HOME THEATER - F.A.Q.’s

Q. What is the difference between ‘Home Theater’ and ‘Surround Sound’?

A. Surround sound is an integral part of all home theater setups. The term ‘surround sound’ constitutes at least 5 speakers and a subwoofer arranged in such a way that you are virtually surrounded by sound when you sit down to watch movies and TV shows or listen to music. ‘Home theater’ is a general term and refers to the surround sound speaker setup as well as the TV, all of the other electronic components and even any acoustical treatments and special seating in the room.

Q. What does the 5.1 refer to when they say ‘5.1 Surround’?

A. The 5 (and sometimes even 6, 7 or 8!) is the number of speakers that reproduce the middle and high tones of sound while the .1 (and sometimes .2!) indicate the speaker(s) that reproduce the deep, low, bass notes –the subwoofer. The speaker placement is slightly different with each of the different surround sound set ups; 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, etc.

Q. Do I really need a subwoofer?

A. To have a true surround sound system –yes. You can surround yourself with speakers that reproduce much of the deep bass sounds, but today’s movies have been recorded with sound specifically for a subwoofer. They reproduce sound that can almost be overwhelming because subwoofers move the most air. Someone once said a subwoofer is the difference between hearing the dinosaurs stomp around in that movie and feeling the dinosaurs stomp around! Fortunately, there is a volume control on the subwoofer –yipee!

Q. Why does it have to be so loud!?

A. Ah, good question –we get this one a lot. A good home theater/surround sound system should be designed in such a way that they sound good at whatever volume you wish to listen. Many of today’s action movies are meant to be felt as well as heard, but this question usually involves more than the audio/video system. The question we have to ask is, ‘Is it too loud when you’re by yourself listening to it, or is it too loud when someone else is controlling the volume?’ No two people hear every frequency of sound exactly alike. One person may hear a particular range of sound just fine while the other person has trouble hearing that same range. (We don’t have room here to discuss the nuances and subtleties of who should control the remote control.)

Q. Why can’t I hear people’s voices very well?

A. Most home theater systems have the ability to adjust the speaker levels and balance so that the voice can be heard well. A good installer will take the time to balance your system. However, we are often subject to the whims of the sound engineers that record the soundtracks of movies and TV shows and sometimes the dialogue takes a back seat to the sound effects and music. What’re you gonna do?

Q. How much should I expect to spend for a surround sound speaker system?

A. Uhhmmm, $30,000.00. Just kidding! Actually, this is a very critical question that demands a good answer. There is a margin where what you get and what you pay for is good, beyond that, whatever little increments in quality you may gain are usually offset by exponential increases in money. Think about the chain of events that it takes to enjoy any surround sound system:

1. Someone or something makes a sound.

2. Some person records that sound.

3. The equipment on which that sound is recorded.

4. Some person mixes that sound.

5. The equipment on which that sound is mixed.

6. The medium onto which the final recording gets put.

7. Your own audio/video equipment into which you place that medium.

8. The cabling that connects your audio/video equipment.

9. The wires that run to your speakers.

10. The speakers themselves.

11. The quality of the installation of said surround sound system.

12. The acoustical properties of the room in which you are listening.

13. And finally……your own ears.

For most of us, with digital technology being what it is, the two weakest links in that chain are unfortunately the last two links; the room acoustics and your own ears. Please don’t spend much more money than those two weakest links can appreciate! Now, if you’re just trying to impress the neighbors with how much you’ve spent…..well, that’s a whole other question.

Q. What is ‘THX’?

A. THX is basically a certification or ‘stamp of approval’ and simply means that the audio/video equipment you’re using meets certain quality assurance requirements to play back your audio source as close as possible to the sound engineer’s intent. It does not refer to a surround sound type or some recording technology.

Q. Why does this stuff have to be so hard and frustrating to operate?

A. We’re not sure. We find ourselves apologizing to our customers on behalf of the audio/video electronics industry quite a bit. All we can say is don’t feel bad, it frustrates us too. There is nothing inherently intuitive about the operation of this stuff. We say let’s all get together and march down to the engineer’s lab at all of these companies and string them up by their necks!

