Home Theater Solutions, Now!

. 

 So, you just went out and bought the biggest plasma or LCD you could fit into your living room, huh? That was the easy part. Now you need some high quality speakers to go with that beautiful high definition picture. While it isn’t difficult to find a complete home theater in a box (HTIB) in just about any store that sells electronics, it can be quite a hunt to find affordable speaker systems that are truly worthy of the title ”home theater”.

  When I think of the term “home theater”, I tend to think of a speaker system that will bring my favorite films to life. I expect to feel my heart racing during those intense battle scenes or those high speed car chases. I want to feel the bass rumble with great force, not only to be heard, but to be felt. I like to get caught up in a movie like I do when I go out to the actual movie theater. However, I would much rather watch a blu-ray in the comfort of my own home than to sit in some smelly movie theater!

  In this article, I will give you some advice to choosing the right set of speakers that will provide you with high quality sound for many years to come. Although I don’t claim to be some audio “guru”, I have listened to many different loudspeakers of various designs, driven by some very high end gear. Some of the speakers and components I have listened cost more than my house!

  While many of these exotic, luxury speakers can produce exceptional sound, most folks don’t have the desire to spend that much money on a sound system. I can certainly understand because I don’t either! The best part is you don’t have to. If you are reading this post, you are already off to a good start.

..

 Don’t waste your money on ”throw away” speaker systems!  

.

  Before you start reading any of my reviews, I want you to know that I don’t waste my time reviewing “throw away” speakers. You know the kind… the ones that can usually be found sitting on the end-cap of your favorite store’s electronics department, claiming to output 1000 watts or more. You might get lucky and find one of these “HTIB” (home theater in a box) systems that doesn’t get unbearably distorted when you crank the volume knob 1/2 way up and put 5 watts to each channel, but the odds are against you, my friend. You should never go by the claimed wattage ouput of such speakers. Most of these manufacturers are remedial in the way they rate power output, but that’s another 3000 word article in itself. 

 If you must go with an all-in-one package, this 7.1 HTIB system does a decent job for small to medium sized rooms. I’m usually against buying a HTIB system, but I had to make an exception for this system. Onkyo is a reputable manufacturer of quality audio components. They are particularly known for their A/V recievers. They are loaded with features and they are very reliable. In my opinion, they offer the best bang for your buck.

  Generally speaking, if the speakers are made by manufacturers that make everything from flat panels to toasters, it’s a good chance that they are made of poor quality components, consisting of  inferior drivers and crossovers. This helps to keep material cost low, therefore adding to their profits.

  These companies that have already established themselves (in name), don’t really have to work all that hard to create a product that will sell. People will buy their products just because they are familiar with the name. You know I’m right! We’ve all fallen for these brands at some point in time. While some of these manufacturers make an excellent plasma or a blu-ray player, they just don’t put the same quality into thier audio equipment.

   Manufacturers that specialize in nothing but audio equipment, will typically offer a much higher quality product. These companies have many years of acoustical research and design behind them. You stand a much better chance of finding the right set of speakers when you stick with those that know audio best. Don’t waste your hard earned money on garbage!

…

There’s just so many speakers out there, where do I start? 

  It can be quite overwhelming with all the different makes and models of speakers that are available today. There are literally thousands of different speakers. This can make deciding on a particular set of speakers quite difficult. Trust me, I know. I’ve been there and done that and learned quite a bit along the way. I try to help others avoid making the same mistakes that I did, whenever possible.

  For those willing to spend over $1000 on a set of speakers alone, the best advice I can give you is to go audition some different speakers at your local audio dealer. You will be surprised at how each speaker will differ (soundwise) from one another. It’s always best to let your own ears decide what sounds good. 

  If you are fortunate enough to have a local dealer that carries a certain speaker line that you are interested in, be sure to bring your favorite tunes with you. This way you’ll have a reference. It’s much easier when you know a song by heart, to determine if a speaker reproduces the music the way you want it to. The truth is, the right speaker will actually choose you, not the other way around.

