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Home Theater Programming Sources
Off-Air TV
| Home Theater Speaker Basics |
Speakers -
Speakers are obviously one of the most important parts of your home theater. There are
many things to consider: what type of speakers, where should they be placed, how should
they be connected, etc. Here you will find answers to most basic home theater speaker
questions.
Choosing speakers for your home theater -
Home theater systems attempt to replicate a true cinema experience in your home. To do
this they must create a sonic environment similar to a good motion picture theater. Modern
motion pictures are recorded using digital sound tracks in one or more of three digital
surround sound formats: Dolby Digital, DTS Digital, or SDDS. Only two of these, Dolby
Digital and DTS Digital, have a home counterpart. SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) is
only used in commercial installations. These digital surround sound formats can create a
difficult environment for speakers.
You will have a mediocre theater experience at best if you have an inadequate theater
speaker system. There are several things to consider when choosing and placing
speakers in home theater applications.
Home Theater Speaker Placement
Correct speaker placement is vital to recreate the motion picture's soundtrack the way the
director and sound designer intended. With modern digital surround sound systems you
will typically have one of three configurations; 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1. What does this mean? The
first number refers to the number of full range (20Hz - 20KHz) channels. The ".1" indicates
the low frequency effects, or LFE channel. This is put into the sound track to add extra
bass for effect and realism. It also helps the main speakers play more cleanly by not
asking them to reproduce so much bass.
Where you place the screen will dictate where you place your theater speakers. You can
use either corner placement for the screen, such as is common in many mixed use or
family rooms. You can also place the screen on one of the side walls. Any of these
placement options can be made to function effectively if the speakers are laid out
correctly. The things to remember are symmetry and the proper relationship of the
speakers to the listening position(s).
With any of the home theater speaker configurations, you will have three main speakers in
the front of the room. These are the left, center and right (LCR) speakers. They are
responsible for reproducing the main elements of the soundtrack such as the majority of
the music, dialogue and effects. You will have usually two, three or four surround
speakers. And last, but certainly not least, one or more subwoofers. To get even low
frequency response throughout the room, the latest research dictates the use of at least
two subwoofers. This has been proven in many recent home theater installations as well.
More on subwoofers and subwoofer placement in a minute.
Circular Speaker Placement in a Home Theater
Some experts recommend that your home theater speakers be placed in circular pattern,
equidistant from the main listening position. That's fine, if only one person will be enjoying
your theater at any one time. If you're like most people, you like to spend time with family
and friends in your home theater. You can get away with optimizing the speaker placement
for good sound in the entire room. In any case, there about as many experts that
recommend placing the front speakers in a line across the front wall with the surrounds
mounted on the side and rear walls instead of placing the speakers in a circle.
Speakers are obviously one of the most important parts of your home theater. There are
many things to consider: what type of speakers, where should they be placed, how should
they be connected, etc. Here you will find answers to most basic home theater speaker
questions.
Choosing speakers for your home theater -
Home theater systems attempt to replicate a true cinema experience in your home. To do
this they must create a sonic environment similar to a good motion picture theater. Modern
motion pictures are recorded using digital sound tracks in one or more of three digital
surround sound formats: Dolby Digital, DTS Digital, or SDDS. Only two of these, Dolby
Digital and DTS Digital, have a home counterpart. SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) is
only used in commercial installations. These digital surround sound formats can create a
difficult environment for speakers.
You will have a mediocre theater experience at best if you have an inadequate theater
speaker system. There are several things to consider when choosing and placing
speakers in home theater applications.
- The ability of the speaker to accurately reproduce all elements of the soundtrack.
- The ability of the speaker to play loud enough to create the desired sound pressure
level (SPL) in the theater. This is dictated by the speakers capabilities and the size
and acoustics of the room. Larger rooms will obviously require speakers with
greater output capabilities, especially in the bass region. - The size and appearance of the speaker. Will it integrate with the room's
aesthetics? Do you care about such things? Will your significant other allow you to
put them where they need to be for proper imaging? It's no use to finally get
approval to buy that beautiful set of tower speakers only to have your wife (sorry for
the stereotyping) say "There's no way you're putting those things right there!" - Do the speakers fit into your budget. To maintain balance, and the best
performance in your home theater, all components should be matched to a certain
level of performance. You should not have a component in the chain that has
significantly better or worse performance than any other. There's no sense in
buying a set of $14,000.00 Thiel CS-7.2 towers and running them with your Denon
AVR-1506 that you picked up for $349.00.
