Soundbars, however, usually are all-in-one units (or offer a wireless solution for rear speakers). AV receivers, generally, require you to run cables in the wall or ceiling to reach speakers. This is a personal preference, and comes down to where you live. However, those wanting something a bit more complicated (and tunable) will want to opt for custom setups with AV receivers.Ī/V receiver or soundbars for surround sound? This can be quite a bit to understand, so generally, we recommend our readers to opt for a soundbar that falls into one of the below categories for ease-of-use and setup. What you want to shop for is the right balance of wattage output alongside other elements like efficiency, sensitivity, and dispersion. So, when shopping for audio equipment, just because it has a high wattage output doesn’t mean that it’ll sound great and be loud.
In both situations, the wattage rating is the maximum power input that the speaker can handle, not necessarily how much energy that the speaker will output.Īccording to Sweetwater Sound, a well-known name in the sound industry, each time you double the wattage output, you only gain 3dB more volume. However, speakers that are part of a soundbar generally have their power. Generally speaking, home theater speakers that are wired to an AV receiver aren’t powered in and of themselves. What wattage on a speaker means is how much power that specific item can handle. Loud doesn’t mean good always, despite what many believe.
Just because a system has a high wattage output doesn’t necessarily mean that it will sound good. You’ll see “200W output” and maybe not know exactly what that means. The first thing you’ll find when shopping for a new sound system is wattage. Dolby Atmos? 5.2-Channels? 7.1.4-Channels? Let’s break it down for you. When shopping for home theater systems, it can be quite confusing.
#DOLBY 5.1 SPEAKER SETUP TV#
Most built-in TV speakers aren’t that good. That’s where surround sound comes in, offering multiple channels of audio to make your movie-watching experience more immersive.
#DOLBY 5.1 SPEAKER SETUP MOVIE#
That’s not realistic, as there is some audio in a movie or TV show that would naturally happen to the side of you, behind you, or even above you. Most TVs offer just two channels in front of you, meaning that all audio from a movie will come from in front of you. Surround sound is precisely that, sound that surrounds you. However, you can be looking at the most beautiful TV screen in existence, yet if it has a terrible sound, you’ll not want to watch a single thing on it. Have you ever been somewhere that had a semi-decent TV, yet fantastic audio? You likely didn’t notice the TV’s display quite as much. Arguably, sound is more important than a great display. In this series, we’ll go over everything you need to look for when shopping for new home theater gear.
#DOLBY 5.1 SPEAKER SETUP HOW TO#
Or, maybe you want the most immersive audio experience possible, but aren’t quite sure how to get it. Maybe you’re not quite sure what “Dolby Atmos Surround Sound” is, but your friend told you that you just had to have it over standard setups. Whether you’re in the market for a new TV, sound system, speakers, or something entirely different, there are a lot of terms going around. Shopping for new home theater gear can be quite confusing.