Posts Tagged ‘Home’

Home Audio Speakers

Sound, also perceived as the sense of hearing, is an integral part of our lives. Without the ability to hear or reproduce sound we are not complete. Sound is the vibrations that travel through air and can be sensed by our ears. Thus it is a medium of communication. It is used to gather information and knowledge about properties of the environment surrounding us. Sound can travel through air, water, and solids. These help sound waves travel and are known as medium. In normal conditions, human can hear a varied frequency range. But, sometimes we need to amplify the sound output for better quality of hearing. This requires the help of speakers.

Speakers are devices, which convert electromagnetic signals into sound vibrations. Thus speakers are machines that enable us to hear sounds, which have their origin somewhere else. Speakers, also termed as loudspeakers are attached to an audio system, which provides the electromagnetic signals that are then reproduced in the wavelength, which humans can decipher. The loudspeaker is the most variable element in an audio system, and is responsible for marked audible differences between systems.

Home audio systems have come a long way since their inception as just another loudspeaker system. They have become a part and parcel of our every day lives. Today, many versions of home audio systems have evolved into our homes. Technological enhancements have made sure that we can take our audio or sound system wherever we go. As speaker systems are the most important part in the output of sound, they have evolved greatly. Many versions of speaker systems are available in the market today. Depending upon your choice of price and your perception of quality, you can opt for the one that best caters to your requirements.

Speakers are an integral part of any audio system, be it a simple radio or a home theatre system. Home audio speakers are generally multi-drive systems, i.e. they contain two or more drive units. These include woofers, midranges, tweeters, and sometimes horns or super tweeters. A home theatre system is complete only if all the above mentioned add-ons are attached with it to give a theatre-like sound experience. In home audio speaker specifications, the speakers are classified as “N-way” speakers. It indicates the number of bands of different frequency into which the system divides the sound. A 2-way system consists of woofers and tweeters, a 3-way system consists of mid-range speakers with a combination of woofers and tweeters. It depends upon person to person; rather there exists different perceptions towards the quality of sound and thus the drives in a speaker.

If and when you decide upon purchasing a home audio speaker system, you will be spoilt for choice. They come in various ranges of quality and pricing, thus you need to decide carefully what caters to your specific set of requirements. Good audio companies make available a host of choices for speaker systems that can gel with your audio systems. They also provide different designs and creations of speakers that fit into your décor. You can place your systems in such a way that it gives you the optimum output.

Turn Your TV Into a Surround Sound Home Theater

The explosive stereophonic sound which took over movie theaters during the 1950’s has today turned into an exciting home theater experience. Amazing, realistic sounds and a life like movie experience pulled people away from their brand new 50s black and white television sets. As technology advanced, the home theater with dynamic sound was born.

Surround sound systems brought revving car motors and thunderous sounds right into your living room. Surround sound gets it name from a type of sound system where the sound output appears to ‘surround’ the listener. With surround sound speakers placed in strategic locations, sound coming from all directions, creating an exciting experience.

No matter what type of big screen, flat panel, plasma or LCD display TV you have, a surround sound speaker system will enhance it. There are several options you can take including assembling your own system to buying a packaged one. If you assemble your own, you will need about five to seven home theater speakers, a subwoofer, and a multi channel receiver. Many companies sell complete surround sound systems including wireless ones. Probably the easiest way to get started is to buy a (HTIB) Home Theater in a Box which is a prepackaged system and contains everything needed but the kitchen sink and the TV. The speakers are matched for sound and all components work with each other.

Having the best surround sound system you can afford will improve your home theater experience. What first started in the movie theaters of yesteryear has advanced to rich three dimensional sound for your home TV. For those of you looking for a great sound system without the hassles of assembling or building your own, selecting an HTIB is your best bet. The Home Theater in a Box comes complete with everything needed. Set up is easy and within minutes, you will be at the movies without fighting the crowds.

Home Theater Surround Sound: Making Sense Of It All

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, surround sound is named as it is because the sound literally surrounds the listener. While there have recently been significant leaps and bounds in this technology there was a huge gap in time between the introduction of this technology and the significant improvements we have seen in recent years. This is especially true when the evolution of sound technology is compared to how fast the world of video has evolved over the last three decades.

