Multi-channel audio has become mainstream and manufacturers have come up with many types of basic and more sophisticated technologies including wireless surround sound speakers, virtual surround sound to simplify the installation of home theater systems. I will review the newest trends to understand which products actually work. I will also give some guidance for selecting the best components.
As previously setting up a TV has been relatively straightforward, the emergence of multi-channel audio has made setting up home theater systems much more difficult by requiring a number of external speakers to create surround sound. As the traditional 5.1 format requires 6 speakers: a front center, two front side speakers, two rear speaker and a subwoofer, the more modern 7.1 format adds two additional side speakers.
One approach is reducing the number of loudspeakers by building virtual loudspeakers. This method applies signal processing to the audio and adds phase shifts and cues to the sound which would usually be sent by the remote loudspeaker. The signal processing is engineered according to how the human hearing determines the location of a sound. The sound signal is then sent through the front loudspeakers. The viewer is in effect tricked into believing the sound is coming from a location other than the front speakers.
The first solution is also known as virtual surround sound. This solution will take the audio components which would normally be sent by the remote speakers. It then utilizes signal processing to those components and inserts special cues and phase delays. Next these components are mixed with the front speaker audio. The signal processing is engineered according to how the human hearing determines the location of a sound. The sound signal is then sent by the front speakers. The signal processing has an effect that will deceive the listener into assuming that the audio is coming from a different location.
Wireless surround sound devices are an additional approach for simplifying home speaker installations and usually include a transmitter component which connects to the source and in addition wireless amplifiers that will connect to the remote speakers. The transmitter will normally come with amplified speaker inputs as well as line-level inputs and have a volume control to adjust it to the source audio level.
A number of wireless products come with wireless amplifiers that connect to two loudspeakers. This still requires cord runs between the two loudspeakers. Other products come with individual wireless amplifiers for each loudspeaker. The most basic wireless kits utilize FM broadcast. FM broadcast is susceptible to noise and sound degradation. More advanced devices employ digital audio transmission to perfectly maintain the original audio. To make sure that all loudspeakers are in sync in a multi-channel application, be sure that you select a wireless system that has an audio latency of just a few milliseconds at most. If the latency is higher than 10 ms then there will be an echo effect which will degrade the surround sound. Wireless kits often utilize the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz frequency band. A number of products also use the 5.8 GHz band. These devices have less competition from other wireless products than products using the crowded 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz bands.
A different method, which is often named sound bars uses side-reflecting speakers. There are additional speakers positioned at the front which broadcast the sound for the remote speakers from the front at an angle. The audio is then reflected by walls and seems to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. This approach works best in a square room with minimal interior design and obstacles. It will not function well in many real-world scenarios with diverse room shapes however.
As previously setting up a TV has been relatively straightforward, the emergence of multi-channel audio has made setting up home theater systems much more difficult by requiring a number of external speakers to create surround sound. As the traditional 5.1 format requires 6 speakers: a front center, two front side speakers, two rear speaker and a subwoofer, the more modern 7.1 format adds two additional side speakers.
One approach is reducing the number of loudspeakers by building virtual loudspeakers. This method applies signal processing to the audio and adds phase shifts and cues to the sound which would usually be sent by the remote loudspeaker. The signal processing is engineered according to how the human hearing determines the location of a sound. The sound signal is then sent through the front loudspeakers. The viewer is in effect tricked into believing the sound is coming from a location other than the front speakers.
The first solution is also known as virtual surround sound. This solution will take the audio components which would normally be sent by the remote speakers. It then utilizes signal processing to those components and inserts special cues and phase delays. Next these components are mixed with the front speaker audio. The signal processing is engineered according to how the human hearing determines the location of a sound. The sound signal is then sent by the front speakers. The signal processing has an effect that will deceive the listener into assuming that the audio is coming from a different location.
Wireless surround sound devices are an additional approach for simplifying home speaker installations and usually include a transmitter component which connects to the source and in addition wireless amplifiers that will connect to the remote speakers. The transmitter will normally come with amplified speaker inputs as well as line-level inputs and have a volume control to adjust it to the source audio level.
A number of wireless products come with wireless amplifiers that connect to two loudspeakers. This still requires cord runs between the two loudspeakers. Other products come with individual wireless amplifiers for each loudspeaker. The most basic wireless kits utilize FM broadcast. FM broadcast is susceptible to noise and sound degradation. More advanced devices employ digital audio transmission to perfectly maintain the original audio. To make sure that all loudspeakers are in sync in a multi-channel application, be sure that you select a wireless system that has an audio latency of just a few milliseconds at most. If the latency is higher than 10 ms then there will be an echo effect which will degrade the surround sound. Wireless kits often utilize the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz frequency band. A number of products also use the 5.8 GHz band. These devices have less competition from other wireless products than products using the crowded 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz bands.
A different method, which is often named sound bars uses side-reflecting speakers. There are additional speakers positioned at the front which broadcast the sound for the remote speakers from the front at an angle. The audio is then reflected by walls and seems to be originating from besides or behind the viewer. This approach works best in a square room with minimal interior design and obstacles. It will not function well in many real-world scenarios with diverse room shapes however.
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