Setting up multi-channel audio including a home theater system has always been fairly difficult and manufacturers recently have come up with unique products and technologies like wireless audio products or virtual surround sound to help simplify this process. I will take a look at several of the products and technologies that have emerged and give some pointers about selecting proper components for a hassle-free setup. Historically, installing a TV would be fast because they would already come with built-in stereo speakers. This, though, has all changed with multi-channel sound. Nowadays external speakers are used to create a surround sound effect. While the traditional 5.1 format requires 6 speakers: a front center, two front side speakers, two rear speaker and a subwoofer, the more recent 7.1 format adds two additional side speakers.
For that reason, home theater installations have turn out to be pretty difficult. Running cables to remote speakers also is often undesirable due to aesthetic reasons. Component vendors have designed various technologies to simplify the setup.
As a result the installation of home theater products has turn out to be a fairly difficult procedure. Numerous homes are not pre-wired for surround sound. In addition, long speaker wires are often unattractive. Manufacturers have recently introduced new devices and technologies. These devices were designed to help simplify the installation of home theater systems. The first method is referred to as virtual surround sound. This solution will take the audio components which would normally be sent by the remote speakers. It then utilizes signal processing to those components and inserts special cues and phase delays. After that these components are mixed with the front speaker audio. The audio is then broadcast by the front speakers along with the front speaker sound components. The signal processing is modeled after the human hearing. It uses the knowledge about how the human ear can determine the origin of sound. The viewer is in effect deceived into believing the audio is originating from a location other than the front speakers.
The first option is also known as virtual surround sound. This technique will take the audio components which would normally be broadcast by the remote loudspeakers. It then utilizes signal processing to those components and inserts special cues and phase delays. Then these components are mixed with the front speaker audio. Since the signal processing is based on how the human hearing detects the origin of audio, the sound components which underwent signal processing can be mixed with the front speaker components and broadcast by the front speakers. Due to the signal processing, the viewer is tricked into assuming the sound is originating from virtual remote surround loudspeakers.
One more approach for avoiding long speaker cable runs is to use wireless surround sound systems or wireless loudspeakers. A wireless product includes a transmitter and one or a number of wireless amplifiers. The transmitter connects to the source. The wireless amplifiers connect to the remote loudspeakers. Generally the transmitter part will have amplified speaker inputs and line-level inputs. This provides flexibility to connect to each type of source. A transmitter volume control helps maximize the dynamic range and eliminates clipping of the sound inside the transmitter.
A number of wireless speaker kits are designed to connect 2 speakers per wireless amplifier. A superior option would come with a wireless amplifier for each remote speaker to eliminate the cord runs between each of the 2 remote loudspeakers. The most basic wireless kits employ FM transmission. FM broadcast is prone to noise and sound distortion. More sophisticated products make use of digital audio transmission to perfectly maintain the original audio. To make sure that all speakers are in sync in a multi-channel application, make certain that you pick a wireless system which has an audio latency of just a few milliseconds at most. A large latency would lead to an echo effect. This effect would degrade the surround effect. Many wireless products operate in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. A number of products utilize the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band and consequently have less competition from other wireless devices.
A third technology utilizes side-reflecting speakers. This solution is named sound bars. In this case the audio for the remote loudspeakers will be sent by individual loudspeakers located at the front at an angle and reflected by walls as to appear to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. This option works best in a square room with minimum interior design and obstacles. It will not work well in a lot of real-world scenarios with diverse room shapes however.
For that reason, home theater installations have turn out to be pretty difficult. Running cables to remote speakers also is often undesirable due to aesthetic reasons. Component vendors have designed various technologies to simplify the setup.
As a result the installation of home theater products has turn out to be a fairly difficult procedure. Numerous homes are not pre-wired for surround sound. In addition, long speaker wires are often unattractive. Manufacturers have recently introduced new devices and technologies. These devices were designed to help simplify the installation of home theater systems. The first method is referred to as virtual surround sound. This solution will take the audio components which would normally be sent by the remote speakers. It then utilizes signal processing to those components and inserts special cues and phase delays. After that these components are mixed with the front speaker audio. The audio is then broadcast by the front speakers along with the front speaker sound components. The signal processing is modeled after the human hearing. It uses the knowledge about how the human ear can determine the origin of sound. The viewer is in effect deceived into believing the audio is originating from a location other than the front speakers.
The first option is also known as virtual surround sound. This technique will take the audio components which would normally be broadcast by the remote loudspeakers. It then utilizes signal processing to those components and inserts special cues and phase delays. Then these components are mixed with the front speaker audio. Since the signal processing is based on how the human hearing detects the origin of audio, the sound components which underwent signal processing can be mixed with the front speaker components and broadcast by the front speakers. Due to the signal processing, the viewer is tricked into assuming the sound is originating from virtual remote surround loudspeakers.
One more approach for avoiding long speaker cable runs is to use wireless surround sound systems or wireless loudspeakers. A wireless product includes a transmitter and one or a number of wireless amplifiers. The transmitter connects to the source. The wireless amplifiers connect to the remote loudspeakers. Generally the transmitter part will have amplified speaker inputs and line-level inputs. This provides flexibility to connect to each type of source. A transmitter volume control helps maximize the dynamic range and eliminates clipping of the sound inside the transmitter.
A number of wireless speaker kits are designed to connect 2 speakers per wireless amplifier. A superior option would come with a wireless amplifier for each remote speaker to eliminate the cord runs between each of the 2 remote loudspeakers. The most basic wireless kits employ FM transmission. FM broadcast is prone to noise and sound distortion. More sophisticated products make use of digital audio transmission to perfectly maintain the original audio. To make sure that all speakers are in sync in a multi-channel application, make certain that you pick a wireless system which has an audio latency of just a few milliseconds at most. A large latency would lead to an echo effect. This effect would degrade the surround effect. Many wireless products operate in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. A number of products utilize the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band and consequently have less competition from other wireless devices.
A third technology utilizes side-reflecting speakers. This solution is named sound bars. In this case the audio for the remote loudspeakers will be sent by individual loudspeakers located at the front at an angle and reflected by walls as to appear to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. This option works best in a square room with minimum interior design and obstacles. It will not work well in a lot of real-world scenarios with diverse room shapes however.
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