  With that being said, I understand that it can be difficult to find a dealer that has a big selection to choose from. Some may only carry 4 or 5 different brands, with only a few different models/series of each. If you must make a blind purchase, check the return policy of the store you deal with whether it be online or elsewhere. Make sure that you can return them if you’re not satisfied with the way they sound in your home.

  Same goes for the local dealers. Many audio dealers will allow you to do an in-home demo before you purchase. Even though you may like the way a speaker sounds in the demo room, it may sound completely different in your home. Your equipment (receiver/amp) and room acoustics will have a big impact on the overall sound of your speakers.

.

Before you decide on any kind of audio system, you should first…

.

.

* Determine how big your area is.

  This will dictate what size speakers you will need, along with how much power output the speakers will need to achieve to fill your listening area with sound. Floorstanding speakers with multiple 6-8″ drivers can move quite a bit of air, creating enough sound to fill larger sized rooms. Small speakers like satellites just can’t fill a large room with full-range sound. However, they do serve well enough in thier own element… small rooms (10′ X 10′ or less). Makes sense, huh?

* Decide what your primary use will be (home theater, music or a little of both)

   In many cases, bookshelf or monitor speakers make an excellent choice, as they can serve well for both music and home theater and still be able to provide enough sound to satisfy medium to larger sized rooms. Often times a high quality set of bookshelves will sound as good as some floorstanding speakers when given enough power and paired with a solid subwoofer. 

  Floorstanding speakers are becoming more and more popular in home theater applications, though they aren’t always needed. After all, you will probably still need to purchase a subwoofer to handle those low frequencies. Being as 80Hz is the typical crossover point to the subwoofer in most home theater set-ups, you don’t really need a set of towers that can extend down to 40Hz. That is, unless you just like the look of a pair of large towers sitting in your living room. I can’t say I blame people for doing this. Some of those floorstanders are down-right gorgeous with thier unique wood veneer finishes. If you listen to alot of music and you have a decent size room, you should definately consider some floorstanding loudspeakers.

* Determine how much power you will need to drive your speakers

  There’s no need to get carried away with speakers until you know how much power you will need to supply them with. Speakers that run a “nominal” 4 Ohms will need plenty of power to drive them properly. In most cases, you will need a seperate amplifier to run such demanding speakers. This can get quite expensive. 6 Ohm and 8 Ohm rated speakers are more common with speakers that were designed for home theater and can be driven by a mid-level A/V receiver just fine. Small speakers, such as satellites, can usually be driven by entry level AVRs.

* Decide how many channels you want/need  (3.1, 5.1, 7.1 etc.)

  The “.1″ you often see is referred to as the LFE channel or subwoofer. The subwoofer handles the lower frequencies and take the strain off your L+R main speakers. The subwoofer will also fill the frequency void of smaller speakers that simply can’t handle those lower frequencies below 100Hz. Many speakers of today will usually offer a timbre matched subwoofer to go with their series. You can pretty much use any quality subwoofer. You don’t have to use the same same subwoofer in the series, or the same manufacturer brand for that matter. Any quality sub should do fine. 

  Also, in order to take advantage of today’s latest codecs (Dolby Digital True HD, DTS Master-HD, etc.), you will need at least a 5.1 speaker system setup with rear channels. In many rooms, a 5.1 will do just fine. Depending on the speakers, some 5.1 configurations will perform as well as a 7.1 setup. The size of your room and the actual quality and output of the speakers will all play into this. If you have several feet of space behind your sofa, you may want to consider a 7.1 setup.

  Remember, you can always start with a nice front end or a 3.1 and build it up as funds are available. Your front three speakers handle 90% of your sound when watching TV. These are your work horses and the most important speakers in a home theater config. You should never mix and match your front speakers. They should always be timbre matched and have the same tonality. Always stick with the same series for your fronts. The rear channels aren’t as demanding in this aspect, and is where many people will cut corners to save money. I see no problem doing this as long as they sound somewhat similiar to your fronts.

