level of the listening area from above or below the monitor.
Home Theatre is more complicated than owning the most expensive pieces from your local consumer electronics store. Nothing effects the Home Theatre experience more than the user’s sound experience. Speakers are the most important consideration in any Home Theatre design and should account for as much as 60% or 70% of your total Home Theatre budget.
To take advantage of the standard format on today’s DVD’s (Dolby Digital) it is necessary to have a “5.1” speaker system and receiver. The “5.1” is the number of speakers in the room – two behind you, two to either side, one center speaker and a sub-woofer – and the receiver channels the information from your media device to your speakers. But be warned – improper positioning of your speakers and reflective or absorbing qualities found in your theatre room can rob you of optimal performance. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your Home Theatre system:
