The procedure of installing multi-channel audio speakers in home theater products is fairly tedious and manufacturers have invented new products and technologies like wireless surround sound speakers or surround sound wireless headphones lately to help simplify the setup. I will have a look at a number of of the products and technologies that have appeared and give some advice about choosing suitable components for a hassle-free setup. Whilst previously installing a TV has been pretty easy, the appearance of multi-channel sound has made setting up home theater systems a good deal more difficult by requiring a number of external speakers to create surround sound. As the traditional 5.1 format requires 6 speakers: a front center, two front side speakers, two rear speaker and a subwoofer, the more modern 7.1 format adds two additional side speakers.
While in the past setting up a TV has been fairly easy, the appearance of multi-channel sound has made setting up home theater systems a good deal more complex by requiring a number of external speakers to create surround sound. The most commonly used 5.1 surround sound format requires installing a total of 6 speakers. These are one center speaker, two front side speakers, two rear speakers and a subwoofer. The more recent 7.1 standard raises this number to 8 by adding two extra side speakers.
As a result setting up a home theater has become rather difficult and long speaker wire runs are often undesirable for aesthetic reasons. Part manufacturers have come up with various technologies to simplify the installation. One approach is reducing the number of loudspeakers by making virtual speakers. This approach applies signal processing to the audio and adds phase shifts and cues to the sound which would normally be sent through the remote loudspeaker. Since the signal processing is based on how the human hearing detects the origin of sound, the sound components which underwent signal processing can be mixed with the front speaker components and sent by the front speakers. The signal processing has an effect that will trick the listener into presuming that the sound is originating from an alternate location.
This technology minimizes the quantity of needed speakers and eliminates long speaker cords but every human will process sound slightly differently because of the shape of the ear. Because the signal processing is based on a standard human ear model, virtual surround will not work equally well for everyone dependant upon how much the viewer varies from the standard model.
An additional method for avoiding long speaker cord runs is to make use of wireless surround sound kits or wireless speakers. A wireless product consists of a transmitter and one or a number of wireless amplifiers. The transmitter connects to the source. The wireless amplifiers connect to the remote loudspeakers. The transmitter will normally have amplified speaker inputs as well as line-level inputs and come with a volume control to adjust it to the source audio level.
Several wireless kits come with wireless amplifiers that connect to two speakers. This still requires cable runs between the two speakers. Other products come with separate wireless amplifiers for every loudspeaker. Entry-level wireless systems utilize FM broadcast or audio compression that will deteriorate the audio quality to some extent. More advanced wireless products make use of uncompressed digital audio transmission. In multi-channel audio systems, it is essential to pick a wireless option with a latency of only several milliseconds. This will guarantee that the audio of all loudspeakers is in perfect sync. A large latency would lead to an echo effect. This effect would deteriorate the surround effect. Many wireless devices work in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. A number of products utilize the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band and therefore have less competition from other wireless devices.
An alternative method, which is often called sound bars utilizes side-reflecting loudspeakers. There are additional speakers positioned at the front which broadcast the sound for the remote speakers from the front at an angle. The sound is then reflected by walls and seems to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. The result heavily is dependent upon the interior, especially the shape of the room and the decoration. It will function well for square rooms with no obstacles and sound reflecting walls. However, realistic scenarios frequently will vary from this ideal and diminish the effect of this approach.
While in the past setting up a TV has been fairly easy, the appearance of multi-channel sound has made setting up home theater systems a good deal more complex by requiring a number of external speakers to create surround sound. The most commonly used 5.1 surround sound format requires installing a total of 6 speakers. These are one center speaker, two front side speakers, two rear speakers and a subwoofer. The more recent 7.1 standard raises this number to 8 by adding two extra side speakers.
As a result setting up a home theater has become rather difficult and long speaker wire runs are often undesirable for aesthetic reasons. Part manufacturers have come up with various technologies to simplify the installation. One approach is reducing the number of loudspeakers by making virtual speakers. This approach applies signal processing to the audio and adds phase shifts and cues to the sound which would normally be sent through the remote loudspeaker. Since the signal processing is based on how the human hearing detects the origin of sound, the sound components which underwent signal processing can be mixed with the front speaker components and sent by the front speakers. The signal processing has an effect that will trick the listener into presuming that the sound is originating from an alternate location.
This technology minimizes the quantity of needed speakers and eliminates long speaker cords but every human will process sound slightly differently because of the shape of the ear. Because the signal processing is based on a standard human ear model, virtual surround will not work equally well for everyone dependant upon how much the viewer varies from the standard model.
An additional method for avoiding long speaker cord runs is to make use of wireless surround sound kits or wireless speakers. A wireless product consists of a transmitter and one or a number of wireless amplifiers. The transmitter connects to the source. The wireless amplifiers connect to the remote loudspeakers. The transmitter will normally have amplified speaker inputs as well as line-level inputs and come with a volume control to adjust it to the source audio level.
Several wireless kits come with wireless amplifiers that connect to two speakers. This still requires cable runs between the two speakers. Other products come with separate wireless amplifiers for every loudspeaker. Entry-level wireless systems utilize FM broadcast or audio compression that will deteriorate the audio quality to some extent. More advanced wireless products make use of uncompressed digital audio transmission. In multi-channel audio systems, it is essential to pick a wireless option with a latency of only several milliseconds. This will guarantee that the audio of all loudspeakers is in perfect sync. A large latency would lead to an echo effect. This effect would deteriorate the surround effect. Many wireless devices work in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. A number of products utilize the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band and therefore have less competition from other wireless devices.
An alternative method, which is often called sound bars utilizes side-reflecting loudspeakers. There are additional speakers positioned at the front which broadcast the sound for the remote speakers from the front at an angle. The sound is then reflected by walls and seems to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. The result heavily is dependent upon the interior, especially the shape of the room and the decoration. It will function well for square rooms with no obstacles and sound reflecting walls. However, realistic scenarios frequently will vary from this ideal and diminish the effect of this approach.
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