One of the biggest factors in having the best home cinema experience is your audio quality. A home cinema with great sound is able to mimic not only the sound and visuals but also the acoustics of a movie theatre. By doing so, they are able to transport you from the confines of your living room, immersing you in a larger, more expansive environment as if you were watching in a movie theatre.
Whether you're a cinephile looking to feel every beat, whisper, and explosion or a music enthusiast who wants concert-like clarity in your living room, this guide is your roadmap to achieving that perfection. From speaker placement to advanced calibration techniques, there are many ways you can improve your home cinema's audio setup. Get ready to take your viewing experience to new heights as we explore the art of achieving audio nirvana in your home cinema.
AV Reciever Setup
The AV receiver is the foundation of your home cinema experience. It brings the speaker systems and on-screen visuals together. It brings the cinema experience directly into your home, immersing you in a vibrant soundscape of laughter, suspense, crashes, and explosions.
Most receivers come as a standard rectangular black box so you won’t have many options on the design front. Your main choice will be based on the number of speakers you have, the required HDMI inputs, and your budget. For example, if you plan to stick with a basic 5.1 setup, a five-channel AV receiver will do the job. However, if you’re looking to expand to additional speakers or upgrade to Dolby Atmos in the future, investing in a nine or 11-channel amplifier will be the better option for you.
Your receiver will come with default settings. These may not match your audio preferences. Have a look at the manual to see the audio options available on your receiver. Audiophiles prefer a pure sound, foregoing equalisation like bass and treble adjustments. Manufacturers offer preset modes like "pure analogue" or "pure digital" to optimise pathways for specific devices, with customisable filters and EQ profiles enhancing sound quality. Ultimately, finding the right settings is a matter of personal preference and experimentation.
Surround Sound System
For the best home cinema listening experience you need a surround sound system. Whether you opt for a soundbar, basic stereo, 5.1, 7.2, or a full Dolby Atmos speaker setup, a quality surround sound system will significantly enhance any movie or sports game you choose to watch.
Finding a good surround sound system can be a difficult task. The most common issues you will find with surround sound systems are inadequate bass, subpar handling of high frequencies, and a lack of overall detail. Moreover, the myth that spending more money always equates to better results is not necessarily true. Additionally, mixing and matching components does not guarantee superior audio quality; rather, it's important to pair complementary speakers to get the best results.
There are basically two ways one can go when they are buying a surround sound system: a speaker package or a soundbar. The one you pick will be determined by factors such as the space you have, your budget, and the number of connectivity options you want. Speaker packages deliver true surround sound but are pricey and also need an AV receiver as well as other components.
On the other hand, soundbars provide a simple and more compact solution, often having Dolby Atmos capability and the option to expand to a multi-channel system. They also have streaming functions and an additional HDMI port. Wireless-powered speaker systems offer a compact solution that has a 5.1 surround sound experience without the need for speaker cables.
Read more: A complete guide to the Multi-channel home theatre system.
Speaker and Subwoofer Placement
Where you place your speakers has a direct effect on your audio quality. You can own top-of-the-range speakers but if they are placed incorrectly they will not sound as good as they should. To get the best sound out of your speakers and a subwoofer you need to look at their aim and positioning.
Aiming your speakers directly at the seating area will give listeners the best sound experience. This is especially important for the centre speaker, as it carries the majority of the sound. You can easily test your speaker aim by playing pink noise through each speaker and making sure that it sounds consistent throughout the listening area at seated ear height. Pink noise test signals can be sourced from various sources such as the TK51 disc, the Dolby Atmos Demo Disk, and the Apple TV Studio Six Digital app. Aiming the speakers involves using the relevant brackets, installing shims, or using other methods to direct the speakers towards their intended radiation zones.
It's amazing how much a speaker's sound can be influenced by its position within a room. Adjustments as small as 6 inches can produce noticeable changes, particularly in the bass frequencies. Your aim should be to position the speakers to keep a smooth, neutral frequency response. However, the speakers must also be placed in specific locations relative to the screen and seating area. Feel free to move your speakers around and experiment. A reliable spectrum analyzer with appropriate test signals can help you throughout the process.
There is a common misconception that subwoofers can be placed anywhere because bass is omnidirectional. Small adjustments of 1 foot (30 cm) in subwoofer placement can result in a 20 dB difference in sound levels at certain frequencies. This is because subwoofers are affected by the acoustical standing wave resonances when they are enclosed by ceilings and walls. That is why the way they are placed is very important. We recommend using multiple smaller subs positioned in the corners, all receiving the same signal but with the ability to independently adjust levels, delays, and frequency response.
Video: A guide on how to place speakers in your home theatre.
Calibrate your system
Calibration begins by configuring component settings, making sure all connections are error-free, and all the products work as they are supposed to. The next step is to look at the room's acoustical influence on speaker frequency responses. This includes precise measurement and analysis, strategic speaker placement adjustments, and the application of correction filters through digital equalisers. While some automated EQ systems can assist, don’t rely on these fully.
After equalisation, speaker acoustical levels should be adjusted to motion picture reference levels. Make changes to the channel-level trims as needed. The last step is the synchronisation of speaker arrival times to the main seating area which is done by inputting speaker distances into the surround decoder or setting appropriate digital delay times in the equaliser. Make sure you are happy with the sound as well.
Arrange your seating
Your seating arrangement is something that should not be overlooked when trying to get the best listening experience in your home cinema. The sound quality at different seating positions mirrors the changes observed when moving the positioning of your speakers within the room. The sound difference for lower frequencies is very noticeable because this is influenced by standing waves and speaker-to-boundary interference effects. Play around with adjusting the seats slightly forward or backward in the room and listen to the sound difference. Using an analyser with a good-quality microphone can help navigate the sound differences.
Regarding the seating materials used, it's important to note that headrests made of leather or vinyl surfaces near the ears can interfere with the higher frequencies due to short sound reflections bouncing back. Use seats with lower headrests or seats with upholstery to reduce this issue. You can also consider using headrests with perforated leather, which allows high frequencies to pass through effectively. These typically feature multiple small holes arranged closely together.
Final thoughts
Every little detail matters when it comes to getting the best home cinema listening experience. From choosing the right speakers and subwoofers to placing them correctly within the room, the work of getting your sound to the best quality is a complex but rewarding journey. By sticking to the steps mentioned above, you can transform your home into cinematic excellence where every movie, and concert, comes alive with amazing sound clarity. Remember to calibrate your system carefully by fine-tuning each part to get a good balance of frequencies and sound levels.
Pay close attention to the acoustics of your room. Acoustic treatments and placing your seats strategically can go a long way in helping to reduce the amount of sound reflections. Try out different settings and configurations. Trust your ears to help guide you towards the best sound. Don't forget to be patient and persevere to get the audio excellence your home cinema deserves.