. There are other things to consider other than the things I posted above. If you have children or pets, they can easily knock over a set of floorstanding speakers or bookshelves that sit on speaker stands. In these cases, you may want to consider on-wall bookshelves (front ported) or in-wall speakers. If you don’t have a large room, you could even seek out some wall mountable satellite speakers.

..

Hi Fi Surround Sound

.

  Ever thought about using  Hi Fi speakers for your home theater? High Fidelity loudspeakers are the only choice for those that demand high quality sound. I believe any speaker that can play music with a certain degree of accuracy without too much coloration or dynamic compression, will do equally well in home theater applications. People seem to forget how much music is played in movies and television and will often times overlook buying a nice set of musical loudspeakers for their home theater room.

   I have found that with a $1500 budget, you can get a an entire 5.1 channel speaker set-up that will rival speakers costing much more. Of course, you will need to know what kind of speaker suits your particular taste before spending that kind of dough. Many of the systems I will review will cost much less than this, but it seems $1500 is the magic number when it comes to entering the world of high quality sound. It’s not hard spending this much on a pair of floorstanding speakers alone, if you are serious about your music.

What’s your flavor?

.

  When looking for speakers based on how well they reproduce music, you should at least know what you’re taste are. We all like what we like, whether or not it is “accurate”.  Everyone has their on idea of what they think a speaker should sound like. Heck, even manufacturers are in disagreement with what they think makes for an accurate speaker. The truth is, no speaker is 100% accurate, nor would everyone even like an accurate speaker.

  Some folks prefer a ’bright’ and lively set of speakers, whereas some people like a ‘warmer’ sounding speaker and others prefer a balanced speaker that is linear or neutral across the frequency range. Of course, it’s not that black and white. Other variables will come into play that determine how we perceive the sound of a loudspeaker. Generally speaking, many of us fall into one of these three categories.

  In theory, a neutral speaker is one that is “tonally correct”. With speakers that are fairly neutral or linear, you will notice the separation of instruments is well defined. The bass just doesn’t rumble and overpower the other instruments. Kick drums sound like kick drums. You don’t hear the bass guitar washing away the rhythm guitars or the chorus overpowering the lead vocals. Instruments are balanced, but nothing is over-pronounced.

  The idea of an accurate speaker is to have dynamics, detail, superb imaging and sufficient bass… all without having too much coloration. This is where most speakers will fall short.  Every speaker will color the sound to varying degrees, some more than others. This is all in the design of the cabinets themselves and crossover selection and it’s settings.

  Many people actually prefer that extra coloration. I’ve even heard some people confuse this with being more ‘musical’… whatever that means. Some coloration is to be expected, but to call this ‘musical’ just seems a bit silly to me. If anything, the details and layering of instruments are somewhat compromised.

  Some people don’t care for a linear or neutral sounding speaker because it doesn’t jump out at them like the more “forward” sounding loudspeakers. They may appear to be reserved or too ”polite” for their tastes. It’s similiar to the way people react their first time seeing a professionally calibrated plasma. Their initial thought is that it looks kind of dull and washed out. Many, if not most people, like a little pop to their picture as well as a little pop to their music and this is where that subjectivity comes into play. 

.

The Tweeter

.

   There are some of you that may prefer a “ brighter” set of speakers. Many speakers tend to have a brightness to them, especially after putting some power to them. The tweeter plays a big role in this. There are several types of tweeter designs that are common such as dome, ribbon, horn, electrostatic, cone, air motion, piezo, etc.

  Dome tweeters are pretty common, many manufactures will opt to use this design. They can be made of various metals and fabrics. Naturally, the metal domes will have a bit brighter sound to them than a silk dome tweeter. Metal domes tend to display more detail but can often seem a bit harsh at higher listening levels. Some domes are even ferro-fluid filled.