Home Theater Speaker Placement
Correct speaker placement is vital to recreate the motion picture's soundtrack the way the
director and sound designer intended. With modern digital surround sound systems you
will typically have one of three configurations; 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1. What does this mean? The
first number refers to the number of full range (20Hz - 20KHz) channels. The ".1" indicates
the low frequency effects, or LFE channel. This is put into the sound track to add extra
bass for effect and realism. It also helps the main speakers play more cleanly by not
asking them to reproduce so much bass.
Where you place the screen will dictate where you place your theater speakers. You can
use either corner placement for the screen, such as is common in many mixed use or
family rooms. You can also place the screen on one of the side walls. Any of these
placement options can be made to function effectively if the speakers are laid out
correctly. The things to remember are symmetry and the proper relationship of the
speakers to the listening position(s).
With any of the home theater speaker configurations, you will have three main speakers in
the front of the room. These are the left, center and right (LCR) speakers. They are
responsible for reproducing the main elements of the soundtrack such as the majority of
the music, dialogue and effects. You will have usually two, three or four surround
speakers. And last, but certainly not least, one or more subwoofers. To get even low
frequency response throughout the room, the latest research dictates the use of at least
two subwoofers. This has been proven in many recent home theater installations as well.
More on subwoofers and subwoofer placement in a minute.
Circular Speaker Placement in a Home Theater
Some experts recommend that your home theater speakers be placed in circular pattern,
equidistant from the main listening position. That's fine, if only one person will be enjoying
your theater at any one time. If you're like most people, you like to spend time with family
and friends in your home theater. You can get away with optimizing the speaker placement
for good sound in the entire room. In any case, there about as many experts that
recommend placing the front speakers in a line across the front wall with the surrounds
mounted on the side and rear walls instead of placing the speakers in a circle.
Center Channel Speaker
To preserve correct localization the center channel speaker should be placed directly
behind the center of the screen. This requires the use of an acoustically transparent
screen in front projection applications and is obviously impossible with any type of direct
view or rear projection display device. The only other acceptable choice for center
channel speaker placement is directly above or below the center of the screen. It is vital
the center channel speaker be centered on the screen! The center channel speaker is
the single most important speaker in a home theater speaker system and is responsible
for reproducing about 60 - 70 % of the soundtrack.
It's placement insures that dialogue and other effects that are supposed to come from the
screen actually do so no matter where in the room the listener is seated. The use of an
LCR speaker configuration came from research done at Bell Labs in the 1920's and 30s.
A fine and accurate sound stage can actually be created with only two speakers, as in a
stereo situation, however it is only good for one seating position; the one directly between
both speakers. If the listener is not in the center, but seated to one side or the other, the
closer speaker will predominate and the sound stage will collapse. This would not be a
very good solution for most theaters, home or commercial.
It is imperative that the three front speakers be either identical (optimum) or as sonically
matched as possible. Use speakers made by the same manufacturer and designed to
work together in a home theater application. Correct speaker selection in this regard will
allow lateral sound pans to maintain sonic consistency; the sound will not change in pitch
or tonal quality as the sound pans back and forth across the screen.
An in-wall center channel speaker can be used with free standing left and right speakers
only if the manufacture designed them to be used in this way. When a speaker is placed
into a wall, the lower frequencies are reinforced. This must be compensated for or there
will be a definite difference in frequency response between the three speakers.
Hey! On a Low Budget? Take a look at these great,
Left and Right Speakers
The left and right speaker are the speakers that actually allow the sound to pan across
the screen. They also create a sense of width to the sound track and allow sound track
elements to be placed off the screen to on side or the other. They give the sound track its
sense of breadth. In many motion picture sound tracks, they are responsible for
reproducing much of the music. As noted previously, they should be matched to the
center channel. They can be full range tower speakers or smaller "bookshelf" style
speakers. Either way, they must be designed by the manufacturer to work together as
LCR speakers or be completely identical.