Q. Do I really need all of these remotes? Can’t I have just one remote to run everything?

A. Yes…..and no. Actually, many of the remotes that come with your equipment are able to operate other equipment as well, however, this usually results in frustration because inevitably it won’t be able to do everything and you’ll still need to use multiple remotes anyway. Add to that the fact that the same button on the remote that operates the surround sound mode for one piece of equipment operates the track sequence for another piece of equipment and the station memory for yet another piece of equipment and you begin to see that you’re still pressing buttons the same number of times but now you have to remember which piece of equipment you’re operating and how to get the remote to work for just that piece! It’s actually more difficult and complex to do this. There are remote controls that are designed to work with everything and are menu driven with little screens that explain what you’re doing. They even have macro buttons that allow you to, say, push one button and the TV comes on to the right input, the Satellite receiver comes on, the surround sound receiver comes on to the right input and all you have left to do is decide what channel at what volume. These are usually not cheap little devices though, and they usually require a certain amount of programming which is also not cheap. This is going to sound sexist but here goes: ladies, buy your husband one of these for some special occasion. He’ll think it’s cool and you’ll actually be able to operate everything without getting frustrated….as much.

Q. Do I really need surround sound?

A. Yes.

Q. Really?

A. Well, okay, maybe not. Actually, just a few short years ago we would’ve said ‘no’. It used to be that if all you watched were TV and only sitcoms and news at that then there wouldn’t be any reason to have a surround sound system. It was mostly for movie watching. However, things are changing. Surround sound is becoming, if it hasn’t already, the standard for TV watching. It isn’t 100% yet, but if you enjoy watching TV at all then you would probably enjoy a good surround sound experience. Movies are still the number one reason for getting a surround sound system put in though.

WHOLE HOUSE AUDIO - F.A.Q.’s

Q. How does ‘Home Theater’ differ from ‘Whole house audio’?

A. Home theater is generally designed around the main TV in the house and is always confined to that one room. Whole house audio describes speakers throughout the rest of or part of the house, inside or out, and is defined by stereo sound (2 channels), not surround sound (6 channels or more). So, you can have a surround sound system in your great room and stereo speakers in the Master Bedroom, Den, Garage, Patio, Kitchen, etc.

Q. Is there a limit to the number of speakers I can have around the house?

A. We love this question -No! The only limitations that could be imposed would be by the audio equipment powering those speakers, and with enough money there is no limit. However, we want you to be happy with the final product and that usually means getting as much as you can for as little as possible. It has always been and always will be in our best interest to help you achieve that. We do our best to find out exactly what you want and help guide you to an end result that will stay within your budget. Our first and foremost goal is to educate you! This may mean helping to bring you down from some of those unrealistic expectations, like being able to hear your system from the next town over.

Q. What is the difference between a ‘Receiver’ and an ‘Amplifier’?

A. All speakers need a power source, something that takes an audio signal (say from a TV, CD player, DVD player, etc.) and amplifies it so it can be heard through the speaker. An amplifier is just that and only that. A receiver is an amplifier with a radio built-in and usually more.

Q. What does the second zone refer to in a 2-zone receiver?

A. A 2-zone receiver allows for some source to be playing in one area of the house (say a DVD movie in the great room) and another source to be playing in another area of the house (say a music CD on the patio) at the same time. The second zone “area” is defined by any number of stereo speakers in any number of different locations throughout the house. In other words, the great room is usually the main zone and the rest of the house is on zone 2.

Q. Do I really need a separate volume control in each room?

A. Yes, or at least under most circumstances. If you have more than one set of speakers in more than one location in your home then you will want to be able to have independent control of the volume in each area. Who gets to set the volume level in each room is usually best left up to a marriage counselor.

Q. Won’t speakers on the patio bother the neighbors?

A. Only if you want them to. Actually, the acoustical properties of the outdoors are dramatically different than indoors, sound dissipates much more quickly outside. And our outdoor speakers are on a bracket that lets you point them down toward your own patio listening area. The only complaint I’ve ever heard from a customer about their patio speakers was that their neighbor to the rear popped his head over the fence and asked them to turn it up so he could hear the music better! And to think, you were asking about putting an alarm siren on the outside of your house a little earlier.