Have you ever watched a movie with a surround sound? Imagine a world without it – the sound would be flat and dull with incomplete experience. The surround sound system makes you feel as if you are in the middle of the action and can hear every nuance and detail. In this article, we’ll learn why surround sound is so important in home theatre seating and what to consider when setting up your system. From types of systems to room acoustics and budgeting tips, you’ll gain the knowledge to create your own immersive sound experience.
Benefits of Surround Sound
Your home theatre seating’s surround sound brings a range of benefits. Enjoy immersive sound quality and audio clarity with multiple speakers placed around the room. This creates a realistic 3D soundscape, making you feel like you are part of the movie or show. Surround sound also balances and amplifies the sound, so you can hear all the details. Experience a powerful surround sound system for the ultimate home theatre experience.
Types of Systems
When it comes to home theatre seating, there are several types of surround sound systems you can choose from. The most popular are 5.1, 7.1, and 9.1 systems, which feature five, seven, and nine speakers, respectively in the horizontal plane, plus potentially Atmos speakers for the ceiling. For added immersion and a balanced sound, acoustic treatments are recommended. To ensure the best sound quality, both hardware and software calibration should be done by a professional calibrator. These tools can help to tonally balance the system to ensure balanced, and accurate sound that is perfectly in time at the seating position. When that is done, the experience Will be amazing.
Selecting the correct seat
The type of seats should be considered. The seat should not have a headrest that covers the ears. If your ears are covered by the seat, then you cannot hear sounds from that direction of the room and you will not be hearing surround sound as intended. The seat size will have a large influence in where you will sit in the room. This is a primary decision in any room design and seat placement directly affects bass performance at the seats and also your perception of sound due to spatial changes with speakers being relatively too close.
Whether you are selecting leather seats or fabric needs to be considered as part of the room acoustic design. Fabric seats absorb sound and leather seats do not. Leather seats are much easier to keep clean, but feel firmer. Fabric seats can be treated to improve cleaning, but liquids should never be cleaned immediately a spill occurs.
Positioning your seats
Seats should never be positioned up against walls. The peaks of all standing waves are up against the boundary and so the bass will typically be at least double the volume. While it is possible to EQ this out of the system, it is impossible to balance that out to another seating position away from the boundary. There is no simple way to explain this and is a primary reason you should engage a specialist company like Wavetrain Cinemas.
The minimum distance between rows of recliners is 1800mm from back of seat to back of seat. However, at this distance, you will be able to touch the chair in front, if both a reclined to a comfortable level. At 1900mm you can usually not touch the chair in front. At 2000mm people can easily walk between the seats, with the person on the rear row simply lifting their feet.
Seat height or more importantly head height is necessary to calculate slight lines to the screen. No one enjoys looks at the back of someone in the cinema or at a concert. The rear seating platform height needs to be calculated based on screen size/height and seat type.
Room Acoustics
Beyond speaker placement and sound calibration, room acoustics also play an important role in creating an immersive surround sound experience in your home theatre seating. To ensure optimal audio performance, consider various acoustic solutions that include absorption, diffusion and bass traps. Reducing sound reflections, dampening sound transmission, and absorbing excess sound can help create a balanced soundscape. Paying attention to detail and employing the right tools can make all the difference for an optimal audio experience.
Budgeting Tips
When it comes to outfitting your home theatre seating with surround sound, budgeting is key. Here are some budgeting strategies to help you save:
| Cost-Conscious Equipment | Research & Compare | Shop for Deals |
| Online retailers | Reviews & Ratings | Coupon codes |
| Manufacturer’s sites | Price matching | Rebates & Returns |
Research and compare options to determine the most cost-effective equipment and take advantage of online deals to maximize savings.