When surround sound systems came out, everyone became familiar with what 5.1 meant--five speakers dispersed around the room and the ".1" was the subwoofer, centered down low and in front.

But there is a science to subwoofers that create those deep, rich, bass acoustics beyond what can be delivered by a single speaker.

The single subwoofer approach suffers from an unevenness in bass which is to say it is impossible to get smooth bass response in a home theater or media room from seat to seat. While one seating location might be outstanding, the other seats would suffer from bass peaks or dips...in other words, depending on the bass frequency, either too loud or too quiet.

Dr. Floyd Toole and Todd Welti have together been an invaluable asset to the home sound reproduction industry doing a lot of experimentation with subwoofer placement, numbers, and bass sound quality. This breakthrough work on bass reproduction has allowed us as home theater designers to create a room where we can significantly minimize bass response problems. Their whitepaper on the topic was the end-product of countless tests and acoustical models of playing with multiple subwoofers in different locations in a room to improve bass response over a much wider listening area.

In the end, Toole and Welti concluded that there are three ideal configurations for maximum bass reproduction.  They are listed here in order from optimum to acceptable:

1. Have four subwoofers with one located at the midpoint of each of the four surrounding walls. This configuration displayed the least amount of variation in bass response from seat to seat.
2. As an alternative to the above, locate the four subwoofers in each corner of the room.
3. Yet a third alternative is to have only two subwoofers; one centered on the front wall and the other centered on the rear wall.

Even interior designers are forced to work within the limitations of their own residences.

You know the drill.  You'd love to arrange your room "this way" but the combination of your existing furnishings and the door or window openings on your walls just won't allow it.  One designer's problem was their bulky TV/entertainment center in a tiny living room.  You have to have a TV and, in the case of designer/blogger Erin Loechner, her husband just had to have crystal audio clarity to go along with a superb picture.  Frankly, she didn't care as long as she could see it and hear it.  Here's how she put it:

Televisions and entertainment centers are often the biggest eyesores in any space, and our bulky, ten-year-old TV was certainly no exception.... Still, it was functional and I happen to live with a man who would marry function if he could. Me? I choose form to a fault.

But how do you get sparkling quality like that while hiding ugly speakers and (worse) speaker wire?  After all, most set-ups usually involve some sort of cabinet that houses speakers with a screen to mask their appearance.  But when you're dealing with a small space, ANY kind of built-in just gobbles up precious space.

Here's the solution they came up with...replace it all with the Bose VideoWave, a 46" LCD flatscreen with speakers built-in but nowhere to be seen!  That's because the speakers are actually located behind the TV viewing screen, so no ugly speakers in every corner of the room and no messy wiring.  Despite their location, the speakers produce brilliant sound.  Plus the single remote control not only controls the TV and sound but her iPod and Blu-Ray as well.  So "goodbye" remote control clutter!

by Bryan Naquin.  Follow Bryan on Twitter @ACIexperts.  And you can always contact him at 225.906.2589 or by email at bryan@aciexperts.net. Bryan Naquin is president of Acadian Home Theater and Automation based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  CEPro Magazine ranked Acadian in the top 100 consumer electronic companies in the U.S. coming in at Number 87 for 2011.

Combine Top-Notch Products and Installation for Exceptional Sound

Nothing is more important during a home theater installation than providing homeowners perfect audio quality. You could have the best visuals on your huge display, but it’ll go to waste if you can’t hear what’s happening. Optimizing for sound is a more complicated process than setting up your display since there are a lot of moving parts.

Ultimately, the goal is to deliver a clear, powerful sound that moves seamlessly throughout the room to create a 3-D audio environment in your home theater. In this blog, we showcase how to get high-performance sound in your Baton Rouge, LA home for a sonic experience which places you right in the middle of the action.



SEE MORE: Introduction to Home Theaters: What You Need to Know

High-End Speakers

Opt for powerful speakers with little distortion and wide frequency range to recreate a greater array of sounds. Center speakers should have particularly good midrange since they deal primarily with dialogue. During our installations, we only use high-performance lines from the likes of Bowers & Wilkins, Paradigm and Origin Acoustics.
Not only do we like these manufacturers for their high-end sound quality, but because they offer diverse lines as well. Our clients get to choose between loudspeakers, bookshelf speakers or architectural speakers that blend into the walls and ceiling. This way they get stellar sound without sacrificing the room’s décor.

Dolby Atmos Layout

To get sound that surrounds you from all sides, you should use a Dolby Atmos speaker setup in your home theater installation. Use Atmos-enabled AV receivers from Sony or Anthem to move audio seamlessly throughout the room, instead of having it limited to specific channels like in a traditional surround sound system.

Speaker placement is similar to a traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound set up with left, right, center, and surround speakers. Overhead speakers are the only additional in a Dolby Atmos layout. Via in-ceiling speakers or Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers that bounce audio off the ceiling, you enjoy the extra perk of hearing the sound directly above you.

Expert Room Calibration

When adding multiple speakers, it is vital to calibrate them to get uniform sound from them and your subwoofer. Having sound reach you simultaneously is only one of the goals of calibration. Our expert technicians also work to ensure you have consistent tone and volume. Even though many products include automated calibration features, a professional should take care of the final settings and layouts to make sure everything matches correctly with the room.

Acoustic Treatments

Very few rooms have the perfect acoustic environment for a home theater. Acoustic treatments are a great way to deal with problem areas in your theater. The most common treatments deal with absorbing excess sound. Employ bass traps and acoustic panels to absorb most excess frequencies then diffusers to spread out the remaining ones. That way, you only hear the sound coming from the speakers.

 
Ready to improve your movie-watching experience with immersive, high-performance sound? To learn more about how to optimize your home theater installation, give us a call, fill out our contact form or chat with us below.