Every home theater enthusiast knows that sound quality is one of the most important components of a good movie viewing experience. The most popular audio formats, 5.1 and 7.1, use speakers to create a full, realistic soundscape. But what if your system sounds like it was recorded in a closet? Well, you may not be hearing all the crisp details or booming bass you could potentially be experiencing with a few adjustments to your current setup.
With the help of your home theater video and audio equipment, there are many ways to improve sound quality. One thing you can do is experiment with different speaker placement. This article, however, will focus on how to add better sound in your home theater system for wherever you happen to be sitting.
TIPS FOR BETTER HOME THEATER SOUND QUALITY
1. SET UP THE SPEAKERS IN THE CORRECT SPOT.
Do not mount the speakers on your walls or hard surfaces when they are not being used. If they are going to remain in one spot, it is best if you install them on a stand or wall-mounted shelf, away from dust and other obstacles that may interfere with their proper performance. Wipe the dust off the speakers to further reduce interference.
2. CONNECT THE SPEAKERS PROPERLY.
If you are using a home theater speaker system, make sure that each speaker is connected to the correct location on your receiver or amplifier. For 5.1 and 7.1 setups, make sure all speakers are plugged into the left and right channels as indicated on the back of your home theater equipment, not just some of them or all of them at once!
3. CHECK THE CONFIGURATION AND PLACEMENT OF YOUR SPEAKERS.
If you are experiencing an effect called “cancellation,” it means that the audio information for each speaker is being canceled out by the speaker directly opposite it on your left and right side of the room. For example, if your right surround speaker is closer to your right ear than your left surround speaker, they are likely canceling each other out. To remedy this problem, try moving the speakers further apart, or repositioning one further to the left or right in order to achieve proper separation.
4. CHECK THE PROPER CONNECTIONS AND CABLE CIRCUMFERENCE.
Proper speaker wire length and cable diameter can also affect sound quality. For example, the larger the diameter of your speaker cable, the greater distance that current has to travel through each strand and the greater potential for distortion.
5. BUY NEW SPEAKER WIRE AND CABLE.
Amps are designed to accept only certain frequency-specific speaker cable lengths, so it is best to buy a few different types of cables from different online stores and test them at home to see which one works best with your speakers based on length, diameter and shielding material.
6. CONSIDER PURCHASING A SPEAKER DIMENSIONAL EQUALIZER.
A speaker dimensional equalizer is a device that allows you to adjust the sound from your speakers based on how and where you are sitting. This can be helpful if you have a very large room, or if your speakers are located at different heights from one another. This device can improve sound quality by reducing frequencies that interfere with the clarity of different sounds, resulting in greater audio coherence when viewed from any angle.
7. TRACK A DVD.
Even if you have a great sounding home theater, watch some DVD’s that you have recorded in another room, with your TV speakers turned off. It is best to do this as low frequencies sound different when they are reproduced by speakers instead of headphones.
8. TEST THE VOLUME CONTROL OF YOUR RECEIVER OR AMPLIFIER.
The volume control on your receiver or amplifier should be adjusted to its brightest setting (if applicable), until there is no distortion or audible noise heard when the audio signal is being amplified and then adjust accordingly from there if necessary.
Improvement takes time, so don’t be discouraged if what you are doing doesn’t sound good at first. Implement these factors and if you need professional help, talk to our professionals.
