Tips for Great Home Theater Acoustics
When it comes down to the things that make home theater great, audio is a big part of the equation. But don’t be fooled into thinking that your home theater’s sound quality relies entirely on a terrific set of speakers… it’s a lot more involved than that! If you’re new to home theater acoustics, here are a few helpful pointers to get you started.
Invest in soundproofing
Soundproofing your home theater room is a great first step on the road to stellar acoustics. The reasoning is simple: it’s easier to shape up the sound inside your home theater if outside noise is kept exactly where it belongs: outside! Insulating your viewing room against sound coming from the outdoors, your neighbors, and other rooms in your home will give you an untainted perspective of how your audio system should sound.
Keep subwoofers out of corners
Remember acting up as a kid and getting sent to stand in the corner for punishment? Well, it’s just the opposite with subwoofers: they don’t start misbehaving until you put them in a corner! It’s true that you’ll get more bass if you place a subwoofer in the corner of a room, but you’re just going to end up with a messier, “boomier” sound overall.
It’s a quality over quantity issue: bass frequencies can greatly enhance your movie-viewing experience, but you don’t want them to get so out of hand that they muddle up the finer nuances delivered by your audio system. Setting subwoofers up along walls will still give you a great bass sound, but the low frequencies will be much less likely to disrupt your home theater’s acoustical balance.
Use acoustic panels – and soft furniture – to your advantage
One of the best ways to enhance the acoustics of your home theater is to use a technique called sound deadening, in which you basically treat a room with soft, absorptive materials that will prevent sound waves from being reflected. A number of things can be used to absorb sound waves: the most obvious are acoustic panels, but you can even use furniture and other décor elements like drapes and bookcases to tame echoing midrange and high frequencies.
Don’t forget the Bass Traps
Sound-deadening acoustic panels and other soft objects are terrific for taking care of middle and high frequency reflections, but they oftentimes aren’t enough to completely correct home theater acoustics. Bass traps pick up where acoustic panels, drapes and squishy furniture leave off: they absorb renegade bass frequencies that would otherwise bounce around your home theater and make the overall sound quality muddy. Ideal bass trap placement sites? In corners, which is perfect: they’ll be free for use because your subwoofers won’t already be there (see Tip #3)!
Beware of decorative architectural “features”
Depending on the individual’s personal taste, home theaters can get pretty ornate! If you’re planning to pull out all the stops and build a custom viewing room that’s full of architectural flourishes, be aware that they can change the room’s acoustics. Columns and pilasters can contribute a lot to the looks of your home theater, but they can also throw your acoustics for a loop by re-directing sound waves in unexpected ways. If you’re set on having movie theater ambience and incredible sound quality, just be sure to consult a professional who can help you keep everything in balance.