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When looking at home theater speakers, there are some basics which will help one to find a system which will be truly enjoyable. For the sake of this discussion, all systems will be called 5 channel. Should one want to get a 7 channel system, the same guidelines will apply.
Those basics are:
1. Timbre matching of the 5 speakers. Timbre matching is nothing more than having the 5 speakers be as close to each other as possible, in terms of performance. The safest way to ensure this is to buy 5 identical loudspeakers.
Five identical loudspeakers will allow for a seamless transfer across the soundstage (think left to right / right to left ) as well as back and forth.
When the jet zooms across one's room, it should not sound like 3 separate speakers are playing the sound - it should be cohesive.
Five identical speakers is the ideal method for accomplishing this. Several companies offer excellent 5.25 woofer and 6.5 inch woofer "bookshelf" style speakers which will fit this ideal. These speakers are easily wall mounted, and can provide excellent performance at a very low price. One will typically find 5 identical speakers in the price range of $750 to $1000 for the full set from several of the Internet Direct companies, with some as low as $500 for 5 speakers.
2. Speakers which are neutral sounding. Some speakers will have a forward midrange or treble response, which can seem exciting in the short term, but will usually cause listening fatigue in the long term. What we want here is a speaker which is roughly +/- 3 dB from 65 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
3. A good subwoofer: A subwoofer has one primary job: To augment bass response from 100 Hz and down, and to do so while being able to play as loudly to one's ears as the 5 speakers can play.
For the budget buyer, it is recommended to look at a subwoofer for one's system with the following basic steps. Once each letter has been accomplished, then the next letter is the next goal.
A. A linear response curve from 32 Hz up to and through the crossover to the 5 main speakers. This will yield a very good sounding system, and the subwoofer will add a lot of slam to the movie enjoyment. At this level, the system is already exceeding what one hears in most movie theaters. It will typically require at least an 8 inch driver to achieve 32 Hz. Budget about $200-$250.
B. Now let's extend the response curve to 25 Hz. We are now entering the realm where bass can be felt as well as heard. Once one has this type of bass, going back to less will be difficult. Now we are typically looking at 10 inch drivers. You can count on spending $350 or more.
C. Now we kick the response to 18 Hz. We are getting into serious bass here. Remember, we need the response to stay linear, and this gets difficult when entering infrasonic bass. We are now looking at 12, 13.5 and 15 inch drivers. This depth of bass usually starts at a price point of about $600.
D. Now we got for bass down to the lower teens - and we are into the over $1000 upwards to several thousand dollars.
Those basics are:
1. Timbre matching of the 5 speakers. Timbre matching is nothing more than having the 5 speakers be as close to each other as possible, in terms of performance. The safest way to ensure this is to buy 5 identical loudspeakers.
Five identical loudspeakers will allow for a seamless transfer across the soundstage (think left to right / right to left ) as well as back and forth.
When the jet zooms across one's room, it should not sound like 3 separate speakers are playing the sound - it should be cohesive.
Five identical speakers is the ideal method for accomplishing this. Several companies offer excellent 5.25 woofer and 6.5 inch woofer "bookshelf" style speakers which will fit this ideal. These speakers are easily wall mounted, and can provide excellent performance at a very low price. One will typically find 5 identical speakers in the price range of $750 to $1000 for the full set from several of the Internet Direct companies, with some as low as $500 for 5 speakers.
2. Speakers which are neutral sounding. Some speakers will have a forward midrange or treble response, which can seem exciting in the short term, but will usually cause listening fatigue in the long term. What we want here is a speaker which is roughly +/- 3 dB from 65 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
3. A good subwoofer: A subwoofer has one primary job: To augment bass response from 100 Hz and down, and to do so while being able to play as loudly to one's ears as the 5 speakers can play.
For the budget buyer, it is recommended to look at a subwoofer for one's system with the following basic steps. Once each letter has been accomplished, then the next letter is the next goal.
A. A linear response curve from 32 Hz up to and through the crossover to the 5 main speakers. This will yield a very good sounding system, and the subwoofer will add a lot of slam to the movie enjoyment. At this level, the system is already exceeding what one hears in most movie theaters. It will typically require at least an 8 inch driver to achieve 32 Hz. Budget about $200-$250.
B. Now let's extend the response curve to 25 Hz. We are now entering the realm where bass can be felt as well as heard. Once one has this type of bass, going back to less will be difficult. Now we are typically looking at 10 inch drivers. You can count on spending $350 or more.
C. Now we kick the response to 18 Hz. We are getting into serious bass here. Remember, we need the response to stay linear, and this gets difficult when entering infrasonic bass. We are now looking at 12, 13.5 and 15 inch drivers. This depth of bass usually starts at a price point of about $600.
D. Now we got for bass down to the lower teens - and we are into the over $1000 upwards to several thousand dollars.
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