Generally speaking a home theatre system can be purchased in two ways. Individual components usually made up of your choice from different models and manufactures or “in a box” home theatre system which has everything you need.

The component approach

Choosing the best home theatre components for your needs can be difficult, understanding the differences between Watts and RMS, THX to DTS can be confusing. It’s a bit like buying a new car, you like the look of a model, but the performance of another is very appealing. If prepared to research your requirements, building your component home theatre system can be rewarding, but be careful to ensure components are ideally compatible.

“All in One”

In the fast paced world of Sound and Vision, manufactures and are moving towards providing consumers with convenient ways to purchase and setup a great sounding home theatre system. In a box home theatre systems connect directly to your TV, with perfectly matched AV Receiver power output, speaker dynamics and high quality play and recording functions, e.g. DVD, making it a truly all-in-one approach to home theatre.

Selecting a System

It is important to consider some basic principles regardless of your choice.

• How big is your room?
• Select the AV receiver and speaker package that suits your needs.
• Your AV receiver should have the correct power output to drive your speakers.
• Your speakers should be timbre (tam-bur) matched for greater sound dynamics.
• What the size and type of subwoofer you need?
• Budget for good quality speaker cable and video leads.
• Reduce reflective surfaces in your room e.g. hardwood floors, windows etc.
• Follow the manufactures instructions/suggestions for speaker placement.
• Power surge and filtering is important.

For great sound..!

For a great sounding home theatre system, speaker placement and sound balance is important. The correct power output to match your room is important and will dictate the overall sound quality. For example, a smaller sound system often suits a smaller room and vice-versa. Odd shaped rooms present a challenge to setup and simply moving each speaker into different positions can provide the best results.

TIP: Reduce reflective surfaces – walls, hard floors and windows are a common cause of sound reflection. Carpets, curtains and special sound proofing materials can be used to dampen sound waves.

Why 5.1 speakers?

Traditionally, home theatre speakers consist of 5.1 channels, 5 channels of directional sound and one channel of non-directional LFE or Low Frequency Effects (BASS).

• 2 front left and right speakers provide the main sound effects.
• 1 centre channel provides effects and dialogue (speech).
• 2 rear left and right speakers are used to create the feeling of three dimensional sounds.
• 0.1 represents the subwoofer which produces the (LFE) or Low Frequency Effects

A great idea is to test and measure even distances from the seating position to each speaker. The subwoofer is a non-directional speaker, so it can be placed anywhere in your room. Generally you should not be able to locate the source of LFE when watching a movie. You may need to consider a longer than supplied subwoofer cable, the final resting place could be at the other end of your room.

The AV Receiver channel level adjustment is useful for fine tuning sound to your satisfaction. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations before replacing any provided cables with good quality OFC home theatre speaker cable, doing this can increase sound quality.

Choosing the correct AV Receiver matching your speakers is not required with “in a box” home theatre systems. Each manufacturer has perfectly matched power output providing optimal speaker performance.

Make sure your home theatre system choice has enough inputs to handle extra components. It’s also a great idea to look for USB input, allowing connection of your favourite MP3 player like an iPod.

Glossary

AV Receiver

Powers your speakers and subwoofer, the AV receiver power rating indicates what size speakers you can buy. The AV receiver also acts like a hub or central point handling additional components audio and video signals routing them into one cable connected to your TV.

Channels

Channels are used to connect your speakers, each channel has a positive and negative terminal. Refer to the user manual provided by the manufacturer for the correct speakers to use with each channel.

Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX

Represents a digital sound format used by Hollywood studios, recreating realistic effects in movies. Using the Dolby unique encoding and decoding process bring your movies to life. As sound formats change, more channels are added to the traditional 5.1. For example, Dolby Digital EX has 7.1 unique channels of sound therefore more speakers are required.

DTS

A sound format created by Digital Theatre Systems in 1993, US based and dedicated to delivering the ultimate entertainment experience. When compared to Dolby Digital, DTS has a higher fidelity rate due to its 20-bit audio compression.

HDMI

High Definition Multimedia Interface carries uncompressed digital video (1080p Full HD) and audio in one neat and tidy cable to your LCD or Plasma TV

Seating position

Check your preferred seating position and use the speaker and TV placement guide provided by the manufacturer for the best sound and picture quality.

Subwoofer

A large speaker used to create BASS, usually has its own power amplifier classing it as an “active” speaker. The positioning of the subwoofer is extremely important.