Perfecting My Theater Room

3 Common Mistakes When Purchasing And Installing Home Theater Speakers

The quality of the speakers that you select for your home theater can make a huge difference in your overall viewing experience. However, there are so many speakers available to you that it can feel overwhelming when making a selection. That's why you'll want to know some of the common mistakes people make when selecting and installing home theater speakers. 

Mistake 1: Selecting The Wrong Speaker Type

All speakers are not created equal, since some actually serve a unique purpose based on their placement. Some speakers are better suited as center speakers because they will produce the unique high tones used for dialogue and help you hear people speak clearly. Other speakers may be best for the surround speakers, which produce sounds in the low and mid-range for sound effects and ambiance. Make sure that you understand what kind of speaker you are purchasing and if it serves the purpose you need.

Mistake 2: Installing The Speakers Incorrectly

The goal of installing speakers is to place them in parts of the room where the sound directs towards the main seating position. This can sometimes mean placing speakers in ways that are out in the open or in spaces that are a bit inconvenient. Speakers are not supposed to be installed in a way where they are hidden or directing sound in unwanted directions.

You'll want to avoid doing things like placing speakers on bookshelves or hiding them in walls. This causes sound to reverberate off other surfaces instead of having a direct path to your ears. Be prepared to use speaker stands or mount them on the wall so that the speakers point to you. Nobody will care that you can see the speakers when the lights are off, but you sure can hear the difference.

Mistake 3: Not Calibrating Your Speakers

There are plenty of tools that you can use to calibrate your speakers to ensure that the sound hits your ears all at the same time from every direction. Many surround sound receivers allow you to modify the delay, which can account for the speaker distance when some speakers are further away than others. There are even apps you can use to listen to the sound and tell you what modifications need to be made. 

It will take some time to calibrate your speakers, but it will be well worth it in the end. You'll get the full surround sound experience and won't have to worry about audio being out of sync with the picture. For more information on speakers like Paradigm speakers, contact a professional near you.


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