Sure, it’s important to have a nice big screen for your home theatre system. But it’s the sound that really makes the visuals come alive. Which are the speakers that create that incredible, immersive experience?
No matter what your space is like, whether it is big or small, here at Wavetrain, we can always find a home theatre solution for you. To figure out which one will work best for your space, spend some time getting to know the room. Notice the little things you may have overlooked in the past – from the arrangement of your furniture to the acoustics in that space. The room is just as important a component as any of the electronic parts of your home theatre system.
Speakers operate together
The speaker set-up generally includes a specialised centre channel speaker, surround speakers (if your receiver can support them) and specialised dipole surround speakers. The dipole surround speakers give you a non-directional, diffused kind of sound. Finally, the subwoofer is built into the front speakers, both left and right (as tower speakers).
The centre channel speaker is vital
Why is the centre channel speaker considered the most important in your home theatre system? It is through this speaker that most of the dialogue comes through, so it is pretty essential to being able to watch a movie. The centre channel speaker also produces more sound than all the other speakers put together.
The centre channel speaker is quite different from your stereo speaker and is not to be confused with one. The centre channel speaker is sized so it can be placed on the TV monitor or near the monitor. These speakers are not made to reproduce low bass because bass is affected by objects and surfaces around the speaker. So most engineers think they work better when they don’t reproduce bass.
Front speakers
Front speakers work for both stereos and home theatre. When you’re watching a movie or a video, these speakers give you the off-screen effects and the soundtrack of the film. When they’re being used to listen to music, they become the main speakers. For both these situations, conventional full range stereo speakers with a subwoofer work well.
In these speakers a lot of effort has been taken to ensure that high frequency drivers are brought to ear level. They are then matched to the drivers present in the rest of the speakers in the home theatre system. These speakers are generally magnetically shielded so that they don’t interfere with the quality of the TV picture.
Surround speakers
These are the speakers that give the home theatre systems that all-enveloping sound. There are two main ways to achieve this:
The bookshelf speaker arrangement: In this system, you use your bookshelf speakers – these could be the same as your centre speaker and your front speakers. Position these in a way that they are facing away from the listening area and you have it. This is the method recommended by Dolby Labs.
The dipole design: On the other hand, some suggest that you create a dipole design where you have two identical speakers that are wired out of phase with one another. Place them back to back and on a wall such that they are at a distance that is equal to you. This gives you reflected sound which is diffused and hard to localise.
In-wall and in-ceiling
Remember when we said that there’s a solution for every space? Well, if you think your space is small and you are wondering if you have room for a home theatre system, don’t worry about it! For these situations, the perfect solutions are in-wall speakers and in-ceiling speakers.
These were designed especially for spaces that are not big enough to hold standing speakers. You can put them up discreetly in the walls or in your ceilings. It is recommended that you get these speakers from the same brand or manufacturer that you got your box speakers from. This will make sure that the speakers are tonally compatible.
It must be noted that both monopole and dipole designs have their own advantages and supporters. But it has been widely accepted that monopole speakers provide the better experience while reproducing music and dipole designs are better for home theatre systems.
Have you got a space that you would like to set up a home theatre system in? We can help you with this, just get in touch with us and make your dream of the incredible home theatre experience a reality. Use our expertise to get the best sound setup for your space.