There are many different formats on the market today. This can be confusing for many consumers though the good news is that most devices that interpret the formats do so automatically. In other words, you won’t need a PhD in terminology in order to enjoy the latest blockbuster hit to come out on DVD with your surround sound system. You will however need a good AV receiver and even better speakers in order to get the maximum enjoyment from your home theater and surround sound system.

If you are simply curious or like to know a little about a lot, then you just might find some of the following explanations for common surround sound formats to be useful. Dolby Digital AC-3 is by far the most commonly seen surround sound format. It is a 5.1 channel format (this means five speakers plus one subwoofer). This is what most DVDs will include and some programs that are found on digital cable or satellite channels will have this type of surround sound as well. You can use Dolby Digital for older mediums that do not include surround sound in their format, as surround isn’t required in order to use the system.

Pro Logic is a system used by Dolby in order to translate or decode the signals from other mediums such as old videocassette tapes or television broadcasts. This is becoming widely known for its ability to take two speaker sounds and turn them into shockingly realistic surround imitations.

DTS is the largest competitor for Dolby when it comes to sound. DTS is this company’s answer to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. This is mostly seen only on DVDs.

DTS-ES is the above-mentioned company’s answer to Dolby’s 6.1 surround system (this is 6 speakers plus 1 subwoofer). Of course DTS is also going to have their own answer to Pro Logic and that answer would be DTS NEO:6, which is said to produce great imitations of surround sound from existing 2 channel mediums very much like Pro Logic.

You may be wondering why we went through all of this information and the primary reason is so that you know there is a difference and you purchase equipment and DVDs that are compatible with one another. Failure to do so could result in a sound that is less than desirable. Most systems will at the very least support both Dolby Digital and DTS, however, you should make sure that you are aware of the format your system requires from the start in order to make the proper decisions when purchasing.

Much like anything in life the proper formats and surround sound system comes down to a matter of choice. The more speakers (such as you would find in the 6.1 or 7.1 surround systems) will present a great quality of sound than fewer, however poor quality speakers can completely ruin the beauty of the sound of your surround sound system. Your speakers should be your single largest investment when it comes to building your ideal surround sound system.

There are many things that go into creating not only the perfect surround sound system for your home but also the perfect surround sound set up. Do not get so caught up in researching these systems online that you neglect to walk into your local stores and actually hear the sound systems you are considering for purchase. There is noting like hearing the quality of the sound to help you make your final selection.

Home Theater Setup (surround Sound Speaker Setup)

Home Theater Setup (Surround Sound Speaker Setup)

I am going to assume that you already have a surround sound or home theater amplifier or receiver. There are 3 main home theater speaker configurations which you will see termed 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 channel surround. You will also see mentioned the terms Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro-Logic. There are some other formats such as Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro-logic IIx, Dolby TrueHD, DTS neo:6.1, DTS-ES, TrueSurround XT, and undoubtedly more, but they do not need to be addressed separately as the information below is also relevant for them.

Let’s dispense with Dolby Pro-Logic first: if your receiver is only Pro-Logic (only older receivers at this point) you do not need to worry about 6.1 or 7.1 surround because your system can’t use the extra speakers. The two factors relevant to our discussion are:

1. how many channels does your system permit, and
2. Do you want to buy that many speakers?

All the receivers that support more than 5.1 channels will also work fine with a 5.1 channel setup. Obviously, 7.1 will provide better surround sound than 5.1, but at the expense of two extra speakers. If you have a limited budget you will have to decide whether to buy 5.1 higher quality speakers, or go for cheaper speakers to allow for 7.1 channels. By the way, the .1 channel is the home theater subwoofer. The subwoofer is really needed for home theater. A system will work without it, but I don’t recommend going without for home theater. The center channel is also very important for home theater, serving to anchor the sound to the video screen. These are the recommended placements according to Dolby Labs.

5.1 surround system:

A). Center speaker centered on video source

B). Subwoofer(s) in an arc with the main L & R speakers between speakers and video source

C). L & R front on a 22-30 degree angle from the sitting, on an equidistant arc connecting the center channel and subs

D). L & R surround equidistant and on a 90-110 degree angle from the sitting position

6.1 surround system:

A). Center speaker centered on video source

B). Subwoofer(s) in arc with the main L & R speakers between speakers and video source

C). L & R front on a 22-30 degree angle from the sitting, on an equidistant arc connecting the center channel and subs

D). L & R surround equidistant and on a 90-110 degree angle from the sitting position

E). Rear center 180 degrees (directly behind) the sitting position

7.1 surround system:

A). Center speaker centered on video source

B). Subwoofer(s) in arc with the main L & R speakers between speakers and video source

C). L & R front on a 22-30 degree angle from the sitting, on an equidistant arc connecting the center channel and subs

D). L & R surround equidistant and on a 90-110 degree angle from the sitting position

E). L & R rear equidistant and on a 135-150 degree angle from the listening position.

