Having a high-end audio system in your home theater can really enhance your in-home entertainment experience. While it’s extremely important to have quality components of you audio system, the speakers are responsible for delivering the sound to your ears. For this reason, it’s extremely important to select quality speakers that best fit your needs! This guide will discuss different options if you’re looking for new speakers for your home theater.
Before getting to the speakers, you’ll need to determine how many speakers you’re going to set up in your theater. There are a few different options when it comes to choosing this, there’s a 5.1 surround sound system with is made up of five speakers and one subwoofer. The speakers are normally placed with two in the front, two in the rear and one in the center. The subwoofers location will vary. Then there’s a 7.1 system which consists of a set of seven speakers and a subwoofer. The difference here is that the 7.1 system has two speakers located on the side as well as the other locations. If you’re really into bass, then the 5.2 or 7.2 option is best for you. These two options are the same as above but come with two subwoofers.
Floor standing speakers are the most traditional style speakers and to this day still remain quite popular. They’re usually on the larger size and they’re able to produce a variety of frequencies, including the low tones. These speakers will provide more volume per watt of amp power. Even though they stand tall and can take up space, they’re usually more expensive than bookshelf speakers, since they’re the best at filling up a room with quality sound.
Bookshelf speakers are the way to go if you’re looking for small speakers, instead of floor standing speakers. If you’re working in a small area or if you don’t want to spend as much money, this is your best option. They make some great bookshelf speakers, but since they’re smaller, they won’t deliver the sounds of the larger speakers. The advantage is the convenience in placing them.
If you’re looking to hide the speakers all together, then in-wall or ceiling speakers will satisfy this need for you. These speakers are the same as the other two (usually bigger than bookshelf speakers) and are mounted in a frame, which is then placed into a wall. Although these speakers are usually full-range speakers, its best o add a subwoofer with in-wall or ceiling speakers. They even make in-wall or ceiling subwoofers now. If you’re concerned about having the speakers match your walls, this can easily be solved. These speakers come with a grill that can be painted, which covers the speakers. Wiring these speakers can be tough, as the wires should run through the walls or the ceiling.
The last type of speaker is the outdoor speaker. These speakers are weather-resistant and usually placed under an awning on a deck or patio for some sort of protection. They also make speakers that blend into the landscape, such as fake rocks. These work great by an outdoor pool and sound great, since they’re usually close to ear level. Be sure the outdoor speakers have more power than indoor speakers, since the sounds will need to travel in the larger open space.
Speaker wire is often disregarded as an important part of the system. Old wires or low-grade speaker wire can definitely degrade the quality of sound. If you’re running your system on old speaker wire, once you make the change you’ll notice the difference immediately.
I hope this guide has helped you understand the different options of speakers available. There are many different brands and styles of the speakers mentioned above, so be sure to shop around. Good luck!
This author has a passion for developing any high end home theater. He’s worked in many apartments in NYC, developing the best home theater surround sound systems possible for his clients homes. More information can be found at his site, ceilingspeaker.org.
