The process of setting up multi-channel audio speakers in home theater systems is quite tedious and suppliers have invented new products and technologies including wireless surround sound speakers or surround sound wireless headphones recently to help simplify the installation. I will have a look at a few of the products and technologies which have appeared and give some pointers about selecting suitable components for a hassle-download installation.
Historically, setting up a TV would be speedy because they would already come with built-in stereo speakers. This, on the other hand, has all changed with multi-channel sound. Today external speakers are used to create a surround sound effect. In case of 5.1 surround, 6 speakers are utilized: center, left and right front, left and right rear and a subwoofer. More recent 7.1 systems require a total number of 8 speakers by adding 2 extra side speakers.
Thus the setup of home theater systems has become a fairly complicated procedure. Numerous homes are not pre-wired for surround sound. Moreover, long speaker cables are often unattractive. Part vendors have come up with several technologies to simplify the installation.
The first approach is creating so-called virtual speakers by applying signal-processing to the sound and introducing phase shifts and special cues to those audio components that would typically be sent by the remote speakers. As the signal processing is based on how the human hearing detects the origin of audio, the audio components which underwent signal processing can be mixed with the front speaker components and broadcast by the front loudspeakers. The signal processing has an effect that will trick the listener into presuming that the audio is originating from an alternate location.
This technology minimizes the quantity of needed loudspeakers and eliminates long speaker cords but every human will process sound somewhat differently due to the form of the ear. Since the signal processing is based on a standard human ear model, virtual surround will not work equally well for everyone dependant upon how much the viewer varies from the standard model. An additional method for avoiding long speaker wire runs is to utilize wireless surround sound systems or wireless loudspeakers. A wireless kit includes a transmitter and one or a number of wireless amplifiers. The transmitter connects to the source. The wireless amplifiers connect to the remote loudspeakers. Usually the transmitter component will come with amplified loudspeaker inputs and line-level inputs. This offers downloaddom to connect to any type of source. A transmitter volume control helps take full advantage of the dynamic range and avoids clipping of the sound inside the transmitter.
Some wireless systems come with wireless amplifiers that connect to two loudspeakers. This still requires cable runs between the two loudspeakers. Other products come with separate wireless amplifiers for each speaker. The most basic wireless systems employ FM transmission. FM transmission is susceptible to noise and sound distortion. More sophisticated systems employ digital audio transmission to completely maintain the original audio. To ensure that all loudspeakers are in sync in a multi-channel application, be sure that you pick a wireless system that has an audio latency of a few milliseconds at most. Otherwise there will be a noticeable echo type result. Most wireless products operate in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. Some products use the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band and consequently have less competition from other wireless gadgets.
A third technology utilizes side-reflecting loudspeakers. This option is called sound bars. There are additional speakers located at the front which broadcast the audio for the remote speakers from the front at an angle. The sound is then reflected by walls and seems to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. The effect largely is determined by the shape of the room and interior design and not work well in a lot of real-world scenarios because of different room shapes and obstacles in the room.
Historically, setting up a TV would be speedy because they would already come with built-in stereo speakers. This, on the other hand, has all changed with multi-channel sound. Today external speakers are used to create a surround sound effect. In case of 5.1 surround, 6 speakers are utilized: center, left and right front, left and right rear and a subwoofer. More recent 7.1 systems require a total number of 8 speakers by adding 2 extra side speakers.
Thus the setup of home theater systems has become a fairly complicated procedure. Numerous homes are not pre-wired for surround sound. Moreover, long speaker cables are often unattractive. Part vendors have come up with several technologies to simplify the installation.
The first approach is creating so-called virtual speakers by applying signal-processing to the sound and introducing phase shifts and special cues to those audio components that would typically be sent by the remote speakers. As the signal processing is based on how the human hearing detects the origin of audio, the audio components which underwent signal processing can be mixed with the front speaker components and broadcast by the front loudspeakers. The signal processing has an effect that will trick the listener into presuming that the audio is originating from an alternate location.
This technology minimizes the quantity of needed loudspeakers and eliminates long speaker cords but every human will process sound somewhat differently due to the form of the ear. Since the signal processing is based on a standard human ear model, virtual surround will not work equally well for everyone dependant upon how much the viewer varies from the standard model. An additional method for avoiding long speaker wire runs is to utilize wireless surround sound systems or wireless loudspeakers. A wireless kit includes a transmitter and one or a number of wireless amplifiers. The transmitter connects to the source. The wireless amplifiers connect to the remote loudspeakers. Usually the transmitter component will come with amplified loudspeaker inputs and line-level inputs. This offers downloaddom to connect to any type of source. A transmitter volume control helps take full advantage of the dynamic range and avoids clipping of the sound inside the transmitter.
Some wireless systems come with wireless amplifiers that connect to two loudspeakers. This still requires cable runs between the two loudspeakers. Other products come with separate wireless amplifiers for each speaker. The most basic wireless systems employ FM transmission. FM transmission is susceptible to noise and sound distortion. More sophisticated systems employ digital audio transmission to completely maintain the original audio. To ensure that all loudspeakers are in sync in a multi-channel application, be sure that you pick a wireless system that has an audio latency of a few milliseconds at most. Otherwise there will be a noticeable echo type result. Most wireless products operate in the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequency bands. Some products use the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band and consequently have less competition from other wireless gadgets.
A third technology utilizes side-reflecting loudspeakers. This option is called sound bars. There are additional speakers located at the front which broadcast the audio for the remote speakers from the front at an angle. The sound is then reflected by walls and seems to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. The effect largely is determined by the shape of the room and interior design and not work well in a lot of real-world scenarios because of different room shapes and obstacles in the room.
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