Home Theater Audio

The superior surround sound that is experienced in a movie theater can be re-created at home with the right speakers and room-placement strategy (see Home Theater Placement). One option is to buy an HTiB (see What Is a Home Theater?), which includes an A/V receiver and all of the corresponding speakers. Another option is to buy your A/V receiver and speakers separately (also known as a mix-and-match speaker system).

How to Shop for an A/V Receiver

An audio/video receiver, or A/V receiver, is the main conduit of your home theater system—it takes analog and digital video and audio signals from home theater sources, decodes and amplifies those signals, and then outputs them to your display and speakers.

A/V Receivers and Audio Signals

A/V receivers play a big role in your home theater’s audio quality. Most receivers include a built-in radio tuner—newer models even come equipped with satellite radio tuners—and provide an onscreen menu for controlling all your audio and video devices.

One of the main jobs of a receiver is to amplify audio before delivering it to the speakers. Receivers use surround-sound decoders (see below) to process and distribute surround-sound signals to their respective speakers. The path of digital audio signals is as follows:

The signals originate from a source (e.g., a DVD player).
The signals are fed to the preamplifier, which amplifies their line levels.
The decoder receives the signals and sorts out the sound channels.
The signals go through the power amplifiers, which deliver each audio signal to its corresponding channel (each speaker is a separate channel).

Decide on the number of speakers you’re going to use in your home theater before you shop for an A/V receiver—that way you can be sure it has the right number of inputs. (Remember that in an HTiB, the receiver comes with all of its corresponding speakers.) Also remember to count the sources you plan to use in your home theater and count the inputs in the A/V receiver before you buy it so you can be sure it’ll accommodate everything.

A/V Receivers and Video Signals

Before hooking up your HD video sources to your A/V receiver, make sure that it’s equipped to transmit HD. Check its rear inputs for a component audio or HDMI jack (see How to Connect Your Home Theater). If the receiver doesn’t have either input, connect your video sources directly to the HD ports in your TV instead.

Surround-Sound Speaker Systems

Each speaker in a surround-sound system is considered a channel that delivers a full range of audio. By placing a variety of speakers strategically throughout your home theater area, you create surround sound. The most popular surround-sound options are 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1-channel. The “.1” represents the subwoofer, a speaker that’s considered a channel but is actually only a fraction of a true channel because it produces low-frequency effects (LFE)—the deep, vibrating bass levels of the audio.

5.1-channel surround sound: This setup uses five speakers: left, center, and right front speakers, as well as left and right rear speakers (plus the subwoofer).
6.1-channel surround sound: This setup uses six speakers: left, center, and right front speakers, as well as left, right, and rear surround speakers (plus the subwoofer).
7.1-channel surround sound: This setup uses seven speakers: left, right, and center front speakers, as well as left and right surround speakers and two rear surround speakers (plus the subwoofer).

How to Shop for Speakers

There are a few different types of speakers available for your home theater: satellite, floor standing, wireless, built-in, and virtual surround-sound speakers.

Satellite speakers: These small speakers can be placed on tables or bookshelves or mounted on walls and ceilings. They’re convenient to display and generally inexpensive. (Note that satellite speakers can become floorstanding speakers if you prop them on speaker stands.)
Wireless speakers: These speakers use wireless technology to communicate with the receiver or other audio source, reducing wire clutter in your home theater area. The downside is that each speaker requires its own power source.
Floorstanding speakers: If you don’t want to put holes in the wall, use floorstanding speakers. These tall, svelte speakers sit directly on the floor, are easier to set up, and usually fit in a home theater more conveniently.
In-wall speakers: If you’re already renovating and don’t mind the construction involved, a great space-saving method for incorporating speakers into your home theater is to have them built into the walls or ceilings. In-wall speakers are compact—they look like satellite speakers—and perform well.
Virtual surround-sound speakers: If you want to cut down on separate components, virtual surround sound is the way to go. These one- or two-speaker systems can mimic the traditional 5.1 (or greater) systems. They work by modifying sound waves to emulate true surround sound.