The Basics

Shopping for speakers used to involve hunting for a pair of speakers to go with your receiver or amplifier. Today, a typical speaker system includes a full surround sound setup, complete with a powered subwoofer. With high-definition broadcasts and discs as well as traditional DVDs, many consumers have some version of a "home theater" setup in their den or family room. Today's surround sound formats, such as DTS and Dolby Digital, allow for five to seven speakers and a subwoofer, depending on formats.

A typical digital a/v receiver has outputs for five full range speakers, as well as a LFE (low frequency effect) output for a powered subwoofer. Movies and multi-channel music formats such as DVD-Audio and SACD take full advantage of this type of speaker setup. A basic 5.1 speaker system might include five identical satellite speakers and a small powered subwoofer. A more expensive system will include a matched pair of floorstanding tower speakers for your left and right mains, a large horizontally oriented, center channel speaker, and a pair of wall mounted bipole or dipole speakers for the rear of your room. Add to this a high-powered and possibly large subwoofer, and you have a sound system that will rival the neighborhood multiplex.

There's quite a range of choices out there, and you can find systems at almost any price point from specialty audio dealers, big box stores or internet direct retailers. Regardless of your budget, there is a system designed to meet your needs at a price you can afford. There are several categories and styles of home theater speakers, including floorstanding, bookshelf, center channel, rear surround and powered subwoofers.

The front main left and right speakers in a home theater system should be well-suited for both digital movie soundtracks and stereo music. Large, floorstanding towers are frequently used, but bookshelf speakers can be equally effective when combined with a quality subwoofer. Center channel speakers are generally designed in horizontal configurations, to be positioned above or below your TV display, but a bookshelf speaker can also be used.

Rear surround speakers can be of the bookshelf, dipole or bipole variety. Dipole speakers are designed to be mounted on the side or rear walls, and have two or more drivers firing out of phase with each other (one goes out while the other goes in). This creates a diffuse, ambient sound which most accurately simulates the array of speakers you would hear in a movie theater. Bipole speakers feature drivers, often mounted back to back, which fire in phase (at the same time). This distributes audio for the surround channels, but provides a slightly more focused sound, which is better for multi-channel audio. Some speakers have switches to function as both dipole and bipole.

Powered subwoofers accept a line level signal from the LFE output of a digital receiver and provide deep, tactile bass that can rattle your walls and furniture, creating tremendously realistic effects in action movies, as well as adding deep, rich bass to your music.

Take your time and research the many options available to you in home theater speaker systems. Speakers are offered in a dizzying array of colors and finishes, with options for wall mounting, stands, or even in-wall or in-ceiling models. Some manufacturers spend millions on advertising and create the impression that they produce the best speakers available, when often this is not the case. Many internet-based manufacturers offer higher quality products at half the cost of the big-names. Warranties generally range from one to seven years, and build-quality can vary greatly from brand to brand.

Five Questions Before You Buy

1) Do I want a pre-packaged system?
Small cube-type satellite speaker systems are very popular, and often overpriced. You might find that this type of system is ideal for your room, but also consider putting together a system a la carte. Typically, speaker manufacturers sell front and rear speakers in pairs, and center channel and subwoofers individually. Putting together a group of speakers in this fashion allows you to custom build a home theater speaker system that fits your room's size, shape and decor, as well as your budget.

2) What is your budget?
You can spend hundreds or thousands on a home theater speaker system. You must first decide what your budget is, and stick to it. There are plenty of good options available in entry-level systems, but you will find an increase in performance as you increase your budget. If your budget for speakers is $1000, only audition speakers in this price range. Don't complicate things or confuse yourself by listening to a $4500 system.

3) How powerful is your amplifier or receiver?
If you own a budget receiver, spending thousands of dollars on a speaker system will be a waste. By the same token, if you have invested thousands of dollars in your amplifier or receiver and purchase a budget set of speakers, you will still be disappointed.

4) Will you use the system more for movies or music?
If you expect to use your speaker system primarily for movies, you want to find speakers that can handle the powerful dynamics of a movie soundtrack and a strong center channel that will reproduce dialogue well. If you plan to use the speakers more for listening to music, we suggest you start out by building your system around a pair of speakers that excels with the style of music you most often listen to.

5) Where will you use the speaker system?
The size and shape of your room will play a role in what type of speaker system you choose. A large, dedicated home theater room will need speakers capable of filling the space with rich, balanced sound. Ideally, you will have invested in a powerful receiver or amplifier, and will want to purchase a set of large, full range speakers for this room. A small set of cube satellite speakers will not produce the results you are looking for in such a space. But if you are shopping for speakers to be put in an open family room or den where decor is important, a system based on tiny satellites combined with a compact subwoofer might be a good fit.

Another option to consider if you are working with a limited budget is to start out by purchasing a set of five high-quality, matching bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer. Once your budget allows, you can upgrade your front main left and right speakers with matching floorstanding versions.

How To Shop

There are many options for speaker shopping today, but nothing beats auditioning speakers in your home. Many dealers will allow you to take a full set of speakers home to try out for short period, allowing you a full refund if they do not meet your expectations. Most of the online speaker companies also have generous return policies. Many showrooms have dedicated rooms or listening areas that you can use to try out speakers, but often the noise of a store can be distracting, or can give you a false impression of how a speaker would perform in your home.

We suggest using movies and music that you are familiar with to audition speakers. Be sure to take your time and listen for sonic characteristics that you like or dislike. Most speakers have been "voiced" to have a distinct sound, and as a result, speakers from different manufacturers have different strengths and weaknesses. Your friend might love the sound of a "bright" speaker, but you may find that it is harsh to your ears.

You should also have measurements of your room and furniture. Many people have gone into a large showroom, fallen in love with a giant set of floorstanding speakers only to get them home and find that they are much too large for their home. Have a clear idea of where and how you will mount the speakers. Be sure to consider how and where you will run your speaker wire, and whether or not you will need to purchase stands for the speakers.

A quality home theater speaker system will provide hours of entertainment for your family, and can truly bring the cinematic experience into your home. Armed with a little knowledge, you can easily find a system that is perfect for your own personal home theater.