  Horn tweeters are very detailed and sensitive. They are very bright and lively and can play at higher volumes with very little distortion. Many speakers that utilize horn tweeters have a tendancy to be really efficient, requiring less power to really open them up. However, these tweeters can come off as harsh to those with sensitive hearing… even causing  what is referred to as “listener’s fatigue” in some cases.

  Ribbon tweeters tend to be very smooth and “airy” in presence. These tweeters are often found in higher quality loudspeakers and can provide some of the best highs of any design. There are some other designs like air circulating, ring radiator and electrostatic that can match their performance, but again, these are often found in speakers geared more towards the seasoned enthusiast and can be quite expensive themselves.

  There are more designs than what I listed, but you get the point. Your tweeter is going to dictate how your speakers handle the high frequency ranges and plays an important role in the overall sound of your speakers.

..

Different Designs

.

  Some speaker use different configurations to handle the way the frequency bands are dispersed. The crossovers will seperate the different frequencies to each of the driver(s). Some designs are 2 way, 2.5 way or 3 way. A 2 way design will use a tweeter to handle the higher frequencies while the woofer will handle the mid to low range. A 2.5 way speaker will often times use the tweeter for the highs, a midrange driver for mids and a woofer to handle the lower frequencies. A 3 way speaker commonly uses two bass drivers to handle bass, a midrange driver and then the tweeter.  These are your basic configurations. There are even 4 way speakers too, though they are commonly used in car audio and you probably won’t see many in home audio speaker designs. These speakers will use what is referred to as a super tweeter. One might consider a two stage ribbon tweeter design a 4 way, as long as  they use dedicated midrange driver along with a woofer or two for the low frequencies. 

.

 The Subwoofer

.

  A capable subwoofer will be needed to handle your low frequency range, say anything lower than 60-80Hz… depending on your speakers’s capabilities, of course. Many floorstanding speakers and bookshelves alike, can extend as low as 40-50Hz (or even lower) which is more than enough if you are only using them for music only. You’ll want deeper bass with greater extension in home theater applications.

 Choosing the a subwoofer should be based on how much earth shaking power you want. Some folks will use up to four subwoofers in a home theater setup! Many of us can get by just fine with one. 8-10″ subs are good for small to medium sized rooms, though there are some exceptions to the rule as not all of them are created equal. A high quality 12″ sub will usually produce enough bass to satisfy the average movie buff in a larger room. I would look for a sub that can reach down to 20Hz, that is, if you want to hear everything that was intended to be heard by the film makers. At the very least a sub that can go as low as 40Hz is recommended. Remember, some floorstanding speakers can reach as low as 30Hz themselves, so you will need to decide how much bass extension you want in your home theater.

  Satellite speakers and smaller sized speakers that are usually found in HTIB sets can barely handle frequencies below 100Hz, thus is why most have a tendancy to sound  bright or “tinny”. They depend on the subwoofer to handle all the work below 100-150 Hz. If your room is really small, these types of speakers may be your only option. Not all satellite speakers are created equal as well, mind you. Some will do a fine job at filling a small room with sound. The problem is, these higher quality satellites tend to be costly, often costing as much or even more than a nice set of bookshelves.

.

 Summary

.

Well, I hope that was too much info to process. Haha. It is a little more to picking a quality set of speakers than reading a few reviews here and there. Most of them are biased to the products they promote. Though I will promote quite a few speakers, I try to remain unbiased and will give an honest review of each one. Remember, no speaker is perfect. Some just sound better to our ears than others.

A quality set of speakers will literally last you a lifetime as long as you take care of them. They won’t become obsolete next year like your video components and A/V receivers. Speakers should be where you invest the majority of your funds. I wish you luck on your quest to finding the right set of speakers. Remember, it should be a fun experience, not a frustrating one. So what are you waiting for? Go find yourself some nice speakers!

.