The first option is one of the more affordable home surround sound systems on available.  It’s made by Sony and this specific model is the HTSS360 5.1 Channel Home Theater System in black.  It’s listed at $349.99 but Amazon.com has this model available at $274.36 which is a great deal.  This system is a great fit for blu-ray disc movies and for any advanced video game system.  It’s extremely easy to set up and won’t take up much space since it’s designed with a slim look.  There are three HDMI inputs which will allow you to connect HD cables.  It’s extremely important to make sure any system is optimized for HD, since most TVs are High-def these days.  If you have a Bravia TV, it will look great together as they cosmetically match up.  It also comes with a built in decoder, which consists of dolby pro logic II, dolby digital and a DTS decoder.  The output wattage is 1000.  It’s no fluke that this is one of Amazon’s best sellers.  For this price, this is a great deal!

The second option for your home surround sound system is on the expensive side of the spectrum.  When I think of speakers, Bose always comes to mind and they’ve done a great job with their Bose Lifestyle V20 Home Theater System.  This surround sound system can be purchased for $1,799.00.  This is an extremely versatile system which can accommodate your blu-ray discs or HD-dvd player.  This system has a unique feature called direct/reflecting speakers which are only 4.5 inches high.  If you’re looking to compliment your flat screen TV, this Bose unit has a great look.  Included in this system is an acoustimass module which can really hit those low notes.  You really won’t be able to see much hardware, since the speakers are extremely small.  They’ve created a real chic display panel and that will be the only component visible.  The control system is sophisticated which allows you to receive synchronized audio and video with just the touch of a button on the remote.  They’ve also included a built-in video up-scaling system which means the system will always use the best resolution that can possibly be displayed.  Now the most unique feature to this surround sound system is the Adaptiq system, which was created to make adjustments according to the room the system is set up in.  It sure is on the pricey side, but this system will last for many years.  The sound is truly incredible!

Those are two great options if you’re searching for home surround sound systems.  There are many options in between these two, but these are two of my favorites on the expensive side and on the more affordable side.  Regardless of your budget, adding a home surround sound system will be a great improvement than your stock speakers on your TV.  So good luck with your new system and hope you enjoy the new sweet sounds!

Many people wonder how a ceiling speaker or in wall speakers work.  Ceiling speakers and in-wall speakers work the same way a regular speaker does.  The difference is that instead of taking up space on your cabinet its set into your ceiling or your wall after it’s mounted in a frame.  The ceiling or wall cavity replaces the cabinet and this actually creates more bass than a traditional standing speaker of the same size.

In ceiling speakers tend to come in a circular shape, while in-wall speakers are usually rectangular.  However, a rectangular speaker can be installed in the ceiling and circular speakers can be installed in your wall.  It’s all a matter of preference.  If you want to camouflage the speakers into the ceiling or wall, it’s very easy to pain the speakers.  A ceiling speaker and in wall speaker usually come with a grill that can be painted in order to blend in and look sharp.

Once you’re ready to begin your search for an in ceiling speaker system or in wall speaker system, be certain you know where you would like to install them and how you’ll use them.  For example, speakers in your kitchen would obviously be different than a system in your home theatre.  You’ll want more powerful speakers for the theatre and you’ll need more speakers to install there than in the kitchen for some light tunes.

Here’s where it can get a bit tricky; determining which type of speaker you want.  There are a few really important factors you should keep in mind while you shop.  Frequency response (Hz) determines how much a speaker can reproduce and how a human can hear it.  This number will obviously vary depending on budget and the size of the room, but a human hearing is usually around 20-20,000 Hz.  Then consider the wattage (power handling) of the ceiling speaker or in wall speaker.  This will help you figure out how much power you need running from your amp to safely push your speakers.  20-100 watts should be paired with an RMS receiver at 100-watts.  Then there’s the sensitivity (dB) to consider.  This will determine how efficient your speaker uses the power from the amp.  The higher the sensitivity, the less strenuous on your amp.

There are several other options to consider while shopping for your ceiling speaker.  These are all a matter of style, but consider tweeters, tone controls, and sub woofers.  If you’re in a humid area, such as a kitchen or bathroom, look for moisture-control speakers.

There are many options when you’re searching for a ceiling speaker system or in wall speaker system.  Make sure to shop around before making your purchase.  Always use in-wall and ceiling safe wire when you’re installing these speakers.  Enjoy your new sound system!

Once you’ve purchased the right home theater surround sound system for your home, it’s time to set it up.  Start by making some adjustments on the setup menu.  If it’s a 5.1/6.1 A/V receiver and you’ve never made adjustments on the setup menu, chances are it’s probably not at its best.  The first change will be adjusting the speaker size, so select the speaker size for each location (front speakers, side and center).  Anything larger than six inches (including bigger woofers), is a large speaker.  You’ll need a tape measure for the next step.  The menu will ask you to input the distance from the speakers to the listeners.  This is to guarantee that the receivers send the sound from the speakers to your ears at the same time.  If they ask you to input the sound in milliseconds, the formula is simple.  1ms is equal to one foot.  Finally, check the levels of the speakers and make sure they’re all on the same level.  Try a test tone from your receiver and send a test to each speaker.  If you’re having a hard time confirming the levels by ear, you can always purchase a sound level meter.

The next steps in maximizing your home theater surround sound system are a bit easier.  We all know that it’s very easy to mix up wires, especially when they’re tangled up behind the A/V receiver.  Confirm that the sounds are coming out of the correct speakers.  Then adjust the subwoofer levels and the crossover controls.  It’s pretty common to have the woofers louder than they need to be.  If it’s coming through as an uneven sound or too thick of a sound, it’s probably too high.  The crossover control settings depend on the size of your satellites.  You should set your crossover control at a midlevel or a bit higher if your satellite is on the smaller side.  If the sub is hidden in a corner, I recommend moving it closer to the front speakers as this can create a smoother and flatter bass.

