Home Theater Audio – What’s Multichannel Audio?

“Hi-Fi” and stereo were the large things for audio enthusiasts decades ago. Some people even bought vinyl records of sound clips just to marvel at the fidelity and stereo effects. Quadraphonic sound was tried for some time, but systems were expensive and recording and media required 2 additional channels. In the last decade digital audio has made even more sophisticated systems not only possible but also affordable.

Multichannel audio, Dolby, and THX

Stereo uses 2 recorded sound channels to secure a left speaker along with a right speaker, roughly corresponding to our left and right ears. Multichannel audio processes additional channels to enhance the audio exposure to additional speakers. There’s several types of surround sound. The first utilizes a fixed listener location for a 3-dimensional audio effect. Unfortunately and also this means there’s a single “sweet spot” where the effect works best. Other styles use speakers behind the listeners with an audience-wide experience. Each speaker feed is termed a channel.

Audio processing from Dolby Laboratories began way back in the 1960s with noise reduction. Dolby processing has evolved to multi-channel surround-sound processing through a succession of small steps. Just about the most recent is Dolby TruHD. This gives loss-less encoding (no information lost, no noise added) of 8 or even more channels.

You may have read about receivers boasting about THX. THX is not really a recording, encoding, or surround sound technology. It’s actually a quality standard and certification system. Originally used for movie theaters, it “guarantees” high-quality multi-channel sound.

5.1 Channel Systems

The most typical arrangement today uses 6 speakers, and is referred to as 5.1 channels. The “.1″ channel is perfect for a sub-woofer dedicated to powerful suprisingly low frequencies. A good sub-woofer is very important for movie and gaming special effects. Two of the rest of the speakers are the standard stereo speakers. Another pair is also stereo, but these “rear” speakers they fit behind the listeners. So you literally are surrounded by sound. The final speaker is really a middle speaker, placed involving the front stereo pair. Ideally, it’s mounted fairly high to provide a broad sound experience.

7.2 Channel Systems

Add 3 more speakers and you’ve got a 7.2 channel system. Many current receivers can only handle 5.1, so be sure to choose one that can handle the 9 speakers if you wish to go with this arrangement.

The “.2″ speakers are two sub-woofers, making your deep bass truly stereo. The remaining pair can be used in several ways. The best sound arises from placing them in front above the main stereo pair. Here you’d position the middle speaker a bit lower. You can also position them further to the left and right from the main stereo speakers. Finally, you can use them as remote speakers within an entirely different room.

Wrapping Up

These may sound like complicated systems, but each channel and speaker have their purpose and place. They’re really not that difficult to set up. You may have to be clever in running wires towards the rear speakers in order that they’re not too visible, but wireless speakers are available if this is a lot of trouble. Either way, it’s worth the effort. Installing a home theater surround sound system will raise your music listening, movie watching, and even video gaming to a totally new level.

Just thought you may be interested in reading this guide: home theater installation and cheap home theater systems.
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