Diagnosing Common Home Theater Sound Problems
December 2nd, 2008

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Sometimes a person thinks they have assembled the perfect home theater system only to find themselves dissatisfied with the performance. In some cases, this is attributable to making poor purchases. This article will review some common causes of disappointment and will look at how such problems can be avoided by choosing products that better meet an end user’s actual needs.

Sound problems are incredibly frustrating because one of the most important aspects of the home theater experience is the element of sound. A great sound system will really bring a movie to life and can absolutely destroy a great movie when it is flat and weak. Many would argue that home theater sound is at least as important, if not more so, than home theater video.

Sometimes the problems are severe and necessitate replacement of one or more component parts of the home theater system. In other cases, the problem can be simply corrected by making only minor adjustments to the system. The observations and recommendations supplied here are not comprehensive in nature and do not attempt to solve all sound problems encountered by a home theater owner. However, they do provide some helpful advice for anyone struggling with inadequate audio performance.

Sound problems are frequently encountered. Often, one will note that although sound is present, it doesn’t sound sufficiently rich or varied. In many cases, the owner will immediately assume there is a need for a better set of speakers and will immediately make a purchase of a new surround sound speaker collection.

Although intuitive (the sound does come from the speakers, after all), this is usually a mistake. The problem in many cases is not the speakers at all. The problem is either in the connections from the amplifier or amplifier/receiver and the speakers or may be with the amplifier itself.

One should first check to see if the speakers are correctly connected on both ends of the system. If they are, one should spend some time determining if the speakers are at fault or if it is an amplification problem. You see, many home theater systems feature relatively low-powered amplifiers. These smaller amps, commonly encountered in cheaper "all-in-one" systems are often unable to sufficiently power speakers to produce the kind of sound one might want. This inadequacy can often be found in larger spaces when the sound fails to "fill the room."

To test to see what the real source of the problem is, one can hook up the same speakers to a different stereo of amplifier and compare their performance. Generally there is more power output from a traditional stereo and it can be amazing how much better a set of speakers will sound when adequately powered. However, one’s first instincts could be correct if the speakers continue to under-perform when used with different amplifiers in different settings.

Another potential cause of poor sound is poor cabling. The cheaper cables sometimes provided with home theater purchases can occasionally be inadequate for the production of optimal sound. Cheap speaker wire can bring with it enough resistance to decrease the quality of sound, as well. If one is experiencing a sound-related problem of any sort, they should always consider that the problem may not be with a component, but with the connections between the components.Home theater sound problems can be avoided in many cases by following a few general principles. First, make sure everything is correctly connected after purchase. Second, be sure you have invested in an amplifier that will adequately power your speakers and produce enough sound to fill the space in which you will be placing the home theater. Third, always check cabling carefully and strive to use only high quality cables with your home theater system.

If one takes these relatively simple precautions a great deal of frustration can be avoided. If your home theater’s sound isn’t where you need it to be, use those hints as a blueprint as you analyze your system. If it really is time to look for new components, consider those directives as you make your next purchase

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