Home Theater Design: Speaker Styles
One glance through any online manufacturer or distributor of home speaker equipment, or a walk through a store that stocks a large variety of speakers, can cause a potential buyer to procrastinate a purchase. With over 500 models under various brand and model names, many consumers rely on salesclerks to lead them in the right direction, or opt for whatever is on sale. Although they may find that their purchase meets their needs, they never know whether they bought the very best speakers for their money, and the ones that sounded best to their ears. Not only that, they may have nothing with which to compare the sounds of music and movies in their particular home theater area. That’s why it’s a good idea to educate one’s self before making a choice, including listening to personal CD’s on several speakers, and to return speakers that don’t sound as good at home as in the store.
A home theater system requires front, left and right speakers, a center-channel speaker, a pair of surrounds, and a subwoofer. If a consumer purchases a home theater speaker system by itself, they will then need to add the television, DVD player, and receiver or amplifier with six channels of amplification. A home owner may mix-and-match components-although this option usually requires professional expertise to assure compatibility. He or she can also buy a complete system, keeping in mind that most of current music is two-channel, or stereo, and as such, may not be reproduced as well on the front, left and right speakers of a home theater system as they may be on individual stereo speakers.
When designing a home theater system, customers need to determine their listening requirements and preferences, along with the room’s practical limitations. In determining how to select and set up a home theater speaker configuration, logistics such as electrical outlet availability, overall room size, and useable room space need to be taken into consideration. (For example, when listening to movies or music with low frequency sounds, subwoofers are responsible for handling the bass that speakers can’t, so separate subwoofers are usually placed on the floor in the corner of a room, and their built-in amplifier requires electrical outlet proximity and availability.)
Home theater speakers are available in many sizes, but should be appropriate to the room size. Placing large speakers in a small space will require turning their volume down, which can distort the audio, and small ones in a large space may produce a tinny or thin sound. Plus, if a shopper plans to listen to as much music as movies, large speakers around the area, or at least in the front, will work better than all smaller ones. But, for a person who plans on using their speakers just for movies, a set of small speakers is probably adequate. Surprisingly, speakers of similar size may also have great difference in their output, reproduce different levels of sound unequally, or offer varying quality in connection with both movies and music. This is where comparison shopping is necessary.
Even though stereo speaker engineering has not changed during the last few decades, today’s precision engineering and their look have brought them more up-to-date and noticeable. When it comes to style and shape, the choices of home theater speakers are numerous:
Floor-Standing speakers, or In-room speakers, are the largest home theater speakers available. They can be shifted around the theater area or be moved to another home. The other advantage is that their tuning is usually maximized, providing what many believe to be the best listening enjoyment.
Bookshelf speakers stand independently, just like floor standing speakers, but are smaller, hence their name. Their size does not necessarily limit their power when used with an appropriate subwoofer.
In-Wall speakers obviously require no floor space, and can disappear if matching the walls. Their quality is usually very good, but they need professional installation and wiring, so most people don’t attempt to remove them if they relocate.
On-Wall speakers are often recommended for use with a flat-panel television, and provide exceptional sound as well as a pleasing aesthetic component.
In-Ceiling speakers are the same, but installed overhead. Their use is for locations where a surround-sound effect is desired, but there is limited wall space behind the viewers. They, too, require professional installation and are not easy to remove and transport to another location.
Speakers are available in many encasements, such as natural or laminated wood, metal (usually aluminum finishes) and occasionally plastic, but often preferences may be limited by model type. There are many prices as well, so a shopper has many decisions to make when it comes to home theater speakers.
~ Ben Anton, 2008
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