Pieces Parts Components And Sound

It also includes Speakers--including a subwoofer--and a source (DVD, laserdisc, VHS).

Definitely the cause of much financial difficulty, but for many people it's worth it to be able to

blast your neighbors. The sound in a home theater system is as important as the big screen TV.

A good stereo TV sitting all by itself sounds better than a bad home theater system install.

Boomy (or nonexistent) bass, no audio detail, and/or muddy, inaudible dialog can make a movie

unwatchable.

When planning a home theater, remember that the physical geometry of the room is as

important as the equipment in the system. Poor room acoustics can cause soundstage and

bass-response problems that will significantly detract from the viewing experience. With a few

exceptions, one usually can't control the shape of the room available to use. An irregularlyshaped

room can be compensated for by creating a "theater zone" within the living space.

The key is to create a sound field that centers on the viewers' seating area.

A system sounds best when there are few or no echoes. A standing wave is created when a

sound wave's echoes reinforce themselves, amplifying a specific tone. Another nuisance is

when an item in the room starts to resonate to a specific wavelength(s) in the sound from the

speakers. This can be dealt with by adding damping items or rearranging things like moving the

couch, adding drapes and/or rugs. A hard-core audiophile can even buy damping panels and

vertical tube-shaped corner treatments to damp echoes.

The Gear

You need to match the sound to the image, so one does not overwhelm the other. Speaker

laminates, grill covers, and other cosmetic considerations should be dealt with at this time. How

much speaker wire are you going to need, and what kind? If you are going to run cables under

the rug, you need flat cables made for such use, as regular wire will not only cause ugly bulges,

but also may cause a trip and fall hazard and eventually wear through in spots and create short

circuits.

Speakers

A home theater requires at least five speakers: Front left, front right, and center (placed directly

over or under the screen), in the back, left and right rear, and in a corner, a subwoofer. This

layout is also known as a 5.1 system. Whether you use full-range speakers for your front

channels or not, the subwoofer is needed because movies have deep bass tones not normally

found in music, especially for visceral effects like explosions.

The center channel needs to go immediately above or below the TV screen, the front speakers

need to be in the front corners of the listening area at roughly the same level as the center

speaker, and the rear speakers need to be at the rear, preferably firing sideways towards the

listening area. Bass can be adjusted by moving the sub into and out of the corner it is placed in.

It doesn't matter much which corner you use, as the human ear cannot locate the source of low

frequency sound to any great degree.

Many speakers are sold in sets especially for home theater systems, but you can also pick out

your own components. This applies mostly in cases where one already has front speakers and

only wants to add to them. The important thing to remember is that a set of speakers sold

together is designed to work together, with tonal quality and crossover points that match one

another. If the speakers don't sound the same, it can cause jarring differences when audio

effects travel from speaker to speaker.

There are several types of surround sound. The most prevalent are Dolby Pro Logic (analog)

and Dolby Digital (also called AC-3.) THX Cinema is a signal enhancement developed by Lucas

Film that in addition to modifying the signal, mandates power minimums for each channel for

proper sound reproduction. Simply hooking up an add-on surround speaker system to your

basic TV/Stereo VCR/DVD can make a basic HTS.

There are many such add-on systems out there, in varying levels of sophistication.

Most add-on speaker systems intended for HTS upgrade have a built-in surround sound

decoder in the subwoofer, which saves on hookup complexity and clutter. As far as the surround

mode, most basic systems only decode Dolby Pro Logic, but that is more than enough for a

basic setup. It's always wise to spend a little more on speakers, then sort other parts later.

Give Your Children The Gift Of A Surround Sound Media Center

These moments happen most times, imagine you are seated in your in the seating room

watching your favorite game when suddenly you get interrupted by your preteen son Nichol as

he walks up with a gadget in the left hand that turns out to be the hottest and greatest version of

the children's DVD, and shoots you a look that speaks for itself. It obvious what your next plans

are. You will have to forfeit another Sunday game at the expense of your son, who will be

having an easy time in front of the Tube watching his unicorns, rainbows and fairies. It probably

may be the right time that you get your child a surround sound media centre of his own. This will

of course ensure that you watch those big sports you fancy with great peace of mind and

minimal interruption, hence happiness for every one.

If you consider it seriously, purchasing a children's home theater is indeed a great idea.

