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How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #62480] Mon, 03 May 2010 12:06 Go to next message
Lancelot is currently offline  Lancelot
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Registered: February 2010
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I'm seeing 5 speakers on most home theater setups. Is that enough or adding more speakers will be much better? What is your recommendation on this? I'm also wondering if 2 subs is good to have, one infront and one at the back.
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #62484 is a reply to message #62480] Mon, 03 May 2010 14:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
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Registered: January 2001
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Most home theater systems are for five channel, left/right/center and a pair of surrounds. Some are for seven channels, a left/right surround and a pair in the rear. Either of those configurations are pretty good for home systems, I think, with one speaker per channel.

Installations in large theaters have several surrounds speakers placed along the walls, because surround speakers are supposed to be beside you. But most homes have a smaller listening area, not rows and rows of seats, and so don't need surrounds in so many places.

As for subs, I'd suggest two to four. Distributed multiple subs will smooth room modes.
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #62692 is a reply to message #62480] Sat, 15 May 2010 09:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Musicfan is currently offline  Musicfan
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Thanks Wayne... that was awesome information. I am looking to buy a new system and I wasn't sure about the speakers either. How many come with a system when you buy one?
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63268 is a reply to message #62692] Sun, 27 June 2010 22:46 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Lancelot is currently offline  Lancelot
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Is it good to buy different brands of speakers if we are setting up a home theater? I mean some brands are good with their surround speakers and other are good at their sub woofer. Which is better to do, to buy a complete set of home theater speakers or buying separate speakers and set it up ourselves?
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63288 is a reply to message #62480] Wed, 30 June 2010 16:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Chuckles101 is currently offline  Chuckles101
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Registered: June 2010
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It depends on what type of set up you have and how large your room/theater is. Most setups have a 5.1 (or 5 speakers and a base). This usually does the trick for a nice surround experience. More than this can be quite expensive!
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63289 is a reply to message #63288] Wed, 30 June 2010 18:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
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Registered: January 2001
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The left, right and center front speakers should all be the same. This is often difficult to do, since the front speakers have to be positioned at approximately the same height as the screen. That makes center speaker configuration and placement difficult. Some people use a horizontal array (woofer-tweeter-woofer laying side by side) or some similar arrangement and that's the worst possible thing you could do. If you are considering that, don't even use a center speaker, and go for a phantom center instead. That can be done with great success using the right speakers.

The surrounds don't have to be the same as the front speakers. In fact, I prefer speakers with a 90°x40° constant directivity pattern for the fronts, toed-in so the left/right speaker axes cross just in front of the listening position. The surrounds don't need to be done this way, since they are primarily for ambience. I prefer to have them beside the listeners and just behind them, pointing inward nearly straight inward, with just the slightest toe-in towards the listeners. They shouldn't be so much behind the listeners as beside them, and slightly above.

Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63612 is a reply to message #62480] Mon, 02 August 2010 01:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Soundbuzz is currently offline  Soundbuzz
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Wow Wayne thanks for the information! I learned so much about this subject which I have zero knowledge about just by being here. I'm setting up a home theater room currently so this helps out a lot! I hear you, 2-4 subs are better, so I'll be on the look-out for another sub to accompany my current Sony SA-WM40 sub. This is getting very interesting!

The lunatics are in the hall.
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63620 is a reply to message #62480] Mon, 02 August 2010 09:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
candoon is currently offline  candoon
Messages: 48
Registered: February 2010
Baron
Is there a large difference (sound wise) between speakers that sit flat (table top or the floor) compared to those which are hung? We tried this one just with the front ones and I could tell no difference myself.
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63750 is a reply to message #63620] Mon, 09 August 2010 00:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Frontrowticket is currently offline  Frontrowticket
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I'm watching this thread for answers to the last question. I think I would prefer not to hang speakers, but if that produces the best results I'll think again.
Re: How Many Speakers For A Home Theater System? [message #63765 is a reply to message #63620] Mon, 09 August 2010 05:21 Go to previous message
Adveser is currently offline  Adveser
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candoon wrote on Mon, 02 August 2010 09:04
Is there a large difference (sound wise) between speakers that sit flat (table top or the floor) compared to those which are hung? We tried this one just with the front ones and I could tell no difference myself.


Floorstanding speakers are made to sit directly on the floor and good companies take that into consideration when designing them. Some companies put casters or whatever else they have on the bottom to prevent vibrations from refracting into the floor. I say if you have decent carpet not to worry about it, but you shouldn't put speakers flat on hard floors in my opinion.

Bookshelf speakers or monitors typically are put on stands, but anything will do so long is there is not a lot of vibration being transferred to something that resonates audible frequencies. I don't see any problem with a bookshelf sitting on two milk crates stacked on each other.

but remember. Tweeters need to be at eye/ear level. I can't tell you how pissed off I was when I realized how much I was coloring the sound (and correcting the color) just by being closer to the mid-range driver when I read about this and decided to put my 3" speakers directly on the floor.

Hanging anything but a floorstanding speaker doesn't produce any problems that I am aware of. What are you dealing with to hang it with, like a reverse stand? Chain? Rope? Whatever the answer, just make sure the hanging thing doesn't vibrate too much and feel the ceiling and make sure it is okay too.


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