A Review Of Wireless Speaker Kits For Your Home

Latest-generation wireless audio products such as iPods, iPhones and wireless surround sound products promise to cut the cord while delivering crystal-clear audio. We will look at some of the most recent products to find out which applications they work for.
Some products come with wireless already built in while others, in particular streaming audio products, often have optional wireless capability. Newest touch-screen iPods and iPhones already have WiFi and Bluetooth built in.
Bluetooth is fairly common as a low-cost wireless solution. However, Bluetooth does have some drawbacks. These weaknesses are often overlooked but will have an impact on high-quality audio applications.
1) Short range
The range of Bluetooth devices is typically only 30 ft. This excludes Bluetooth from multi-room applications.
2) Limited data transmission capacity
Bluetooth will apply audio compression since it does not reliably offer a high-enough data rate for uncompressed audio. Audio compression will degrade the audio quality to some extent. High-quality audio transmission typically does not tolerate this type of degradation. Therefore Bluetooth is normally not used in high-end audio products.
3) Audio delay
The audio will experience a delay of at least 10 ms mostly due to the audio compression which is a problem for real-time audio applications but less critical for MP3 players.
4) No support of multiple headphones
Bluetooth cannot stream to multiple headphones at the same time. This may be a problem in cases where several people want to listen to the same Bluetooth transmitter.
Another common protocol is WiFi which supports uncompressed audio but also has problems simultaneously streaming to multiple receivers. It is convenient for streaming music from a PC due to the high availability but is normally not used in wireless headphone products due to the relatively high power consumption of WiFi.

Home wireless speaker products and wireless amplifiers normally use proprietary protocols. These protocols are specially designed for real-time audio applications. However, entry-level wireless speakers and headphones still use FM transmission. FM transmission suffers from fairly high audio distortion and hiss / static.
More recent wireless audio protocols are based on digital transmission. This avoids audio degradation. Some protocols also incorporate error correction to deal with interference from other wireless devices.
Newest-generation wireless amplifiers allow streaming to an unlimited number of receivers and support uncompressed audio transmission.
The audio latency of these wireless amplifiers is normally between 1 ms and 20 ms. A small-latency amplifier is critical for home theater audio. This ensures that all speakers will be in sync. Wireless audio transmitters typically work at 2.4 GHz or sometimes in the less crowded 5.8 GHz frequency band.
Wireless amplifiers offer different levels of audio quality, output power and standby power. Wireless Class-D amplifiers normally have standby power of 5 Watts or less and a power efficiency of greater than 80% but sometimes high audio distortion. Picking a low-distortion amplifier is key. Good-quality wireless amplifiers have audio distortion of less than 0.05%.

Two Essential Factors to Consider Before Buying A Home Theater System

There are different types of home theater systems which include 7.1, 5.1 and 2.1. In these systems, the first digit usually refers to the number of main speakers and the .1 refers to a subwoofer. Most of you might think while having so many speakers, a subwoofer is of no importance. But you must know that a sub-woofer is really necessary because many speakers do not deliver the high level of bass which is important while listening to music jazz.
Therefore, you must be aware of all the components of a home theater before you buy a home theater system for your house.
Sound Quality
Normally, if you are looking to install your home theater in a large room then you must pick at least 10-inch woofer cone. Instead, if t is a small room than a 5.1 home theater system will do for it which has 5 main speakers and one subwoofer. This includes 2 Surround Speakers, 2 front speakers and one centre-channel speaker where as in case of a 7.1 speaker system there are 2 more rear speakers in addition to the above. Hence, you can choose any of the above home theater systems according to your desire.
After selecting the best type of sound system for your room theater, the next thing is to experience the wound quality manually. A best sound system would produce the output sound from different speakers for movie dialogue and background music. This can be felt by the minor delay caused in the output sound. However, this is difficult to detect but a clear understanding of this will give you an idea about the difference in sound from different speakers.
Video Quality
If you are satisfied with the sound quality of the home theater then the most important thing is its video quality. The picture and video quality of a theater is the one which pays off your money for a brand new home theater. The picture display must be of high quality 3D in HD. Make sure that the video connection for the DVD player component connection and is better than S-video or composite video. The advantage with this is that if can transmit up to 480p video along with HD video signals using three separate jacks.