This will free your TV and give you enough time to watch anything you fancy other than the

children videos. Getting your children a sound surround gift is surely one way to endear yourself

to them because it will help them for many years to come. One advantage is that they will by no

means outgrow it and will always appreciate for being able to their videos at their chosen time.

A second home theatre gives you numerous advantages other than just having a single control

over the main TV set. This goes best if you are a family with more than one child, because the

surround sound entertainment system will teach them how to share the system by taking turns

in using the home theatre system. You also reap the added benefit of having the ability to

control the channel they view hence block channels you deem inappropriate. On the other side

you can unblock your TV and view any channels you with to view.

Another great advantage is the home theatre system for children which allows them to invite

friends over , their congregation is therefore always from the Television front. When you decide

to purchase a surround sound theatre for your children, it's good to let them know that it is their

responsibility to take good control of the system. Inform them that they won't be able to use your

system if they break down their home theaters system due to misuse. This will ensure that the

peanut butter and the home theatre system are kept separate.

If you have reservations about other peoples opinion of you giving your kids surround sound

home theater system, then you really shouldn't have second thoughts, if your closest buddies

think you are becoming more overgenerous and maybe even spoiling your kids, just ask them if

they got to watch the big game last night.

DIY Surround Sound

1. The main surround sound format is known as five-point-one. The numbers in the name refer

to the number of speakers the format can use. So five-point-one uses five discrete full-range

audio channels--three speakers at the front, which are stereo left and right, plus a centerchannel

mono and two surround sound speakers at the side or rear of the listener.

The "point-one" in five-point-one refers to the sixth, low-frequency effects channel, which carries

bass sound to the woofer or subwoofer.

2. For home theater surround, there's new refinement to five-point-one, called seven-point-one.

This format adds two more speakers, which allow for two surround speakers to be placed

behind the seating area, and the other two to the sides of the listening position.

If a DVD movie is mixed in seven-point-one surround sound, there will be seven separate

channels of audio. But since most DVDs and other content are currently mixed in five-point-one

surround, often those two extra speakers will be duplicating the same audio you'd hear with five

speakers.

After you choose between five-point-one and seven-point-one sound surround system, it's time

to buy your speakers. Here are some basic rules-of-thumb to follow when selecting the

speakers:

* The first rule is to get five (figure A) sound surround system, or seven, timbre-matched

speakers. Although timbre matching is quite technical, it simply means that each of your

speakers will produce similar sounds.

Note: You want to match the speakers all around the room so the sound is seamless. A small

center channel speaker from one manufacturer and large floor standing speakers from a

different manufacturer isn't your best bet, even though this setup is found in most homes.

* For most people with a medium-size living room or den, 12" to 15" tall bookshelf speakers

make a lot of sense. They're a convenient size that won't overwhelm a room and can be found

in almost every price range. Typically, bookshelf speakers don't bring a lot of bass, but that's

okay because the subwoofer will handle those low frequencies.

* Only if you have a dedicated home-theater space or large multi-purpose room should you

consider speakers of the large variety--38" and up (figure B). Although the best of the speakers

in this range do sound great, and can be loud, it's really overkill for most rooms.

* The subwoofer is also an important part of the overall surround-sound system. It delivers all of

the deep bass impact on DVDs--as well as music. Most mid-priced systems, though, come with

a woofer--a small driver in a small cabinet with a small amplifier. This is fine for music, but

you're not really going to hear the deep bass on DVDs. To hear them, you've got to pony up for

a real subwoofer with a bigger woofer driver, bigger amplifier and a bigger cabinet hand is on

the subwoofer), which all add up to one thing--deep, deep bass.

Go ahead and get the biggest and most powerful subwoofer your budget will allow. This bass

boost will make any size satellite speakers sound bigger and better.

* Some consumers get caught up in power ratings--or "wattage"--when buying speakers, but in

reality those numbers are just an advisory from the manufacturer. You don't have to match a

100-watt amp with speakers rated at 100 watts, but use these ratings as a guide for choosing

speakers that fall at or above your amp's wattage.

* When shopping for speakers, one of the big mistakes most people make is listening to

unfamiliar program material -- usually a demo CD or DVD the store may have on hand. Unless

you're familiar with the program material, there's no way of knowing whether a speaker system

is really to your liking. It’s recommended that you bring your own CDs or DVDs. If you listen to

familiar sounds, one speaker system is going to stand out over the other.

