Articles. News. Information.

Category of Information, News & Articles


How to Place Home Theater Speakers


You have your television and home theater receiver; you just bought your new speakers and subwoofer and are ready to test things out. It's time to break out the measuring tape because precision is vital to achieving the full potential of your home theater system. For this article, we are going to focus on a 5.1 surround sound system. The term "5.1" refers to the number of speakers and subwoofers in the system respectively. So for a 5.1 surround sound system, there are five speakers (the center channel, the two front speakers, and the two rear speakers) and one subwoofer.

When placing your home theater speakers, try to use the same amount of speaker wire for each type of speaker. For example, use the same length of wire for each of the front speakers. This will allow the signal to reach each speaker in about the same instant. I say "about" because there are variations in the wire which could cause the signal to reach one speaker slightly (fractions of a fraction of a second) before the other. By making the two lengths equal, you ensure that this delay remains tiny and unnoticeable.

Center Channel

The center channel should always be placed either immediately above or immediately below the viewing screen. Make sure the speaker is pointed directly at the audience.

Front Speakers

The two front speakers should be the same distance from the audience as the center channel. Doing this will ensure that the sound will travel from each speaker to the audience in the same amount of time and reduce the chances of there being a noticeable delay between what takes place on screen to when you hear it. Each of the front speakers should also be positioned an equal distance from the TV on either side. This distance is dependant on your specific tastes; just make sure that the distances are both equal.

Rear Speakers

The rear speakers should be mounted on the walls on either side of the audience. Their purpose is to provide a sense of atmosphere, not provide the main sound for your home theater system. Therefore, they should not be pointed directly at the audience's ears or you risk over powering the center channel and the two front speakers. Again, distance is important. Try to have the rear speakers the same distance from the TV in order to use the same amount of speaker wire and if possible have them placed equidistance from the audience.

Subwoofer

Bass tones by their nature are more difficult to localize than the midrange and high notes of the other five speakers. This will give you more freedom as to where to place the subwoofer. However, the location surrounding the subwoofer can greatly influence the bass tones you hear. Placing the subwoofer in a corner or under a table will create a deeper resonating tone as the sound waves reflect off of the surfaces. The placement of the subwoofer is up to you, depending on the type of bass you want. Experiment with different locations and find the one that best suits your taste.

Realizing the full potential of your home theater speakers is not a difficult task. By following these guidelines, you will be ready to enjoy your home theater the way it was meant to be heard.

Jon Martin is the Webmaster of the Home Theater Accessories Resource. The Home Theater Accessories Resource is your guide to home theater accessories.

This article came from the Connecting Home Theater Components section of the site.


MORE RESOURCES:

Personal Tech: Phishing attacks get personal
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Jan 5, 2009
By Kim Komando You know to watch for phishing attacks, which use e-mail messages purporting to be from legitimate businesses to trick you into divulging ...


BluePhone Personal Tech Experts Offer Five Tips for Building a ...
International Business Times, NY - Dec 23, 2008
Here are five tips to consider before you make your decision,according to BluePhone (www.bluephone.com), the Personal Tech Supporthotline that helps ...


Personal Tech 'Zune 30 Midnight Meltdown' Angers Music Lovers
CIO Today, CA - Dec 31, 2008
Web forums are churning with angry reports of frozen 30GB Microsoft Zunes, labeled a Z2K problem and the Zune 30 Midnight Meltdown. ...


BRIEF: Personal Tech: Student finds way to extend battery life
TMC Net, CT - Dec 22, 2008
Imagine your cell phone lasting 12 times longer than before and you see the potential of Atif Shamim's invention. The electronics PhD student from Carlton ...


Making connections, gadget to gadget
International Herald Tribune, France - Jan 7, 2009
(A gallery of some duds from past CES shows is at nytimes.com/personaltech.) This year there certainly are many efforts to create products so stupendous ...


Personal tech to be focus of trade show
Daily Gleaner, Canada - Jan 8, 2009
By LUANN LASALLE MONTREAL - The television, the grande dame of household technology, should have a starring role again at this year's International Consumer ...


Solutions: Tips for troubleshooting in Internet Explorer
Tampabay.com, FL - Jan 2, 2009
Send questions to personaltech@sptimes.com or Personal Tech, PO Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Questions are answered only in this column.


Personal Tech LG Announces Broadband HDTV with Netflix Built In
CIO Today, CA - Jan 5, 2009
By Barry Levine LG Electronics will will add broadband and Netflix streaming software to its new high-definition TVs. LG's new sets will be shown at the ...


Blake Trchka: Central's go-to technology master
TheDoings-ClarendonHills.com, IL - Jan 6, 2009
Junior Blake Trchka of Clarendon Hills is the school's personal "tech guru". PHOTO COURTESY OF BLAKE TRCHKA Blake Trchka, 16, of Clarendon Hills works as a ...


Personal Tech Acer Launches Extreme Gaming Aspire Notebook
CIO Today, CA - Dec 29, 2008
By Jennifer LeClaire Acer America has launched the $1799 Aspire 8930G-7665 notebook for extreme gaming on the go with an 18.4-inch CineCrystal ...

Personal-Tech - Google News

Home | Sitemap
© 2006 eInfoJunction.com Homepage | Web Directory | Article Directory| Bid Directory