Surround Sound System
There was a time when most of the population received its home theater audio through a Stereophonic sound system (Stereo). Stereo means it is a two- channel audio system, which consists of two speakers; one on the right and one on the left. Nowadays, multi-channel audio is where it’s at for anything home theater. Multi-channel audio is also known as surround sound. It is no longer a commodity found only in the Movie Theater, theatre or concert hall it is available to everyone. It permits you to hear that dinosaur lurking behind the cliff, before he even makes his debut on the screen.
Surround sound consists of multiple speakers placed accordingly around the viewing area and in some cases a subwoofer as well. It is essential that you understand the specifications associated with surround sound systems before browsing for a system of your own.
To avoid complications, there are also a few decisions that you should make prior to your purchase:
- First, know what is essential to your system. Do you really want that added ground shaking effect when there is an explosion? If so, you know you need a system with a subwoofer.
- If you are more interested in getting the most out of your actual audio, you can leave out the subwoofer and add extra speakers.
Keep in mind that if you plan on mixing and matching components, more research and a better knowledge of exactly what you are purchasing is vital. You don’t want to end up with a high-grade speaker, only to have a low-grade subwoofer attached to it. You also want to make sure all your components are compatible. Therefore knowing your specifications really is a must.
Surround Sound Specifications
Most of the specifications, which have been designated to surround sound, are numerical. Understanding these numbers is imperative to any surround sound installation. The numerical specifications when dealing with surround sound are usually expressed in a decimal format. The first number usually indicates the number of audio channels, which are included in that system. In other words how many speakers, behind the decimal point there is either a 0 or a 1. This represents whether the system can support a low frequency effect channel, such as a subwoofer. It is also important to note, that if the input to the system was not recorded with 5.1-surround sound, and you have a 6.1 system, you will not get the 6.1 surround sound. In order to achieve the surround sound in the format which you own, the source material (DVD,CD, etc) being played must have at been recorded at minimum with that format.
Specifications:
2.0: Indicates a stereo format audio system, meaning you have two speakers. (Right & Left)
5.0: A five-speaker surround sound audio capability. Usually consisting of two speakers in the front (Right/Left) and back (Right/Left), with one additional speaker for the front placed in the center. The .0 indicates that this system does not support a low frequency effect channel.
5.1: Same as above, except this system will support a low frequency effects channel, like a subwoofer for added effects.
6.1: This set up is the same as the above, with one added speaker. This speaker is usually placed in the center at the rear, to match the set up in the front.
7.1:This set up includes two additional speakers. Although, most home theaters do not use this system, since there is no source material recorded as of yet up to this standard it is used in computer and gaming systems.