A recent independent survey suggests that more than 80% of home theatre installations didn't have a digital connection between their DVD players and receivers. Countless others don’t even bother about level calibration or proper bass management setup.
Many users do not end up using their home theatre setup to its full potentials. Due to limited knowledge and inexperience, you may not be using your home theatre setup to it’s fullest capability. At Ooberpad, we have collated our knowledge and experience to develop these easy tips to help you improve your home theatre setup.
Check Wired Connections: Always check speaker wire polarity and ensure to use the right cables. We can't stress the importance of wiring your speakers to your AV receiver properly. Make sure you use consistent polarity from each speaker to the receiver [red = (+), black = (-)]. Connect the appropriate speaker to the designated speaker terminals in the back of the receiver. For e.g. the front left speaker should connect to the front left speaker input of the AV receiver. Wherever applicable, aim to use high-quality cables with gold-plated AV connectors.
Speaker Positioning: Check for the locations and positioning of satellite speaker. Eliminate any obstacles blocking direct path of the sound waves. Aim to position the speaker and ear level for added legibility. Toe in the speakers as required. Spending time on acoustic treatment or sound-proofing also adds immensely to the aural experience of your home theatre setup.
Speaker Calibration: Calibrate your speakers on a regular basis. Check to see that every area has appropriate SPL (volume) levels. These days, many home theatre speaker systems have their own built-in automatic calibration. If this is not available check your levels using an SPL meter.
Speaker Configuration: One of the major problem areas in home theatre systems is poor bass management that leads to the creation of standing waves. You can check your bass management settings and channel assignments on your AV receiver.
Seat Optimization: Use a positional EQ and move seats away from back or sidewalls. Comfortable seating accentuates the home theatre experience. Ideally, recliners and lounge chairs work well. However, you can also opt for a plump or heavily-cushioned leather sofa work well too. Avoid seating arrangements that force users to sit upright as they may hamper visibility and become obtrusive.
Source Setup: Make sure your Blu-ray, Cable box, media player or game console is set to pass bitstream audio and ensure to shut off dynamic compression. These settings can either be accessed via your AV receiver or the connected source.
Improve Room Ambience: Darken windows and doors to cut our external light and improve the contrast ratio of your display system. You can use thick dark shade curtains to block out unnecessary light. You can also use overhead lights, dimmers, and lighting controllers to help you create a cosy theatre-like ambience. If you are on a budget, you can use smart LED bulbs that give you colour and dimming control via your smartphone.
We hope these easy tips help you get an enviable home theatre system. If you are looking for any help in setting up your home theatre setup, feel to get in touch with Ooberpad.
