Obviously, if you want the best home theater experience, you need to have top-of-the-line electronics, which includes a flat-screen television. But, there is one problem with flat-screen TVs, and that is the sound quality.
These televisions have the best picture quality, but the sound quality is not what you would expect from something that is so expensive. But, all is not lost. There are ways that you can greatly improve the sound quality when you are using a flat-screen TV so you get the ultimate home theater experience.
We are going to take a look at the two best ways to improve the sound quality: sound bars and surround sound systems. Let’s get started.
Soundbars
Most manufacturers of flat-screen televisions recommend using a separate sound system that is fitted for flat-screens. Some people like the look and sound of a surround sound system with six to eight large speakers.
Others may be looking for something smaller, especially if they live in smaller space. That is when a soundbar is probably the best option. This is the latest in sound system technology, and it is going to greatly improve the sound quality and give you a better home theater experience, no matter how large or small your space is.
Soundbars are small but mighty when it comes to sound quality. These small units with a single long, thin speaker are mounted right in front of your television. To improve your sound quality even more, most soundbars are built with an extra sub-woofer. This is also small and can be hidden pretty much anywhere in the room.
If you have an entertainment cabinet, the soundbar would sit directly below and in front of the TV, and the sub-woofer could be hidden away inside the cabinet. When you are watching a movie with lots of explosions and other action, or if you are watching concerts and want to really hear the drums as they should sound, this is the thing you need.
So, how does a soundbar work? It sends out highly focused sound beams, similar to beams of light but you can’t see them. The beams bounce off the walls, giving the user an experience similar to that of a surround sound stereo system.
The sound is coming at you from multiple directions, so you get the ultimate home theater experience without having to set up a complete home theater system. If you are going to invest in a soundbar, make sure that you get the best you can afford for the best sound quality.
Many people choose Yamaha sound bars, because Yamaha was the first manufacturer of soundbars, and still the best. Another great option is Bose, a company that is well-known for its excellent audio gear.
Surround Sound
When it comes to surround sound systems, you have plenty of options available to you. Even if you only have a small space to work with, you can still have a system with at least two speakers. In most cases, a 5.1 speaker system is a great place to start, but you can essentially hook up as many speakers as you want.
With a typical 5.1 speaker system, the setup would have one speaker each adjacent wall to the television, a pair of speakers behind the viewer, ideally mounted on the wall, and one speaker on top or just below the television.
The center speaker is for the voices of people talking, so the words are directed right at you. The left and right speakers in the front give very realistic sounds.
For example, if you are watching a good car chase, you will experience the sound of the car going from one side of the screen to the other, both visually and through sound. This is going to make the experience more realistic. Then, the rear left and right speakers come into play when sound from behind is required.
Finally, there would be a sub-woofer. This would be for sounds like drums, heavy bass sounds. The human ear is not able to detect the direction of low frequency sounds, so it doesn’t matter where the sub-woofer is placed in the room. Depending on the size, you can usually hide the sub-woofer so it is out of sight.
Conclusion
While soundbars and surround sound systems are the way to go when it comes to improving the sound quality for flat-screen televisions, it is also important to make sure that you have a quality television. This is a big-ticket purchase, so it is a good idea to shop around and compare brands and prices.
In some cases, you can get a great quality television from a relatively unknown brand. But, you often do get what you pay for, so for the best results, you would be wise to go with one of the better-known brands.