The descriptions above are the specifications for speaker placement according to Dolby Labs.

Subwoofer Setup

Your subwoofer may have a switch for Dolby Digital / Pro Logic. If your receiver is only capable of Dolby Pro Logic (only older systems) you need to use the Pro Logic inputs and set the crossover frequency properly to match with your main speakers. You may use an 80 Hz setting and adjust the volume properly for a reasonable output. I will not go into this further as almost all systems are capable of Dolby Digital output. If you have a Dolby Digital capable receiver (assuming you are using the sub for home theater purposes) set the switch to Dolby Digital even if you are using a Pro Logic source. The reason for this is that it allows your home theater receiver to manage the bass output & crossover frequency of the bass information. Your receiver will ensure the proper output to the sub in the case of Dolby Pro Logic source material. If you use the Pro Logic inputs only, Dolby Digital programs may not be reproduced properly. The same goes if you have multiple inputs on your sub. If your input is labeled LFE it is the equivalent of a Dolby Digital input. You want to use the input to the RCA style plug (or plugs) if you are using the subwoofer in a surround system. If you have speaker level binding post inputs, these are almost always for using the subwoofer in a non surround sound speaker setup. Preset the subwoofer level control to about halfway before running the white noise test tone to calibrate your receiver speaker levels. You absolutely must run the test and balance your speaker levels to have the surround system perform properly. Don’t worry about the crossover frequency control on the sub for Dolby Digital or better systems. For Pro Logic set it to the point where bass in your main speakers drops off, (or 80 Hz if you can’t find any info, and adjust from there for best sound) which will require looking at the documentation for your speakers.

If you are not using your sub in a surround system, you may, with advantage, use the speaker level inputs on the back of your sub. If you have relatively small speakers without much bass output this can provide a substantial sound quality advantage. The receiver left and right channels are connected directly to the subwoofer, and the left and right speakers connect to the speaker out connectors on the subwoofer. What this does is allow the sub to produce the low bass that the main speakers can not, which of course the other types of connections would do also. The advantage here is the fact that with the subwoofer connected this way, it filters the bass out of the signal to your main speakers, so they speakers never try to produce the bass that they can’t handle. This results in clearer, cleaner sound and more volume capability from your main speakers.

Subwoofer placement is generally as below for other speakers. It is true that bass is omni directional and so you should be able to place a subwoofer anywhere, but as usual this depends on your situation. I play music loud, and can detect where the subwoofer is located by the feel of the vibrations. I find it very distracting to have the bass seem to come from the front of the room, but the vibrations of the bass coming from another direction. I therefore always prefer a subwoofer to the front of the room. The subwoofer should be adjusted in accordance with the setup (pink noise test) procedure of the amplifier it is being used with, if on a surround system. This usually means a crossover point of about 80Hz. If you have a phase switch or knob, set it to the position where the bass sounds the loudest. I also notice that most manufacturers recommend the sub be placed to the front of the room on a horizontal line with the main speakers. (Actually, to make all the speakers an equal distance from the listening position, they would form an arc.)

How to get the most out of your speakers & How to improve your sound quality for no extra money (unless you need speaker cable!)

The first consideration with a new speaker system is placement, and the second is wiring, both of which deserve consideration. We will cover wiring first with some generalities that apply to all kinds of speakers. The placement part will cover in home speakers only.

Wiring your speakers

First and foremost, wire selection can be very important. If your speakers are to be installed in-wall, you will need speaker cable rated cl3 or equivalent. If outdoor speakers, you should try to use what is termed a “direct burial” cable or equivalent.

