home theater design speaker placement image
twowhlrcr
I'm getting ready to put together an entry level home theater. A big part of the system will be listening to music. Is it better to have good front speakers that can reproduce the bass or use a self powered sub? The same question when watching movies? Do all home audio/video receivers allow the self powered sub to be turned on or off when listening to 2 channel stereo mode? Feel free to provide as much info as you have. Thanks.
Answer
It depends on your musical and bass quantity preference. Keep in mind that a subwoofer's job is to reproduce only the frequencies that your main speakers cannot. The human ear can hear from roughly 20hz-20,000hz. I say roughly because many factors affect this; mainly age and how well you have taken care of your hearing throughout the years. A powered subwoofer is designed to reproduce frequencies generally below 200hz and has a variable low pass filter so that you can set the cutoff(crossover) frequency. Most(mediocre) will extend flat down to about 35hz-40hz and are almost always a ported design for increased efficiency. A speaker that will extend down to 40hz is okay for MOST types of music and most people are content with them. Afterall, it's what most people own. Only a good(expensive) subwoofer will reach down to 20hz or lower. These are usually a sealed design and may even be THX certified. Unless you're like me and listen to pipe organ music, classical music on Telarc discs, or some synthesized techno music that extends down to 20hz or lower then you shouldn't be concerned about reproducing frequencies below about 35hz. In order to reproduce frequencies down to 20hz with a pair of front speakers you would have to have some huge sealed speakers with at least 12" woofers or bigger. That's not what most people want in their house. Keep in mind that you can't change the laws of physics. Big bass requires moving alot of air and this means either using a small subwoofer that has alot of excursion(Xmax), using multiple subs, or using a sub with a large diaphram. I prefer using multiple subs or a large diaphram sub because less excursion=less distortion. If you plan on doing home theater and stereo from one speaker system then I recommend this: buy all of the surround sound speakers as a set from the same manufacturer so that they match in timbre(tone). The subwoofer can be from a different manufacturer. Make sure that the satellite speakers can extend down to at least 100hz. The lower, the better but no higher than 100hz. This most likely means that they will employ a 4" woofer or larger. The lower that the main speakers can extend, the better your system will sound because the satellites will blend in better with the subwoofer. This means that the subwoofer cutoff point can be set at the satellite's lower frequency limit. The lower that the subwoofer cutoff frequency is set, the less directional the subwoofer will be because low frequencies(roughly below 100hz) are omnidirectional due to the huge wavelengths. This setup will create the sonic illusion that ALL of the sound is coming from the satellite speakers. In other words if the cutoff frequency, output level, and subwoofer placement is properly set up, the subwoofer should disappear. With eyes closed, no one should be able to pinpoint that the bass is coming from the sub's location. Make sure to check the frequency response specifications when shopping around. You'll notice that smaller drivers cannot achieve 100hz. Like I said before, you can't change the laws of physics. As for subwoofers, try to buy the best that your budget allows. Don't skimp on quality because you will be disappointed with the results or you will blow it out sooner than later. The price of a good sub starts at around $400 and this is just the "bottom of the line" good. Don't overlook a good quality used subwoofer. Good used speakers should always be considered because they are already broken in. Just be sure to inspect carefully for possible signs of abuse. I recommend staying away from speakers with foam surrounds on the woofers as these tend to rot after roughly 10 years. Rubber is many times better.
If you don't mind having a pair of floorstanding speakers for the two fronts then you can go that route and have a great sounding system also. The benefit is that you will have more woofers(at least 2) instead of just one powered sub. Remember to check frequency response specs. Most ported floorstanding speakers will only get down to about 35hz. Not very many companies make sealed floorstanding units because a sealed speaker is less efficient than a ported one. Ported speakers are always bigger than sealed so the sealed ones are usually bookshelf models. Floorstanding sealed speakers are huge and usually have large woofers. There are some floorstanding models that employ built in powered subs so this might be a good option to consider. Another benefit of having floorstanding speakers is that you can minimize or eliminate standing waves in the room due to having more than one woofer putting out bass. Every A/V receiver has a speaker set up menu. You can either direct the bass to a seperate powered sub through the LFE output, to the front speakers only, or to both the sub and the fronts. If you want to turn off the powered sub then you can do it at the sub. Hope all this helps. Good luck and happy listening.