In this Scenario, the HDMI connection stands out the best. This is because it can transfer HD video signals using a single cable for both audio and video signals and hence, increasing the frequency of the audio and video signals. Therefore having HDMI signal would ensure that the frequency signals are not reduced due to different cables for audio and video and hence, the system less input power and gives maximum output.
Now, it is important to use the best player suitable to your need. Most of the DVD players gives an output of 480i or 480p (scan lines of progressive scan). This is good for a normal TV but nowadays most users have high definition TV like LCD or Plasma. Therefore, if you have such high definition TV in your room then it is preferable to go with a player which can deliver HD quality such as 1080p. Blu-ray disc player is the best example of high quality players that can be connected to a home theater system.
Therefore, before you buy a home theater system ensure that the system comprises all the above components and make sure that it has the capacity to withstand and deliver the goods. Apart from the above said, small other things must also be kept in mind like the USB ports. The usage becomes lot easy if the player has ports for USB and memory so that you can play your files directly from your desktop or iPod. Finally, ask the retailer to provide you with one month exchange warranty if at all you are not satisfied with the equipment.

Trouble Shooting Home Theater Audio Problems

Experiencing audio problems with your new home cinema system can be very frustrating since sound is one of the basic elements of the home theater experience.Many people would likely agree that the audio quality of a home theater system is just as crucial and possibly even more so than the home theater system video quality. An excellent audio element makes the cinema come to life right in your residence.

There are many problems which can arise with your sound system. Some are significant and necessitate replacement of home theater components. Others can be fixed with a minor adjustment. This is not a complete troubleshooting manual, but rather some advice for you if your home theater system provides poor sound quality.

Usually your first thought might be to conclude that your poor audio quality is caused by your speakers, before you immediately race out to purchase a new home theater surround sound speaker package, check the basic things first.

The problem might not be in the speakers, but in the amplifier or the connections from the amplifier. Checking and ensuring that the speakers are correctly connected on both ends is the first step.
After the connections pass examination, the next step is to check if the problem lies with the amplifier or audio speaker. Some of the lower end home theater systems come with low powered amps. Most often they do not supply sufficient power to speakers to produce the quality audio you desire. This may show up particularly if the room is large when the sound doesn't fill up the room.

To determine if it is indeed the amplifier then hook up your speakers to a stereo; this generally will have a more powerful amp. If the speaker quality improves then the problem probably lies in your home theater amplifier. If you can not distinguish any difference, then your speakers could possibly be at fault.

Poor cable installation and audio speaker cable are another possible cause for consideration. Cheap workmanship can lower audio quality and home theater packages often come equipped with inexpensive poor quality cables.
If you experience problems with your theater system, it is always best to assume the problem lies in the connections between components first and then suspect the components themselves. To ensure a great sound experience ensure that everything is properly connected, your amp is of sufficient power, and the cables are of high quality. If a person makes use of these basic easy precautions a significant amount of frustration can be eliminated. If your home theater sound isn't where you need it to be, use those hints as a blueprint as you analyze your system. If it really is time to look for new components, consider those directives as you make your next purchase.

Advantages of Home Theater Systems

Have you ever wondered why people prefer to pay just to watch movie at the cinema? The answer is simple. It is simply because the sound system is excellent and the screen is bigger. This is great if you are watching action movies. However, with the advance technology today, home theater system is designed to bring satisfaction to users who want to enjoy watching movie at home. This system will give the amazing experience that you just can't get from a normal television set. It consists of a big screen LCD and a set of speakers.
Here are some of the main advantages of having home theater system at home. First of all, the main important difference of using this system is the sound effects. You can just compare the sound quality with an ordinary television. Using this system, you can actually listen to each and every word clearly including the breathing and sigh sounds. The good thing is the sound projection is 180 degree. You will have left, right and center speakers so that the sounds are spread evenly in your living room. If you can listen clearly, some of the movies has different soundtrack coming from the right speaker and left speaker. This is the sound system effect for most of the action movies.

Another great thing about this home theater system is the screen. You are able to watch your movies clearly and watch in the dark. Using this system, the images are clearer and sharper compared to using normal television. Some people may not feel the need to watch movie at a bigger screen but you will surely feel the difference as you don't have to stress your eyes watching movies at a small screen television.
These are among the great experiences of having a home theater system at home. Now, you don't have to queue for hours and spend extra bucks just to buy your movie ticket. You can always watch movies at home at your own comfort zone and during your leisure time!

Buy Cheap Home Audio Subwoofers

So you experienced good sound in your car and you want to bring the same music to your living room. This is possible.
Home audio subwoofers are now available for your purchase. When investing in one, the same rules on car audio subwoofers apply.
In a home theater system, the subwoofer is the biggest speaker. This is usually hidden in the back of the room but this is the unit that carries the lowest bass sound signals.
When you're watching a movie that showcases the sound of thunder or the crash of earthquake, you would think that it is actually happening within your home.
If you have one, it's like you brought the movie house to your loved ones. You can truly be immersed in the DVDs that you pop in.
Those who want to buy are on a lookout for nice looking subwoofers to add to their home theater sound system. Home audio subwoofers, even when hidden, are still designed for aesthetic purposes.
There is something about speakers that are appealing to the audiophile and the movie lover. It may not be as portable as car subwoofers so if you are buying one, make sure that this is the one you will really use in your home. This should also be something that you can benefit from for a long period time.