The LCR speakers should ideally be on the same horizontal plane. If that is impossible,
try to minimize vertical separation. In many cases, this is unavoidable. If this is the case,
try to limit vertical separation to 24" or less. With regard to horizontal separation, it is
usually advantageous to resist the temptation to spread the left and right speakers out as
far as possible. Spreading the speakers too far from the edges of the screen will result in
some sound track elements being off the screen and poor correlation with on screen
events.
NOTE: It's common to put the front speakers in bookshelves or cabinets. This is very
detrimental to the sound. The speakers weren't designed for this placement, even if they
are called "bookshelf speakers". Placing the speakers created by a bookshelf or cabinet
will make the speakers sound boomy and also destroy intelligibility. To test how this will
alter the sound, cup your hands around your mouth when you speak and listen to the
tonal difference. If you must use bookshelf speaker placement, conceal the speakers
behind acoustically transparent cloth grills and stuff the cavity with Dacron Holofil or
insulation.
Surround Speakers
Surround speakers reproduce the ambient effects that lend so much realism to modern
motion picture sound tracks. This extends well beyond that staple of surround sound
action, the jet flyover from back to front. These sometimes subtle sound track elements
include all types of different sounds to set the mood and create an environment. Some
examples of these are: background noises in a forest or jungle, crowd noises at a
sporting event, the sound of other patrons and the kitchen in a restaurant. These are just
some examples of the way the surround channels are used by directors and sound
designers to create ambiance.
Surround Speaker Placement
With a 5.1 channel system, surround speakers should usually be placed immediately
adjacent to the primary seating location. This can vary somewhat depending upon
environmental, aesthetic, and architectural concerns. When using a 6.1 or 7.1 system,
these side placed speakers are supplemented by a rear channel speaker or speakers.
The rear channel speakers should be placed directly behind the listener. If using two rear
channel speakers, separate them by 4' - 8' depending upon the dimensions of the room
and the speaker's distance from the listener. The purpose of the rear channel speakers is
to allow sounds to be placed directly behind the listener. With a traditional 5.1 channel
surround sound speaker system, this is accomplished by putting the same sound, with
equal amplitude, in both surround speakers. This is fine if the listener is equidistant from
the two speakers. If not, as is the case most of the time, the illusion collapses and the
closer speaker dominates.
How High Should You Place Your Surround Speakers?
If the main purpose of you home theater is for movies, you should place the surround
speakers about 2' above the listener's head. They can, however, be placed anywhere
from 2' above the head all the way to the ceiling. If your theater is used more for music
and music videos, you should heave them lower so they are closer to ear level. The
upshot of all this is that, for most home theater rooms, you should place the surround
speakers about half way between the listeners ear and the ceiling.
To preserve correct localization the center channel speaker should be placed directly
behind the center of the screen. This requires the use of an acoustically transparent
screen in front projection applications and is obviously impossible with any type of direct
view or rear projection display device. The only other acceptable choice for center
channel speaker placement is directly above or below the center of the screen. It is vital
the center channel speaker be centered on the screen! The center channel speaker is
the single most important speaker in a home theater speaker system and is responsible
for reproducing about 60 - 70 % of the soundtrack.
It's placement insures that dialogue and other effects that are supposed to come from the
screen actually do so no matter where in the room the listener is seated. The use of an
LCR speaker configuration came from research done at Bell Labs in the 1920's and 30s.
A fine and accurate sound stage can actually be created with only two speakers, as in a
stereo situation, however it is only good for one seating position; the one directly between
both speakers. If the listener is not in the center, but seated to one side or the other, the
closer speaker will predominate and the sound stage will collapse. This would not be a
very good solution for most theaters, home or commercial.
It is imperative that the three front speakers be either identical (optimum) or as sonically
matched as possible. Use speakers made by the same manufacturer and designed to
work together in a home theater application. Correct speaker selection in this regard will
allow lateral sound pans to maintain sonic consistency; the sound will not change in pitch
or tonal quality as the sound pans back and forth across the screen.