It depends on your musical and bass quantity preference. Keep in mind that a subwoofer's job is to reproduce only the frequencies that your main speakers cannot. The human ear can hear from roughly 20hz-20,000hz. I say roughly because many factors affect this; mainly age and how well you have taken care of your hearing throughout the years. A powered subwoofer is designed to reproduce frequencies generally below 200hz and has a variable low pass filter so that you can set the cutoff(crossover) frequency. Most(mediocre) will extend flat down to about 35hz-40hz and are almost always a ported design for increased efficiency. A speaker that will extend down to 40hz is okay for MOST types of music and most people are content with them. Afterall, it's what most people own. Only a good(expensive) subwoofer will reach down to 20hz or lower. These are usually a sealed design and may even be THX certified. Unless you're like me and listen to pipe organ music, classical music on Telarc discs, or some synthesized techno music that extends down to 20hz or lower then you shouldn't be concerned about reproducing frequencies below about 35hz. In order to reproduce frequencies down to 20hz with a pair of front speakers you would have to have some huge sealed speakers with at least 12" woofers or bigger. That's not what most people want in their house. Keep in mind that you can't change the laws of physics. Big bass requires moving alot of air and this means either using a small subwoofer that has alot of excursion(Xmax), using multiple subs, or using a sub with a large diaphram. I prefer using multiple subs or a large diaphram sub because less excursion=less distortion. If you plan on doing home theater and stereo from one speaker system then I recommend this: buy all of the surround sound speakers as a set from the same manufacturer so that they match in timbre(tone). The subwoofer can be from a different manufacturer. Make sure that the satellite speakers can extend down to at least 100hz. The lower, the better but no higher than 100hz. This most likely means that they will employ a 4" woofer or larger. The lower that the main speakers can extend, the better your system will sound because the satellites will blend in better with the subwoofer. This means that the subwoofer cutoff point can be set at the satellite's lower frequency limit. The lower that the subwoofer cutoff frequency is set, the less directional the subwoofer will be because low frequencies(roughly below 100hz) are omnidirectional due to the huge wavelengths. This setup will create the sonic illusion that ALL of the sound is coming from the satellite speakers. In other words if the cutoff frequency, output level, and subwoofer placement is properly set up, the subwoofer should disappear. With eyes closed, no one should be able to pinpoint that the bass is coming from the sub's location. Make sure to check the frequency response specifications when shopping around. You'll notice that smaller drivers cannot achieve 100hz. Like I said before, you can't change the laws of physics. As for subwoofers, try to buy the best that your budget allows. Don't skimp on quality because you will be disappointed with the results or you will blow it out sooner than later. The price of a good sub starts at around $400 and this is just the "bottom of the line" good. Don't overlook a good quality used subwoofer. Good used speakers should always be considered because they are already broken in. Just be sure to inspect carefully for possible signs of abuse. I recommend staying away from speakers with foam surrounds on the woofers as these tend to rot after roughly 10 years. Rubber is many times better.
If you don't mind having a pair of floorstanding speakers for the two fronts then you can go that route and have a great sounding system also. The benefit is that you will have more woofers(at least 2) instead of just one powered sub. Remember to check frequency response specs. Most ported floorstanding speakers will only get down to about 35hz. Not very many companies make sealed floorstanding units because a sealed speaker is less efficient than a ported one. Ported speakers are always bigger than sealed so the sealed ones are usually bookshelf models. Floorstanding sealed speakers are huge and usually have large woofers. There are some floorstanding models that employ built in powered subs so this might be a good option to consider. Another benefit of having floorstanding speakers is that you can minimize or eliminate standing waves in the room due to having more than one woofer putting out bass. Every A/V receiver has a speaker set up menu. You can either direct the bass to a seperate powered sub through the LFE output, to the front speakers only, or to both the sub and the fronts. If you want to turn off the powered sub then you can do it at the sub. Hope all this helps. Good luck and happy listening.
