The good sound is the salt in the soup of a home theater. Only when image and sound perfectly match, a film becomes a sense experience. The loudspeakers and amplifiers, which surround the listener with an encircling sound of the room, are integrated into the cinematic process. Thanks to the modern technology, today there are different ways to get a sense of space in your own four walls. Depending on the purpose, the purse and the space available, individual solutions are available, which video presents in the following.
Small box sets for small rooms
If you set up your living room cinema, you should be aware of the amount of space you can use. So it does not make a 16 square meter small room full of loudspeakers and large subwoofers. Not only the roommate makes a dash through the bill, but also the acoustics. Because: the smaller the space, the more vulnerable it is for low-frequency drone effects.
The receiver as the central
Practice: Home cinema - planning and room selection
The right loudspeaker
Here is a compact loudspeaker set or a soundbar the better choice. If the living space is larger, an extended boxing system is suitable. This can consist of up to nine speakers plus subwoofer. It should, however, be borne in mind that a powerful multi-channel set can become quite cost-intensive. Speakers, amplifiers, Blu-ray players and cabling quickly devour a few thousand euros. However, such projects are rewarded with an excellent sound quality.
Soundbars
The multi-channel amplifier, also known as an AV receiver, is the switching center of a home cinema. From here, sources such as Blu-ray players and satellite receivers are managed and sound settings are made. In order for an amplifier to be able to convert the multichannel data streams coming from the input device, it must have the appropriate room sound decoder.
On the DVD successor medium Blu-ray high resolution sound format standards of Dolby and DTS are used. With a high bit depth and sampling rate, they offer better sound quality than their predecessor codecs. In order to hear the difference, however, you need high quality speakers and powerful amplifiers.
In addition to the audio functions, modern AV receivers are home to a videosection. For example, picture and sound signals can be received simultaneously from the source device via a single line (HDMI) and forwarded to the TV. Depending on the room size and box selection, the amplifier should provide enough power reserves. In this case: rather too much power than too little.
Buying advice: The best surround receiver
Many devices have a network connection via cable or even radio. They offer access to thousands of internet radio stations. They also allow you to play music from a network store or computer. Some manufacturers use Apple's AirPlay technology in their devices.
Then, music can be wirelessly transferred from the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to the AV receiver. So that one with so much functionality does not lose the overview, the receivers should be easy to operate. Modern amplifiers therefore offer a graphical screen menu, which allows you to change all settings and display them.
Download: Room sound systems
The sound quality stands and falls with the loudspeakers. With no other audio component the money invested makes itself more noticeable. Therefore, the right selection should be given the utmost attention. If the budget is limited, less is more. Dear five good than seven moderate speakers. As a rule of thumb, you should spend at least as much on the box set as for amplifiers, Blu-ray players, and cabling.
If you prefer discreet cabling and have little space at your disposal, you can use Soundbars. These narrow soundbars usually have a stereophonic loudspeaker system and are operated directly under the TV. The built-in amplifier and surround decoder allow Blu-ray players and TV receivers to be connected directly to the system.
2.1 Speaker Set
Buying advice: The best soundbars
The spatial sound is generated by the use of special algorithms. For example, Dolby Virtual Speaker or SRS Tru-Surround are used. Through the targeted signal transformation of volume, phase and tonality, soundbars simulate the sound of a conventional loudspeaker set.
Surround set
However, the effect depends on the acoustics of the living room, which in practice works more or less well. Soundbars are an easy-to-use, space-saving alternative to the classic surround set. In terms of performance and a sense of space, however, they can not provide water to the multi-part systems.
Download: Sound Formats
A 2.1 speaker set consists of two compact satellites or column speakers and one subwoofer. Often these combinations are offered with an AV or Blu-ray receiver in the package. This product class combines the space-saving advantage of a stereo system with the sonic advantages of a surround set. Here, too, one of the effect algorithms SRS TruSurround XT or Dolby Virtual Speaker is used to generate sound from two loudspeakers.
