What to Look For In Home Theater Speakers
Home theater systems are some of the most popular consumer electronic items
today. Their popularity has been boosted by the large number of manufacturers
who are placing home theater systems on the market today. There is a great range
in prices for these systems and as with all audio equipment, the price often
reflects the quality of the sound. Some of the most important components of a
home theater system are the speakers. Quality home theater speakers can greatly
increase the enjoyment to get from your theater system.
Most home theater speakers are sold in sets of six speakers for 5.1 surround
sound home theater systems. There are two front speakers, two surround speakers,
one center speaker and one subwoofer. The subwoofer is for reproducing
low-frequency sounds and can be placed in an unobtrusive spot, but the other
speakers should be strategically placed around the listening area.
The front speakers are a stereo pair and should be placed on the right and left
of the listening area. They are used for reproducing the musical score and many
sound effects. The front speakers can be floor standing speakers or bookshelf
speakers, with floor standing models being the most common when you buy a set of
home theater speakers. They have an advantage over bookshelf speakers in that
they produce more bass.
The center channel speaker is used for reproducing about 50% of the sound from a
typical DVD movie. It will handle most of the spoken dialog as well as
reinforcing the sound from the front speakers. The center speaker needs to be
acoustically matched to your front speakers to provide a seamless sound field
when listening to your home theater speakers. The center channel speaker
typically is located on or above the TV set.
The surround speakers are placed to the rear of the listening area and work in
conjunction with the front speakers to create depth in the listening field. They
are used to reproduce ambient sounds as well as directional effects which can
make you feel as though you are in the center of the action. Home theater
speakers usually only have two surround speakers, but newer 7.1 systems utilize
two pairs of surround speakers.
A subwoofer is crucial for reproducing those deep, gut wrenching low-frequency
sounds. It is especially necessary when using bookshelf speakers for your front
stereo pair, as they generally don't have a good bass response. A subwoofer
rounds of your collection of home theater speakers to accurately reproduce the
entire frequency range to get the most from your home theater experience.
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