Next, if you care about the sound quality at all, 22 gauge cable is not recommended. It can be used for very short runs, and is smaller for hiding, but due to resistance you will sacrifice some sound quality. I would recommend 16 gauge wire for most runs, unless you really want to get the best out of your speakers, in which case use 12 gauge or larger. For a long run I would recommend larger than 16 gauge cable. Click here to see our cable article and distance chart. I personally use a good audio quality 12 gauge cable myself, but you will pay more for cable this large. The advantages are better dynamics, and the amplifier can control your speakers better due to low resistance wire. As always, let the price point of your speakers determine the cable. Don’t put expensive cables on cheap speakers, and vice versa. BTW, don’t try to use romex (house wiring) instead of decent quality audio cable. Really, just say no. For so many reasons.

One common question is if fancy cable makes any difference. I must state here that many persons consider the very subject to be so much snake-oil. I personally believe that I can hear some differences, depending on the quality of the associated system. In other words, any hearable differences in cable will be more noticeable in a system with more resolution. Also consider that many listeners not selling cable claim to hear a difference. Consider any double blind tests carefully. I usually can pick holes in the logic behind most of these tests, and point out factors not considered. One perfect example was an amplifier test (by a major audio magazine) that level matched the amps, did a double blind test, and asserted the amps sounded identical, so they recommended that everyone buy the cheaper amp. Here’s the rub: Under their exact conditions, which are not normal listening conditions, the amps sounded the same. Consider this unmentioned idea: The cheaper amp had less power output than the other, and under normal listening conditions, say with loud rock music, and inefficient or difficult to drive speakers would have pooped out before reaching satisfying listening levels, not to mention clipping and distorting from overdriving the amp. One problem with the double blind tests is, in order to be accurate, they have to control every factor in the universe that could affect the results, even unknown factors. The other is, in order to compare everything on an even playing field, they purposely diminish or nullify the differences, then triumphantly proclaim they are all the same. The perfect example from above is level matching at a volume level that does not stress the more easily stressed amp.

Polarity or Phasing of your speakers is very important. This means finding the wire with a stripe or writing on one side, and connecting that wire to either the + (red) or -(black) on the amplifier and the speaker. It does not matter whether the stripe on the wire connects to plus or minus, as long as it is the same at both ends, and on all speakers. I always connect the plus to the stripe, just to be consistent. If you get this wrong you will lose almost all your bass response, and voices will float around instead of being centered when they should be.

Home Speaker Placement

Ideal placement for best sound is going to vary with the type of speakers you have, but we can supply some good generalities. Obviously, for a surround system, you have some built in limitations. The center channel needs to go above or below center of your television, (or perhaps centered behind a projection screen) and the left and right front need to go to the left and right front. So on for the rest of the speakers. It should be added at this point that for surround sound placement the ideal is all 3 front speakers an equal distance from the listener. This actually places the front speakers on an arc. It is generally good to put rear surrounds a little higher than ear level so that all listeners get a better chance to hear all the speakers. Leaving aside the obvious details of surround sound, here is how to improve the sound of your system for free.

First, don’t put anything in front of your speakers, and if they are placed in a cabinet make sure that the front of the speaker is even with the front of the cabinet. Also, keep in mind that some speakers such as the rear ported variety perform very poorly in cabinets. Make sure speaker ports, which may be in the front, rear, side or elsewhere, are not blocked. This goes for subwoofers also.

Stability is also important, your speakers need to remain stable at high volume levels. If they move with loud drum beats, your system will be robbed of punch and impact. If you use speaker stands make sure they are stable enough for the size of speakers you have. One quick tip is to use some blu-tack or mortite putty between the speaker and stand to improve the coupling and add stability. Spike on the bottoms of the stands work well for carpeted rooms.

Next, check out the sound of your speakers. Generally, most speakers sound better when aimed directly at the listener, and located at ear height. This is not always the case, however. If the treble or voices sound a little too sharp, then perhaps the speakers will sound better aimed straight out instead of at the listener.

Listen to the bass. Is it boomy, or lacking? If your speakers sound a little boomy, like they are in a barrel, bass response can probably be improved by moving your speakers farther from a wall or corner. If your speakers are too lightweight in bass, they may sound better closer to a wall. Remember not to block any bass ports. If the speaker is rear ported it needs a little space out from the wall and clearance on the sides of the speaker to perform properly.

One little tweak you might try: some speakers sound better with the speaker grills off. Try removing them and see if they sound better. In many cases there will be no noticeable difference, but it costs nothing to try.