* Every home theater and speakers come complete with cables, but its recommends that if

you're spending serious money anyway, consider getting after-market cables. You'll see better

video, you'll hear better audio and the cables will last longer without problems. There are a lot of

inflated claims about the performance of some cables, with price tags to match. But you don't

have to pay thousands of dollars for overly-thick cables. A good rule-of-thumb is to spend about

10 to 15 percent of the cost of your overall home-entertainment system. One thing to look for--

gold-plated connectors. Unlike nickel or tin-plated connectors, gold won't corrode--and corrosion

causes distortion.

Always keep the above in mind when you decide to purchase and install a home theater

Surround Sound For Meager Budgets

Purchasing a surround sound system for your home theater on a meager budget is no

impossible event. As a matter of fact, it is easy to buy that stuff with any budget in hand these

days. The thing you might have to sort out clearly in your head is that you will get any surround

system irrespective of the budget in hand. It is just that the better ones cost more and the quality

seems to be a little better. The quality differs in the sound from these systems and if you

actually have the time to shop carefully and methodically, you will find a good surround system

for yourself even at a good low budget. It is not, as with speakers, that you need high budget for

speakers.

The very first thing when it comes to purchasing speakers is setting your priorities. If you are

decisive on your purchase of a surround sound system, keep your focus on it without any lapse

in priority. When it comes to quality or saving money with surround speakers, it is better to buy

them individually than opting for the box kits which comes along with the home theater. The only

advantage with the boxed kits is that you get it with a DVD player. One normally tends to

compromise on the speakers while buying a kit for the home theater. Not only do you save good

money by buying the speakers on loose, you also get to know the better quality ones and buy

them. Even with the DVD players or the DVR players you can get better quality when you buy

them as a stand alone system.

You will find all the components of a surround sound system including the speakers at all kind of

rates in the market. You might have to buy a complete kit of the surround systems to check

them out with the quality of the sound a movie theater could provide. These systems can be

bought at astounding prices and it will be hard to believe it to be sold at low costs. If you have

the patience in you to wait for better models, you might get luckier at the end of the day.

Have a budget well prepared before you set for shopping and most importantly keep your talks

within your budget. There can be the usual temptations to spend more money on your speakers

going beyond the budget, but try to resist your temptations. Bigger screens, a good huge

subwoofer, impeccable amplifiers are some of the things were temptations never really ceases.

The important thing when you go for shopping is that not only should you buy the best products

at a decent price but also stick to the budget already set and try not exceeding it. It can give you

so much satisfaction and also give you the room to spend more lately on quality things.

One way to stick to your already planned budget is to purchase a 5.1 surround sound system

which will have 6 speakers including a subwoofer and then upgrade it to a 7.1 speaker system.

This provides flexibility in your purchase as you will be able to improve on your speakers at any

time depending on the money flow. Though none can assure you about the budget going out of

hand while upgrading the already bought product, it is definitely a good method to purchase

speakers. So it is best to buy a good reliable system and then feed on it till you find the need for

its up-gradation.

Despite the fact that home theater sound systems are expensive, you will have enough to buy

and own a good system for yourself and enhance it whenever you find the need for it. The

golden rule is to take all the time in the world to compare prices of these systems before you

buy it, think about what you really desire and start small. By doing this you will not only feel

satisfied with your decision but also would have saved a good amount of money.

Space Saving Surround Sound Solutions

Space is something everyone would love to have enough of and use them efficiently. Some

good and lengthy space at home always induces us to occupy it with something. Surround

sound systems of a home theater, nowadays, come in such sizes and shape that it beats the old

notion of having too much space for it. The systems occupy very little space that one need not

worry about sacrificing something for it. Though satellite speakers are getting popular, the effect

and quality form floor speakers are unbeatable. The quality of such small and good speakers is

evolving in the market, eradicating the bulkier ones.

Space is something that is becoming a hot-topic in today’s world. People have started

discussing issues with space and its problem dealing with the growing technology. More the

products coming in to the market, more it reaches the people and more they are tempted to buy

them. This way the space becomes a huge a problem. Making the systems slimmer and streamlined

has become the latest resort to these companies. The technology in the wireless speakers

is being appreciated now as people know their difficulties with speakers with long and annoying

wires coming out of them. Anything that is occupying less space to them is being welcomed.

These are some of the finest technologies that are evolving in our daily market and it is very

heartening to see it happen.