The first thing you should do is set it up in such a way that it will look good in your living room. The wires shouldn't be cluttered. You can do this by getting the high-gauge cables and set it up near the speakers.
You should also double check whether the amplifier goes well with your subwoofers and speakers. Like in car subwoofers, the home audio subwoofers should be compatible with both the speakers and the amplifier.
You may have the top notch home audio subwoofers available in the market today but if these don't work well with your speakers and your amplifiers, then it would just be pointless.
Setting it up is easy, you can even do it yourself. You just have to connect the line level cable from the subwoofer preamp output of the AV receiver. Then you can plug this into the subwoofer.
When you turn this on, modulate the volume in your ideal level. You can also manipulate the settings so that the home audio subwoofers give you the sound that you've been meaning to hear.

Eliminating that Terrible Hum From Your Home Theater Speakers

You've all heard it, that dreaded 60Hz hum through the speakers of a home theater or house audio system. Hopefully you heard it at a friend's house and not your own. It can drive you completely nuts. You may have even tried, unsuccessfully, to fix the little noise problem. That can make you even more crazy. What causes that horrendous noise through your speakers?
More often than not humming through your speakers is caused by a grounding problem. There are three main ground problems that cause problems in an audio / video system. These are ground loops, improper grounding and lack of a ground altogether. The other possible culprits that can cause noise are bad cables, a faulty piece of equipment or electrical noise from a lighting dimmer or electric motor. There are steps you can take to troubleshoot the noise and eliminate it from you theater.
The first step is find out where it is coming from. Disconnect your source and display equipment from your receiver or surround sound processor. If the noise stops, connect them back to the receiver or processor on at a time until the noise returns. When the hum comes back, you found where the noise is entering your system. Note that if you are connecting remote equipment, such as running the signal from your theater room DVD player to the TV in the bedroom, your chances to pick up noise increase dramatically. With such long runs, noise can be induced into the long cable runs from adjacent electrical wiring. It is also easy to create a ground loop, because the equipment is plugged into two different, widely separated outlets, on different electrical circuits.
If the noise is caused by a cable box, the noise is likely caused by the cable TV ground. To test this theory, disconnect the incoming cable TV feed to the rear of the cable box or TV while they are still connected to the rest of the system. If the noise is eliminated by disconnecting the TV cable, the problem is the cable TV ground. You can electrically decouple the cable TV feed from your system with a ground breaking transformer. These are available from many sources. Be advised that many newer, digital cable TV systems require any device in the signal chain to pass a full 1,000 Mhz. Some of the older ground break transformers will not do this. Be sure to check the specifications of whatever device you are purchasing to verify it will pass the digital cable TV signal.
If the noise is from your projector, TV, or monitor, it is most likely caused because the video display device is plugged into a different outlet than the other a/v equipment. It could be on a different circuit as well. These circuits may have two different ground potentials. That is, the resistance to ground is different on each circuit. A difference in resistance to ground from one ground point to another can cause the dreaded ground loop. If you get a ground loop, current flows between the two components. If the current flows through the components internal audio signal ground, you will get a hum.

You can use an isolation transformer, similar to the type used for cable TV ground problems, to eliminate the electrical connection from one component to the other. These transformers are inserted in line with the audio signal connection between the two components. If there is no audio connection between the components, the problem may be current flowing through the video portion. In this case, a video isolation transformer should be used to eliminate the ground loop.
Sometimes power conditioners will stop noise problems by placing equipment on different, electrically isolated outlets. This is done using isolation transformers. Sometimes this is ineffective however, due to the differences in internal construction of different power conditioning equipment. Some safety regulations, such as UL 1950, specify that an isolation transformer is only allowed to isolate the hot and neutral wires; the grounding wire must be passed straight through. If this is the case, the ground loop problem may still exist because many communication circuits are connected to the grounding conductor and not the neutral. In this case, the isolation transformer, or any power conditioner or UPS with an isolation transformer will have absolutely no affect on the grounding problem.
The noise may be generated externally, from a dimmer or refrigerator compressor for example, and coming in through the main power input on the audio video equipment. In this case, a high quality power conditioner may be effective in reducing or eliminating the noise problem. You may also find that one of the signal interconnecting cables in your system is faulty. This can also cause noise problems. Check for this by swapping the cables with one that you know to be good.
You can solve most noise problems in your home theater or multi room audio/video system by taking the systematic, step-by-step approach. Work your way up the signal chain, eliminating each piece of equipment as you go. If you have nothing connected to your speakers except the speaker wiring, and they still hum, the problem is noise induced into the speaker wiring from adjacent power cables. Other than that case, most problems are caused by ground problems, which you can find, and solve, if you take it one step at a time.