5.1 speakers
A set of home theater device at home would not provide satisfactory sound without proper speakers installed. Speakers are vital in a home theater set since they are responsible for creating the sensation of surrounding the audience with sound. Like when you are watching a movie in a movie theater, a home theater is trying to resemble the surround sound so that you would not have to go far from home to enjoy the movie theater sensation.
At home, you can even watch any film you want with the entire family and friends as long as you want. The sound that the audience hear, with the aid of the speakers, come from around the room. But the distinct voice of the actor can be heard clearly and certain effects of the movie have different clarity although the other sound of the background just seems to blend. This is the work of 5.1 speakers or also known as center channel speakers.
The 5.1 speakers, the center channel speakers, provide the sound for the center part of the room, and obviously the target is the audience who are usually in the middle of the room. The good performance 5.1 speakers will make the actor speak naturally and not too deep and the actress not with high pitch.
When you are looking for a set of 5.1 speakers, you should pay attention to the timbre-matched feature with the brand that you have at home. Surely it is better to purchase the center channel speakers of the similar brand as they will have already been matched, but the products of a different brand does not mean infeasible.
Check the performance of the 5.1 speakers thoroughly at the speaker store and take your time in checking the sound. In order to successfully do this sound checking, you are recommended to bring your own testing DVD since it is more familiar. Letting the store assistant use the DVD from the store’s collection is a mistake since you will not be aware of distinctive sound feature of an actor or soundtrack that you are familiar with.
By playing your own collection, you know what to look for. You will notice if the actor’s voice is too husky or too high-pitched or if the soundtrack has deep bass or not. Of course, the price usually indicates quality. However, the quality of the sound depends on whether the 5.1 speakers that you want matched the ones at home.
5.1 surround system:
- Center speaker centered on video source
- Sub-woofer(s) in arc with the main L & R speakers between speakers and video source
- L & R front on a 22-30 degree angle from the sitting, on an equidistant arc connecting the center channel and subs
- L & R surround equidistant and on a 90-110 degree angle from the sitting position
6.1 surround system:
- Center speaker centered on video source
- Sub-woofer(s) in arc with the main L & R speakers between speakers and video source
- L & R front on a 22-30 degree angle from the sitting, on an equidistant arc connecting the center channel and subs
- L & R surround equidistant and on a 90-110 degree angle from the sitting position
- Rear center 180 degrees (directly behind) the sitting position
7.1 surround system:
- Center speaker centered on video source
- Sub-woofer(s) in arc with the main L & R speakers between speakers and video source
- L & R front on a 22-30 degree angle from the sitting, on an equidistant arc connecting the center channel and subs
- L & R surround equidistant and on a 90-110 degree angle from the sitting position
- L & R rear equidistant and on a 135-150 degree angle from the listening position.
Read my other tips and guide about “Systems of Speakers Wireless Vs Wired”.
