Home Theater Acoustical Television and Speakers

Home Theater Acoustical
Television and Speakers
The television set and the speakers are the key items in home theater acoustical set up. The size of the TV is decided by the size of the room. For a 1080p display (50 inches screen) the recommended viewing distance is between 8 feet and 12 feet. The center speaker reproduces the speech of the actors on TV and hence its positon should be closest to the TV, directly above or below. The right and left speakers are positioned at 35 degrees to the center line on either side of the TV in line with screen with respect to the listener. The center right and left speakers should face the central listening position at equal distance from the listener and at the height of the center of TV display. Surround speakers will be at 120 degrees to either side and at equal distance to listener, heights a little above behind the back of the listener. The surround speakers should face a little off center to the listening point. The sub hoofer which is for lower frequencies is placed half way near the side wall facing up front.
Locating Acoustic Treatment Points
Once the position of the speakers and listeners are decided the next step is to locate the points where the acoustic treatment is to be given that is, where the sound absorbing materials will be fixed. It is assumed that sound from speakers will travel and reflect like light rays. Using some techniques involving reflecting mirrors and with the help of a colleague this can be done following instruction given in the guide books or internet. You may have to remove all the furniture and other decorations from the room because you have to have bare walls for this work. From the assumed position of the listener, the points of reflection of sounds from different speakers are found with the help of the mirror and the position for fixing the home theater acoustical materials can be found.
Selection of Sound Absorbing Material
One of the home theater acoustical materials is the sound absorption panel. It absorbs the sound energy so that it cannot reflect back from the surface. The panels neutralize echo and also minimize reverberation levels are used to eliminate echoes and reflections that muddle or color amplified music and speech. These wall panels will also reduce reverberation levels in a room. Fiberglass wrapped with decorative fabric, and melamine foam which is in molded form are the absorption panels available. As a guideline, prefer 1 inch thick panels for human voice. For loud music, surround, drums etc., use +thicker 2 inch panels.
The steps explained above for positioning the speakers and listener seating are important to follow in sequence because with the suggested placement of home theater acoustical material you can enjoy really good music.