The other helping and encouraging factor is the affordability of these systems. Due to the

involvement of many companies with the electronic goods, it is actually acting to the advantage

of the buyers as the prices go down heavily. If space is what is troubling you and evading your

mind from buying a home theater system or even a surround sound system, you will find your

aggravation to an end. The components in electronics are getting smaller, thanks to technology,

and so it becomes easy to accommodate everything at your place. Do not let off your movie

watching pleasure just for lack of space. You can have the best of both the worlds: space and

sound. The quality of the speakers can be fantastic if you wish to spend a little more of your

time when you are buying these speakers. Test them before you fix your eye on it as its very

important. Make sure you do not let yourself down after you have purchased it.

Apart from the fantastic space saving ability of the smaller systems coming up, you might even

find a good bargain if you wish to buy a boxed kit of a home theater or a surround system rather

than buying them individually. I always fear the boxed kits of home theater or surround systems

because of the quality of it. But now I am more aware of it and more willing to buy the box sets

as I trust the quality of them. The difference in the prices between the box sets and the

individual components is very significant to me and hence I prefer it. Anyone would love to have

good systems grabbed at a lower cost.

So does it not only save a good amount of space but also saves real money. You will feel happy

to make this deal as you know that once you had yourself cribbing about space and money

wasted on these systems. Power is smoothing you need not bother about. Quality is everything

you need to care considering the size of your room and a few other factors. Quality of the

sound should be tested with all the facilities you have and notified immediately to the dealer if

you find a problem with it. This basically sums up that these smaller sound systems are

definitely ideal for the amount of space you willing to donate.

Setting Up A Surround Sound System, Even On A Tight

Budget

Owning a home theater has lot of benefits such as entertaining yourself or your family and

guests. However, it can prove to be a major investment in your life. Even if you find yourself

amidst a tight budget you should be able to purchase a surround system of your interest.

Consider all the facilities back home when you go to purchase speakers as it can give you an

idea about what kind of speakers’ suit you and your room.

If you would like to follow this path, maybe not everyone would, you can fetch yourself a

fabulous set of surround speakers at a good price. Not many like to go for a second-hand set of

speakers, anything in electronics is such a risk for that matter. If you have a modest

salesperson to deal with, then you can think of considering this option. E-bay seems to be the

most popular source for surround speaker equipments, but again you have got to be careful.

Check out the classified ads in the newspaper and refer a few local pawnshops if you wish to.

While most of them like to buy surround systems piecewise, a few like to buy it at one go.

Buying your sound system piece after piece can be a healthy option only when your budget is

quite high. For people with lower budgets, it is better to purchase a ready-made kit of surround

speakers and fix them in your room. Even the famous Bose speakers give you this kind of a

choice.

If you are not very willing to hassle a second-sale system or buy a boxed kit of speakers, it is

very vital you think about and compare the costs with the merchants in order to get the best deal

out of it. This can be very wise when your budget is not great. However, the most important

thing to keep in mind is the quality of the products you buy.

If you have set your eyes on one particular surround sound system and might not be able to get

it due to budget limit, wait for the prices to drop down or do some overtime work in order to

make extra cash. Do not commit yourself into a buy with debts as it can be really difficult later

on to pay it back. It isn’t a good idea for surround speakers. As every new item makes its entry

in to the market, the prices of the old ones get diminished, so wait for the right time and pounce

on the offer. Think of venturing into new businesses to get extra cash from somewhere or just

wait for the prices to be slashed to see a good surround system at your place.

It can be never easy to shop on a meager budget, true, but never feel miserable about it. You

will always be able to find new deals in the market. All you need is will power and the patience.

Surround Sound Possibilities

You maybe wondering why a lot of people these days spent their hard earned dollars in the

purchase of sound surround systems, equipments, and speakers, the reasons vary to many

people, that may justify their investment in the somewhat expensive Sound Surround systems.

Though, there exists no single sound surround system size, just as with any other thing in life

that is fit for all. Your reasons for doing such an investment may not be because your neighbor

the Jerries has one big surround systems that is causing tremors in the hood and you want to

counter them. For the biggest part, the reasons are personal and specific. There are also a

couple of reasons that motivate people to invest in sound surround systems and home theaters,

and we are going to look into some of them in the course of the next paragraph. This may even

provide an impetus for you to get a sound surround system of your own.