Subwoofer
Setting up and tuning speakers
Conclusion
A 2.1 system is the perfect solution if you want to create a home cinema-like atmosphere with little wiring and little parking space. Due to the classic stereo arrangement of the loudspeakers, these sets are often better suited for music reproduction than soundbars.
If you put on a discreet loudspeaker set is rewarded with impressive room sound. In addition to multi-channel amplifiers and Bluray players, you need at least five speakers and a subwoofer. The typical 5.1 system is operated on the front, left and right, center and rear left and right. It should be ensured that the tweeters of the different loudspeakers are at the ear level. However, this is only true if classic direct radiators are used in the rear part of the room.
Tips for optimal audio playback
If so-called dipole boxes are used, these should be mounted on the wall about 50 to 80 centimeters above the head height. Bipolar dipole speakers emit the sound forward and backward, giving the listener a diffuse sound. The center is responsible for the playback of the voice channel in the front part of the room.
With its central positioning under the TV or the screen, the special speaker transmits voice and vocals. By working close to the center of the film, film editors from the acoustic center - no matter whether you sit on the sofa to the left or right.
Because the human hearing is sensitive to tonal playback errors at voice frequencies, the center should have a good omnidirectional response. Only then do speech and singing sound tonally neutral in all places. For this purpose, the center needs a vertical medium-high-frequency chassis arrangement. If the design is not possible, some manufacturers design so-called 2.5-way systems. This is the only way a developer can ensure that phase-dependent level differences are avoided under horizontal listening angles.
Buying advice: The best surround sets with stand boxes
The type of loudspeaker used in the front compartment depends on the user's requirements. Narrow column boxes often have an audible weakness due to their small conical speakers. For this they fall less in the living room. Voluminous loudspeakers sound better if one is paying attention to the acoustic coupling of the subwoofer. Compact boxes are less demanding due to system limitations due to limited low-pass capability.
The subwoofer provides a tangible fun factor. In addition to hearing, we also hear body sound. A sufficiently sized membrane area is required for the conversion of the so-called LFE effect channel. The bass range consumes about 80 percent of the energy of a multi-channel loudspeaker set. Therefore, a subwoofer should have a powerful power amp and a large woofer.
The best home cinema components use little if they are not properly adjusted and aligned. The most important settings in the loudspeaker menu of an AV receiver are runtime and volume. These parameters are set individually for each channel to compensate for the different distances between listeners and speakers. For the adjustment, use the signal generator of the AV receiver, a meter and a level meter.
Modern amplifiers with automatic measuring systems offer at the first glance the simpler solution. Depending on the room geometry and acoustics, this usually works well, but not always. It is therefore important not to blindly trust the automatic calibration system. In the end, what counts. Especially with the bass volume, there are different preferences with regard to the volume.
Practice: Acoustic optimization in the home cinema
A critical issue is the transition frequency between subwoofers and satellites. The value you set in the AV receiver depends on the speakers you are using. A fist formula is: the larger the front speakers, the smaller the separation frequency.
If you are using a large volume loudspeaker with an impressive subwoofer, the filter should be set to a maximum of 60 Hertz in order to minimize phase cancellations in the pickup range. For medium-sized satellites, a separation frequency of 80 hertz is recommended. If you use small satellite cubes, transition values between 120 and 180 Hertz are recommended.
With the alignment of the speakers, you can also adjust the sound. If a loudspeaker is too dull, the angulation is appropriate. The speakers are turned in the direction of the listeners, resulting in a more brilliant sound.
The playback quality in the bass range can be optimized in several ways. The simplest solution is to place the subwoofer on the listening position. Then you play a bass-strong piece of music and walk around the room. Wherever it sounds best, place the subwoofer.
Subwoofers with built-in sound correction can also be improved. This is done via an active module with a controllable sound processor. The correction settings are determined either manually by hand or automatically by means of a measuring microphone.
Uncompromising sound quality needs parking space. If you want the most pebble and broadband sound with potent low bass reproduction, do not miss the feared material slaughter. Because physics is the clear game spoiler. However, soundbars and 2.1 systems offer a room-friendly alternative, with drawbacks with respect to room sound quality. For which solution one decides, the goal should be the fun of filming.
By Philipp Schäfer
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