Recently Filed in Surround Sound

Q: I want to add surround sound to my living room but my problem is where do I place my front speakers. I have a rectangle room and at the front left corner my 40” LCD display is mounted above my wood burning fireplace. To the right of the corner fireplace is a window and at the other end of the room is the entrance to the dining room. Would I get better sound if I use in-room floor speakers and move the display off… View this story
Speakers • Surround Sound • Audio • Ask a Pro

Home theater audio applications continue to be intensified—from 5.1 surround channels to 7.1, to even 9.1 these days when you add new “height” speakers, plus you can accommodate THX certified systems and the latest lossless high-def audio codecs. Atlantic Technology tends to stay ahead of the curve—unleashing the likes of IP-ready speakers and those with THX Select2 certification—so it’s no surprise that the company has come up with three new and improved theater speaker systems, plus some new subwoofers, to get the latest and greatest… View this story
Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Surround Sound • Product News

For those who want a little more oomph from their 5.1 audio systems, Audyssey Laboratories says it has just the thing. The room correction and post-processing technology maker announced its latest innovation, Dynamic Surround Expansion, this week. DSX, as Audyssey calls it, is “a scalable system that adds new speakers to overcome the spatial sound rendering limitations faced by 5.1 surround sound systems. It says human hearing requires more than what 5.1 systems currently offer. “DSX creates additional channels to augment 5.1 systems with the… View this story
Surround Sound • Receivers • Audio • Product News

The all-in-one home theater system from Epson is improving with the times, as the company has announced that you can now include its latest 1080p projectors as part of the theater rig. That would be the Ensemble HD Home Cinema System, which Epson teamed with Atlantic Technology in giving you an instant home theater that includes screen, projector, speakers, controller with DVD player, and remote. It is now offered with Epson’s 3LCD 1080p front projector options of the PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 and Home Cinema… View this story
Front Projection • Surround Sound • DVD Players • Home Theater • Product News

Can you really make your own “hi-def” speaker for under a buck? MythBusters challenges a popular YouTube video by “HouseholdHacker,” who shares his expertise with audiophiles facing economic hardships. He demonstrates how a paper plate, some tin foil, a shiny penny and a mini-jack cable can produce sound that rivals some of the biggest names in loudspeakers. YouTube fans voted the video as one of the top online myths they wanted to see busted, and the Discovery channel took the mission to heart on the… View this story
Surround Sound • Audio

Atlantic Technology has unveiled the 1400 SR-z, a dipole/bipole surround speaker designed for height-speaker channel applications. Due to its compact size, the 1400 SR-z can be mounted above a system’s front speakers, which Atlantic says makes the 1400 SR-z “ideal” for use in home theaters with Dolby ProLogic IIz (the technology debuted in Onkyo’s new TX-SR607 receiver). The 1400 SR-z is compatible with any Atlantic system without encountering soundfield discontinuity effects. Atlantic says the speaker is adept in either the side or rear surround channel… View this story
Speakers • On-Wall Speakers • Surround Sound • Product News

Q. I have my speakers (7.1) hooked up to my Pioneer Elite Receiver (VSX-82TXS). It puts out 130 watts, 8 ohms, 7 channels. I want more punch out of the speakers. Would an amplifier help me? If so, how would I hook it up to my existing set up? Is there one you recommend? - Chad, Baltimore A. You sure can, Chad. I can’t think of a reason not to always pursue more and better high-quality amplification. You can do this quite easily by using… View this story
Surround Sound • Amplifiers • Audio • Ask a Pro

Smaller, design-friendly speakers are in these days, especially for multipurpose media rooms and to that end Anthony Gallo Acoustics is just having a ball. The company’s spherical speaker designs offer multipurpose and flexible sound for just about any room—with the latest balls of fury coming in the form of the Strada Center and Strada loudspeakers that are additions to Anthony Gallo’s Reference Series. They provide multiple mounting options without being too obtrusive in your room and still delivering big sound, aided by the company’s S2… View this story
Speakers • On-Wall Speakers • Surround Sound • Product News

Today’s home theaters owe as much to audio as they do video, and many people are adding additional speakers to take advantage of multichannel audio. Aside from expanding your surround sound system from 5.1 to 6.1 or 7.1, there’s another option: Presence speakers. These additional front speakers work with Yamaha’s exclusive Cinema DSP technology. In other words, you need a Yamaha receiver. According to the FAQ section on the Yamaha web site: Presence speakers supplement the sound from the front speakers with extra ambient effects… View this story
AV Components • Receivers • Speakers • Surround Sound • Enhancements • Info and Answers

Football players rely on the right gear to win the game. Viewers need the right gear to enjoy the game. Below you’ll find the five essential A/V products for gameday viewing. Widescreen Television: Whether you go with a flat panel or a microdisplay, make sure you choose a widescreen television (also known as ”16:9”). Old-school televisions with 4:3 aspect ratios only focus on the immediate action (usually the offensive line and the quarterback), but with a widescreen TV you’ll see way back into the defensive… View this story
Displays • Flat Panel • Microdisplay • Surround Sound • Digital Recorders • Big Game Gear • Info and Answers

Surround-sound speaker systems for your theater room can range wildly. You can be happy with a 5.1 setup that’s right out of a home theater in a box, step up to more weighty cabinet and bookshelf models, or have a larger system that uses towers all over the place—including the center channel and surrounds. We asked our friends over on the AVS Forum for some recommendations that our readers can use for the holiday season. In our “AVS Recommends” series we’ve already discussed options for… View this story
Speakers • Bookshelf Speakers • Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Surround Sound • Buyers Guides • Audio • Info and Answers • Slideshows • Research

The center channel in your surround-sound system usually does the bulk of the heavy lifting, whether it’s all of that movie dialogue or music vocals that are being pumped out. You’ll want a pretty powerful speaker doing the job of center channel, and MartinLogan is lending a hand with its new “Feature” model. The Feature is an electrostatic design that is internally powered with a high-resolution 150-watt switching amplifier. The internal amp also gives you a bit of flexibility and reduced wire clutter because you… View this story
Speakers • Bookshelf Speakers • On-Wall Speakers • Surround Sound • Audio • Product News