Home Theatre Speaker System Options

Your home theatre system will probably use surround sound, which usually features five to seven speakers, to emulate the movie theatre expeience. A speaker called a subwoofer is the anchor with the other speakers spaced evenly around the room so that the sounds “surround” the audience.

Generally, speaker wires connect the receiver to the speakers, which means some wiring that you’ll want to cover or otherwise conceal for aesthetics and safety. Drilling holes in the ceiling or floor will work. Running the wires along the edges of the floor or ceiling, taping them down, or hiding them under carpeting have all been tried and usually work fine.

The best way to solve the problem for your modern home theatre system is the wireless speaker system. There are still some functionality glitches between the components, but the technology is improving with the newer models which perform very well.

Usually, the rear speakers are the of the wireless variety, and the speakers closest to the receiver will still require wiring, but you’ll find some convenience built into such systems.

Infrared Wireless Speakers

The infrared technology usually found in remote controls is used in wireless speakers as well. Infrared speakers usually don’t have interference problems, but you still have to maintain a “line of sight” between them, so you won’t be able to hide the speakers behind a couch or other furniture.

Like a microwave transmitter used by cable providers to get their programming, the transmission and receiving points have to be clear of interference.

Radio Wave Wireless

Radio frequency transmission also works to provide sound to speakers, and doesn’t necessitate a “line of sight” transmission, but you might experience problems with your other electronics that also use radio waves, like cordless phones, wi-fi routers, microwave ovens or other appliances.

Cheaper models of wireless speaker systems (usually less than 1000 megaherz), are more susceptible to interference than the more powerful, and more expensive cousins in the 2.4 gigaherz range.

Any wireless speaker system can experience interference from any number of sources, though, even passing emergency vehicles and neighbors with powerful appliances and systems that use the same technology.

Bluetooth to the Rescue

Bluetooth technology that specializes in cell phones, is also introducing products which will improve, or eliminate, interference problems. Bluetooth uses fast-switching between frequencies, 1600 times per second, to eliminate interference from external sources.

For now, Bluetooth must be located close to it’s source, and that means putting your speakers within 30 feet of the receiver. Look for improvements in wireless technology, but eliminating wires is something you might find necessary depending on the configuration at your home. 

Wireless and SAF

The wireless home speaker system is still and improvement over cumbersome wired-variety speakers. Perhaps the best reason is what a gentleman named Chris Kyriakakis of USC calls the SAF, or Spouse Approval Factor.

He says wireless home theatre speaker systems pay dividends in the SAF category over dangling, taped or drilled-hole variety. A little interference may be worth the gains from the SAF factor.