3 Keys for Building a Home Theater System

When watching movies or big events like the Super Bowl and World Cup, a good set home theater system is necessary when watching at home. Although it is easy enough to watch on TV, tablet or smartphone, home theater system improves viewing and listening experience to the next level. You may think building a home theater system is expensive and lavish, but thanks to the development of technology, it is much easier and cheaper to have a custom theater system at home.

1. Location

The first thing to think about when building a home theater system is the location and space. It might be the main living room area, a spare bedroom or basement. No matter where you plan for the home theater system, be sure to make enough distance between screen to seats. Don't sit too close, or too far away. Thanks to the online home theater calculators, things get easier when figuring the optimal viewing distances.

2. Speakers and subwoofers

Speakers are crucial to the home theater system. High-quality speakers turn home theater sound reproduction into a fine art. A 5.1 surround sound is the commonly used layout in the home theater system. It uses 5 full-range speakers and 1 low-range one, meaning to have a front left and right, a center channel, 2 surround channels, and a subwoofer.

The center speaker will reproduce almost all the dialogue and should be set directly in front and centered above or below the display or screen. Don't place it in a media center for it will change the tonality of the speaker. The main front speakers go to the left and right of the center channel and should be set up symmetrical to center speaker and screen. You can have a friend moving the speakers while you sitting and listening. The surround speakers are designed to enhance no-localized sound that envelops the viewer's experience. The tweeter height of these speakers should be placed at the ear level, meaning that they should be positioned on stands or wall-mounted. At last, the surround speakers, place them just to the sides or slightly behind your seating position. Same as the front speakers, it should be above the ear level, so it is better to be wall mounted or placed on stands.

3. Control the ambient light

Ambient light is the light from sources outside of the theater, like the natural light through windows, doors or even floor. When planning for the home theater system, limit ambient light is needed, for light-bleed effect will kill projection images and decrease the viewing experience. Therefore, choosing a space with little ambient light or putting on the thick light-blocking curtains for your theater room is crucial for a better viewing experience.

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