Do all speakers need to be the same size and carry the same frequency range in a home theater set up?
kbad26@ver
I am in the market for creating a home theater system. I have found some speakers that I like but I am not sure if they will work with my a/v reciever. The speakers are as follows: Fronts, E-710's{frequency range-38HZ to 20KHZ}, Rears, E-78's{frequency range 40HZ to 20KHZ}, Center, E-75C{frequency range 60HZ to 20KHZ}, and I already have a LW 12 powered subwoofer. My reciever is 130 watts per channel, frequency range 20HZ to 20KHZ.{the frequency range for the dvd input on the reciever is 10HZ to 100KHZ, if that helps. Will the speakers that I have just mentioned work, or what should I be looking for then. these are all Cerwin-Vega speakers.
Answer
Okay, to give you a direct answer to your question, no. The most important criteria for a good HT set-up is that all speakers are properly voice-matched. This is usually done by designing the home theater around the same tweeter and mid/bass drivers in each speaker and all speakers crossed over at the same point.
The bass driver (be it in a 3-way design or a dedicated powered subwoofer), depending upon how low it is crossed over, the subwoofer is virtually omni-directional sound and doesn't need to be in all speakers.
Ideally, having 5 of the same speaker would easily address any potential issues with the balance of loudness, radiation pattern, tonal balance, and power handling, discounting from a seamless transition throught the surround sound speaker system, but may not be as practical financially or space-wise and placement convenience.
CERWIN VEGA
CE-710 . . . . . . . . . . 95 dB @ 1m/2.83v (adjust fronts to "0 dB")
CE-708 . . . . . . . . . . 90 dB @ 1m.2.83v (adjust rears to "+5 dB")
CE-75C . . . . . . . . . . 91 dB @ 1m/2.83v (adjust center to "+4 dB")
You will need to experiment with the placement, crossover points, and volume of your subwoofer, but I would start out by placing in a corner behind one of the front speakers, and setting the variable crossover (you may need to adjust the phase to either 0º or 180º) to the center channel's F3 which is 60 Hz and perhaps make the appropriate adjustments from there if needed.
Set your receiver to run all of your speakers full range (or BIG, depending upon how your receiver describes it's set-up in the on-screen menu -consult your receiver's owner's manual for assistance).
Your speaker should work well as that they appear to be properly voiced, although since each speaker's sensitivity is different, you will need to make loudness adjustments for each speaker to create the appropriate balance.
More help can be found at Crutchfield...
H a p p y
H o m e
T h e a t e r i n g !
Okay, to give you a direct answer to your question, no. The most important criteria for a good HT set-up is that all speakers are properly voice-matched. This is usually done by designing the home theater around the same tweeter and mid/bass drivers in each speaker and all speakers crossed over at the same point.
The bass driver (be it in a 3-way design or a dedicated powered subwoofer), depending upon how low it is crossed over, the subwoofer is virtually omni-directional sound and doesn't need to be in all speakers.
Ideally, having 5 of the same speaker would easily address any potential issues with the balance of loudness, radiation pattern, tonal balance, and power handling, discounting from a seamless transition throught the surround sound speaker system, but may not be as practical financially or space-wise and placement convenience.
CERWIN VEGA
CE-710 . . . . . . . . . . 95 dB @ 1m/2.83v (adjust fronts to "0 dB")
CE-708 . . . . . . . . . . 90 dB @ 1m.2.83v (adjust rears to "+5 dB")
CE-75C . . . . . . . . . . 91 dB @ 1m/2.83v (adjust center to "+4 dB")
You will need to experiment with the placement, crossover points, and volume of your subwoofer, but I would start out by placing in a corner behind one of the front speakers, and setting the variable crossover (you may need to adjust the phase to either 0º or 180º) to the center channel's F3 which is 60 Hz and perhaps make the appropriate adjustments from there if needed.
Set your receiver to run all of your speakers full range (or BIG, depending upon how your receiver describes it's set-up in the on-screen menu -consult your receiver's owner's manual for assistance).
Your speaker should work well as that they appear to be properly voiced, although since each speaker's sensitivity is different, you will need to make loudness adjustments for each speaker to create the appropriate balance.
More help can be found at Crutchfield...
H a p p y
H o m e
T h e a t e r i n g !
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