An in-wall center channel speaker can be used with free standing left and right speakers
only if the manufacture designed them to be used in this way. When a speaker is placed
into a wall, the lower frequencies are reinforced. This must be compensated for or there
will be a definite difference in frequency response between the three speakers.
Hey! On a Low Budget? Take a look at these great,
Left and Right Speakers
The left and right speaker are the speakers that actually allow the sound to pan across
the screen. They also create a sense of width to the sound track and allow sound track
elements to be placed off the screen to on side or the other. They give the sound track its
sense of breadth. In many motion picture sound tracks, they are responsible for
reproducing much of the music. As noted previously, they should be matched to the
center channel. They can be full range tower speakers or smaller "bookshelf" style
speakers. Either way, they must be designed by the manufacturer to work together as
LCR speakers or be completely identical.
The LCR speakers should ideally be on the same horizontal plane. If that is impossible,
try to minimize vertical separation. In many cases, this is unavoidable. If this is the case,
try to limit vertical separation to 24" or less. With regard to horizontal separation, it is
usually advantageous to resist the temptation to spread the left and right speakers out as
far as possible. Spreading the speakers too far from the edges of the screen will result in
some sound track elements being off the screen and poor correlation with on screen
events.
NOTE: It's common to put the front speakers in bookshelves or cabinets. This is very
detrimental to the sound. The speakers weren't designed for this placement, even if they
are called "bookshelf speakers". Placing the speakers created by a bookshelf or cabinet
will make the speakers sound boomy and also destroy intelligibility. To test how this will
alter the sound, cup your hands around your mouth when you speak and listen to the
tonal difference. If you must use bookshelf speaker placement, conceal the speakers
behind acoustically transparent cloth grills and stuff the cavity with Dacron Holofil or
insulation.
Surround Speakers
Surround speakers reproduce the ambient effects that lend so much realism to modern
motion picture sound tracks. This extends well beyond that staple of surround sound
action, the jet flyover from back to front. These sometimes subtle sound track elements
include all types of different sounds to set the mood and create an environment. Some
examples of these are: background noises in a forest or jungle, crowd noises at a
sporting event, the sound of other patrons and the kitchen in a restaurant. These are just
some examples of the way the surround channels are used by directors and sound
designers to create ambiance.
Surround Speaker Placement
With a 5.1 channel system, surround speakers should usually be placed immediately
adjacent to the primary seating location. This can vary somewhat depending upon
environmental, aesthetic, and architectural concerns. When using a 6.1 or 7.1 system,
these side placed speakers are supplemented by a rear channel speaker or speakers.
The rear channel speakers should be placed directly behind the listener. If using two rear
channel speakers, separate them by 4' - 8' depending upon the dimensions of the room
and the speaker's distance from the listener. The purpose of the rear channel speakers is
to allow sounds to be placed directly behind the listener. With a traditional 5.1 channel
surround sound speaker system, this is accomplished by putting the same sound, with
equal amplitude, in both surround speakers. This is fine if the listener is equidistant from
the two speakers. If not, as is the case most of the time, the illusion collapses and the
closer speaker dominates.
How High Should You Place Your Surround Speakers?
If the main purpose of you home theater is for movies, you should place the surround
speakers about 2' above the listener's head. They can, however, be placed anywhere
from 2' above the head all the way to the ceiling. If your theater is used more for music
and music videos, you should heave them lower so they are closer to ear level. The
upshot of all this is that, for most home theater rooms, you should place the surround
speakers about half way between the listeners ear and the ceiling.
What about home theater subwoofers? These provide the gut wrenching foundation to
any home theater speaker system. Without a good subwoofer, home theater isn't, .....
well, it isn't home theater, is it? Click to learn more about home theater subwoofers.
any home theater speaker system. Without a good subwoofer, home theater isn't, .....
well, it isn't home theater, is it? Click to learn more about home theater subwoofers.
Home Theater Speaker Basics - Type and Placement
1 Touch Movie.com
Copyright 2004-8 1 touch movie.com
Home theater and Automation Guide
All rights reserved.
Home theater and Automation Guide
All rights reserved.
Recommended Home Theater Speaker Placement Diagram
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