We Want Surround Sound, Not Unwieldy Wires! How Can I Easily Integrate Rear Channel Speakers?

One of the benefits of moving toward a home entertainment setup with HDTV is the delivery of surround sound from HD sources. The experience of a movie from a Blu-ray or HD DVD player can be greatly enhanced by audio cues that literally surround you and immerse you in the picture. To take advantage of this, however, you need to have multiple speakers scattered throughout the room with wires going through walls, under rugs, or over ceilings. Or that's what one would think. There are actually some options out there to help achieve home theater surround sound without all of the wired speaker trouble.

One of the most popular methods of obtaining surround sound involves a setup of six speakers, called "5.1 surround sound". This translates into a left, center, and right channel speakers as well as two rear speakers. The "dot one" after the five refers to the sub-woofer that delivers the deep bass rumbles. Since components such as the TV, receiver, and DVD player typically sit at the front of the room, integrating the left, center, and right channel speakers is usually not a problem. There are some "three in one" speakers that combine these, but the help is really needed in finding how to hook up those rear channel speakers. This is the achilles heel of surround sound setup. For many, the idea of running wires through the room ranges from unpleasant to infeasible. There are two main alternatives to traditional rear speaker wiring: wireless speakers and sound projectors.

Wirless Rear Speakers
The idea of running all of the surround sound speakers wirelessly is not a new concept. But the idea has been plagued by issues of throughput capabilities, range, and interference. Though the use of radio frequency signals that focus on just two speakers (our rear channels), the concept of wireless becomes more practical. There are two ways to accomplish this. The first is done by using a wireless speaker module (like the one shown from Kenwood), that may utilize the speakers you already have. The second method includes a set of speakers, such as the ones shown by Acoustic Research. Both use a base unit that attaches directly to the audio source and generally have ranges over 100 feet. Because they use radio frequency, the signal is not interrupted by walls or furniture. The thing to keep in mind with a wireless speaker system is that power needs to be delivered to those rear channel units. Although some wireless speakers may be run with batteries, it is recommended that they be plugged into a nearby outlet. In most homes, however, a power outlet is easier to find than a good place to run those wires.



Sound Projectors
A second alternative for those wishing to escape the mess of speaker wires utilizes a method of sound projection and reflection. A single sound source uses a large number of speakers to bounce sound off available walls and reflect back to the listener. This provides the audible illusion of speakers scattered throughout the room. Yamaha makes some of the most popular devices of this type. They claim that they can deliver multi-channel sound to the listener in the same way that sound from front, center and rear speakers does. The sound projector precisely controls the orientation of sound by focusing it into beams. The center channel sound is heard directly, while the sounds from other channels are heard after reflecting off the walls surrounding the listener. Depending on the room configuration, this is done through a variety of beam modes. An example of these beam modes is shown in the illustration provided.

Although some woofers are included in the package, to deliver deep bass sounds, the manufacturer recommends the use of this product along with a sub-woofer. The sub-woofer may be the only other audio component needed. Due to the unique way it refects audio, the sound projector replaces all of the other speakers, including the rear channels. And because the device decodes Dolby Digital, DTS, Pro Logic, and Pro Logic II, it effectively replaces what a receiver does. It includes a variety of audio inputs, including digital and analog, allowing multiple devices to be attached directly to the speaker device and bypassing any receiver.



So, how good is the audio experience from a sound projector? Well, it depends. The verdict is that the audio quality is much more dependent on the room configuration than a standard speaker setup. If there are good walls that can reflect sound, however, then sitting in the "sweet spot" can have breathtaking results. If the room configuration does not allow proper beam bouncing, the quality of the experience may deteriorate. For many cases, however, it does a good job of providing surround sound experience without a big hassle. For those audio enthusiasts, it will likely not replace actually having multiple speakers in the room. But for those who value convenience over perfection, it is a great alternative. Additionally, it is nice way to get surround sound in secondary rooms such as a bedroom.

Conclusion
For those avoiding the leap to a surround sound system because of the difficulty in integrating rear channel speakers, help is available. Solutions involving wireless speakers or sound projectors can facilitate the installation and avoid the hassle of rear speaker wires. So come and join the fun - and immerse yourself in the surround sound experience!