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 is your guide
to home theater accessories. http://www.home-theater-accessories-resource.com
This article came from http://www.home-theater-accessories-resource.com/connectingcomponents.html