This brings me to the point of optimizing your speaker placement.  You may want to consider purchasing speaker stands or brackets.  If you want to get really creative, you can even do in-wall speakers or a ceiling speaker, but this will require some custom work for your home theater surround sound system.  Keeping the speakers in a cabinet or bookcase will decrease the quality of the sound.  If you don’t do the custom work or purchase the stands, always make sure your front speakers are sitting at ear level to where you’ll be enjoying your movies.  The front speakers should also sit with the tweeters.  Then make sure the left and right speakers are set at an equal distance to your position.

Your next step is an option if you’re room doesn’t provide great acoustics.  Rooms with a lot of windows, mirrors, tiled or wood floors usually have an overly zippy sound.  This can easily be fixed with some drapes or a thick rug to absorb some of the sound.

With these simple steps, your home theater surround sound system can sound even better than it already does!  Once you make these changes, you’ll notice the difference and it will be time to sit back and enjoy your home theater surround sound system!

The first essential element in creating your high end home theater will depend on the size of the room you’re planning on setting up in.  The size of the room is important in figuring out the size of the TV or projector.  You’ll also want to take note of how much ambient light is present in the room and what types of walls are in the room.  Carpet vs. no carpet will also make a difference in your high end home theater.  The walls and ceiling are important if you’re planning on installing in-wall speakers or ceiling speakers.  If you’re planning on using free space or a custom cabinet, make sure to take measurements.  This can also affect the sound.  There are many different stores that can consult on these matters and send over a high end home theater specialist/installer if you think you need the help.

Once you have the room sorted out, it’s time to find the appropriate video display device.  Without this device, there’s no home theater, so it’s important to find something that will live up to your viewing expectations!  There are several different options when choosing the display device; flat panel LCD or Plasma TV’s, a rear-projection or a video projector.  This is just a matter of preference, but flat screens seem to be the most popular these days.  In order to keep this project heading in the higher end fashion, make sure it’s an HD TV.

The next element of your high end home theater is the sound.  We want to be certain it’s going to provide those thrilling moments like a movie theater does.  You’re options for sound is either an AV receiver or an amplifier/preamplifier combo.  An AV receiver is a combination of a radio tuner, a preamplifier (this will determine where the sound is coming from such as tv, dvd, radio) and a built-in multi channel amplifier (this provides the power to the speakers).

An AV surround sound receiver or separate preamplifier/amplifier is the device that is responsible for providing the inputs and outputs that everything runs through, such as your TV.  If you want to keep everything on the high end side, I’d recommend going with separate components; a tuner, preamp, a multi-channel amp

The Home Theater, AV, Surround Sound receiver is the heart of a home theater system and provides most, if not all, the inputs and outputs that you connect everything, including your television, into. A Receiver provides an easy and cost-effective way of centralizing your home theater system.  This will provide more flexibility in your high end home theater.

In order to produce the highest quality sound, you’ll need some high end speakers and a subwoofer.  Once again, these two components will depend on the size of the room.  Always test them out before making a purchase.

Now that you know the major elements you’ll need for your high end home theater, it’s time to get started!  I hope this guide has helped you in your search and soon enough you’ll be lounging back in your own home theater!

Let’s first figure out if you need a subwoofer in your home theater.  Typically people have a hearing frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz.  A quality system should be able to reproduce within this range.  However, there’s a good chance they can’t reproduce the lowest frequencies and a subwoofer can solve this issue.

Low frequency sound waves tend to last longer than higher frequency sound waves.  This is where a subwoofer comes into play.  A subwoofer has more power and is able to reproduce the low frequency sound waves at a higher quality.  Now you’ll be able to enjoy those thrilling moments and deep sounds that make movies and shows so exciting.

Traditional standing speakers (large ones) can also deliver a nice deep sounding bass.  If you really want to maximize the sounds, then adding a home theater subwoofer will take the sounds to the next level!  The traditional speakers don’t deliver the low frequency sounds like home theater subwoofers, since they don’t have as much power as a subwoofer.

There several key components of home theater subwoofers to consider when you’re shopping around.  There’s a huge selection out there, so lets narrow it down for you.  The first thing to look for is the power and the size of the subwoofer.  The more powerful the amp for the subwoofer is (it’s often built into the subwoofer), the more bass it will supply.  So if you’re room is on the larger side or you just love the taste of the bass, then look for a sub with a powerful amp.  The driver size will also determine how much bass is produced, so if you want some serious bass I’d look for at least a 10” or 12” woofer.

Subwoofers have what’s called a woofer cone that moves in order to produce the low frequency sound waves.  The woofer cone can be mounted in two different ways; down-firing and front-firing.  When the woofer cone is on the bottom of the subwoofer cabinet, it’s called down-firing.  If it’s on the side of the subwoofer, it’s called front-firing.  This is just a matter of preference, as neither one is necessarily better than the other.

Now once you have your new home theater subwoofers in hand, it’s time to find the right spot to place the subwoofer.  The good news is that with the sound waves from a subwoofer, the sound spreads very well so it’s very flexible as far as placement.  The only concern to consider is if it will fit in the spot you’re considering or if it’s near the TV, look into a video shielded subwoofer.

Now that you’re all set up with your new home theater subwoofers, sit back and enjoy.  The new sounds will certainly enhance your home theater experience!