Other issues:

If your speakers are correctly phased as described above but voices are not sharply locked in location you may have your speakers too far apart. This generally applies to stereo, not surround sound.

If not used on a surround system, the subwoofer crossover point should be adjusted to coincide with the drop off in bass from your main speakers. You may find this listed in your documentation, usually on the order of the -3db point. If your speakers still don’t seem to perform like they should, you should consider whether the amplifier attached to them is up to the task of driving them. There are more issues here than power, especially impedance. An amplifier that has high wattage may drive 8 ohm speakers well, and do very poorly on 4 ohm speakers if the amplifier is not designed for “high current” or rated into 4 ohm speakers. In addition, many amplifier (or receiver, home theater amplifier, etc) manufacturers use various methods to exaggerate the wattage ratings on their amplifiers. The true rating to look for is called the RMS rating, and should be rated into a specific impedance (4 ohm, 8 ohm) etc and at a specific distortion rating. This does not imply that all amplifier & receiver manufacturers that use terms such as a ‘Dynamic Power Rating’ are trying to deceive consumers. In some instances (such as with NAD equipment) such figures can be very meaningful. Just make sure you are comparing apples with apples, and use the RMS rating as a baseline for comparison. If ALL other factors are equal, the one with a higher dynamic power rating can have more punch and impact.

Any information on this page may be freely copied, as long as the link below is included.

Buy home theater speakers by BIC America

http://www.smartbuyspeakers.com

How To Convert Home Videos To All Popular Formats

Ever want to convert video to your portable device? Such as iPod, iPhone, PSP, PS3, Xbox360, Zune, Wii, Blackberry…etc? Want to share and enjoy it with your family and friends? Try iEffectsoft Video Converter. This powerfull and easy-to-use Video Conversion software can meet all your Video and Audio Conversion needs.

iEffectsoft Video Converter can convert video of all popular formats like AVI, MPEG, WMV, DivX, MP4, H.264/AVC, AVCHD, MKV, RM, M4V, VOB(DVD format), ASF, XviD, 3GP, etc. In addition, the Best Video Converter can also extract audio from video file, convert between audio files easily and quickly! The supported audio formats are M4A , MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, AC3, OGG, APE, RA, etc.

This powerful video converter can provide you with great freedom in video editing, such as video clipping, and video segmentation. Meanwhile, with its professional video-editing tool, you can add watermark and adjust the brightness, saturation, contrast with facility.

iEffectsoft Video Converter has a very friendly user interface, which enables you to do video conversion with just a few clicks. Most impressive of all, it provides a free trail up to 5 minites conversion & you can register to get the full version at only $19.95 whenever you want. In the following section we will show you how to do the conversion with our amazing software.

Step One: Download and install the iEffectsoft Video Converter

Click here to download iEffectsoft Video Converter. After downloading, run the .exe file to install.

Step Two: Run the iEffectsoft Video Converter, Start to Convert.

Add video files:Click the Add button to add video files. As a tip, you can directly drag-and-drop the video files into the list.

Choose profile for out-put files:After adding source videos, you can customize the output format on your demand. Just to click on the profile drop-down column to open the profile list. You can also set the details of the format by clicking the “Setting” button:

You can click “Start” button to start conversion immediately. It is just so easy. You can have a preview while converting, double-click on the player window to switch to full screen mode.

Step Three: Edit video and audio files

iEffectsoft Video Converter provides you with powerful video editing ability, with which you can customize your video as you like. Next we will show you how to do video clipping, segmentation and adding watermark using our iEffectsoft Video Converter.

 1.click ‘edit’ button to open the following edit dialogue:

2. Crop Video Output:iEffectsoftVideo Converter allows you to remove the black edges around your movie video and customize your movie. Click “Crop” tab to open the Crop Video page, then you can crop your video and set the zoom mode according to your need.  

3. Adjusting Effect:You are allowed to adjust video effects(Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Deinterlacing, & other Special Effects) with our program by clicking “Effect” page in video edit window.

4. Trim Movie:iEffectsoft DVD Ripper allows you to trim your movie, so you can capture your favorite clips from your movie.

5. Add Watermark:You are also allowed to edit watermark for the video with our program by clicking in video edit window. We provide you with powerful function to edit either image watermark or text watermark when you check Startup Watermark option.