Let me give you my own and very personal reasons first. While I was growing up my dad held a

managerial job with a local cinema. That was a great opportunity for me and a privilege too,

because I spent uncountable nights in the office watching movies from the cinemas projector

room, this happens to be some of my most cherished childhood memories. I will live to

remember the one rare opportunity I had to watch the movie " Return of the Jedi" just the night

prior to it's public release in the projector room in the company of my dad and a few theater

staff, but that was nothing in comparison to watching the movies in the auditorium. But what

made the great difference here? Believe me it was the sound. Nothing much can be said about

the sound quality inside the movie theater. And in the days gone by it simply wasn't reproducible

at home. But due to fast technology growth over the last ten years, all that was a preserve of the

ancient movie theaters is now available in our own homes and the price is quite reasonable.

That is a reason sufficient for me to reminisce about my most cherished childhood memories.

Another good reason for equipping your home with a sound surround system is not just about

movie watching or the fun of large on-screen video game enjoyment. Whether you are gaming

in the world of aliens or the other many amazing virtual worlds created specifically for on-line

gaming fun, you will find sound surround as a valuable tool in keeping your character active and

intact. These on-line games provide hints that place you in the centre of action with full

knowledge of what’s taking place within your vicinity if you heed the audible tips and hints that

come together with the sound surround systems.

If you find the above reasons insufficient to wear down your guard and convince you to make a

visit over to the fantastic side of the entertainment chamber, then undoubtedly, the enrichment

that sound surround gives to music will give you the motivation. Think about how good your

music might sound in an enriched environment of sound surround, sound with tone

wholesomely defined and smooth sounding to the ear. So much can be said about the

difference that sound surround makes to music (best with some kinds of music than others) and

never sufficient yet. If you love live recordings, try to imagine the ability to be part of a crowd as

the tone of sounds of your presence fills the room. It's a wonderful effect to music.

There are many reasons to get the wonders of sound surround working in your home. It's my

hope that this piece of writing will help shed some light on the many ways that could enrich your

multimedia enjoyment and also give you some tips for enlarging your present use of sound

surround system. thanks for reading.

Saving Money On Your Surround Sound System

It's common knowledge that when you make a trip to the local electronics shop to purchase

some sort of gadget or any electronic equipment be it a PDA, notebook pc, or sound surround

it's most likely out-of-date as you get it off the shelf. Don't be surprised to find out later that

something hottest and sophisticated has already been developed to replace it. If you belong to

the rare species of people that can live merrily without fussing over electronic gadgetry, then I

bet, you must be saving a lot of cash with your frugal lifestyle. To the shoppers of sound

surround system, the most challenging part they face is of having to choose which surround

system among the many displayed is ideal for them and their budget.

To simplify your search and save your head from a possible migraine that may strikes when you

are stuck in the terrible valley of decision -AND mostly does, leave the house equipped with a

couple of CDs when you go shopping for a surround system in your local electronics store. Most

hyper marts and other stores of electronic goods usually have a dedicated place for display of

sound surround system., this are purposely set up for you to try them. Insert your CDs in one of

them and let it prove itself worth of your cash, do this in a number of them while noting your

favorites. When the mission is over, you will be able to figure out the surround system for

yourself and BELIEVE ME - you won't regret your decision. I know visiting the electronics store

can be REAL fun.

Trying out these surround systems in the store prior to purchase will offer you the best

opportunity to decide on what elements and features you want in a surround sound system. You

must have discovered from experience that the more a system is loaded with features, the

higher the price it commands, so, you can save plenty of dollars by deciding what features you

need and what you can do without. Don't pay more for a system just because it's loaded with

features, some of which may be for aesthetic purposes than functionality. Be a smart shopper.

Noting down what features you want in a sound surround system, and also the systems you

like, and then conducting comparison shopping will land you in a system that will both please

you and also leave you with some spare change in your wallet. If you are connected to the

internet, then that could be the fastest and easiest way to do it. You can try virtual window

shopping in sites of well recognized electronic dealers on the wide world web, like Best Buy,

Radio Shack or Circuit City and many more and do price comparison. It very possible to find an

on-line reseller willing to give you much better price, just remember to do a background check of

their reputation first. The safest way to do on-line shopping is by using pay pal, since you don't

have to be worried of someone hacking into your bank account. Pay pal also makes it easy to

dispute a charge, incase you are scammed.

Don't just settle for the most expensive sound surround system that the market can offer, what

truly matters in a system that you choose to buy is that is pleases you regardless of what

someone else has. They latest technology hype isn't always a reliable yard stick in measuring

quality of a system. latest techie can be loaded with bugs remember and could leave you very

unhappy and a substantial amount of dollars down the drain, so be cautious always and do your