Precision Matters

Every day our brains pick up on audio ques and process them to help us navigate our day. Whether that is to help us in a busy grocery store, a packed street or walking in our favorite dog parks.

The same goes for watching movies.  Our eyes are taking in the movies at break neck speeds and our ears are funneling the audio to our brain at the same time. We depend on acoustic sounds to be generated from the correct positions to ensure our brains can match the video and audio in the correct sequence.

If the speakers are in the wrong place our brains can detect the minute differences and try to reconcile the difference. If this continues, our brains can get tired trying to divert more energy than normal to determine why everything is out of sync.

If you have ever watched an old movie where the audio dubbing is out of sync, you know exactly what we're talking about. After a while, you turn off the movie because it's not enjoyable anymore.

When designing home theaters it's important to get the speakers in the right spot to ensure our brains are not spending unncessary energy trying to account for the audio ques that are out of sync.

EVS designs each theater with THX design principles to ensure the best experience possible. This includes placing the TV at the right distance and placing the TV at the right height. We also take time to design and place the speakers in their optimum location. This gives the best possible experience for you and your family.

While these details may be small to some, we know first hand how important it is to get them right the first time.

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What is best 5.1? 7.1? Dolby Atmos?

Short answer, it depends on the room.

Each room's acoustic repsonse varies based on several factors including width, length and height. For shorter rooms, 5.1 is a fantastic solution. We want to avoid putting speakers in the wrong location so smaller rooms are great 5.1 solutions. For medium sized rooms we may be able to design a 5.1 sound stage and add one set of Dolby height speakers. If the room is large enough we can install a 7.1 system or if it's extra large we can install a 7.1.4 speaker system.

One more important factor is the seating location, this will also help position the speakers. If the seats are too close to the screen, we aren't able to optmize the speaker locations.

Are subwoofers important?

Absolutely, yes!

Subwoofers help deliver the low end audio spectrum. Think of car explosions or deep drum beats for your favorite movie soundtracks. This important audio information helps complete the movie experience. Without subwoofers the audio track will seem flat and not very immersive.

Do I need one or two subwoofers? That's a great question and it all comes down to the size of the room! Most smaller rooms can easily support one subwoofer, adding two will make the room sound better. For large rooms you can install four subwoofers opposite of each other to help maximize the room's low end frequency response.

Subwoofers come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The key is picking one that matches your desired style. Control4 has released a brand new line up of subwoofers with different finishes and mesh screens to help blend this important feature into your room's astehics.

Home Theater Tips

1. Select the right screen size.
2. Determine the seating position.
3. Calculate speaker position.
4. Calculate subwoofer position.