The home theater audio system is what really brings movies to life! A huge screen to watch a movie or TV show goes a long way to creating the ultimate movie theater experience but the sounds of the explosions, thunderstorms, planes, car chases, gun battles and more are extremely realistic with the right system.



? But what type of speakers do I buy?

? How many speakers do I need?

? What will give me the best sound?

It is important when selecting speakers for your home theater audio system that you voice match your speakers. This is very key as audio speakers possess a similar tonal quality. Voice matched speakers in a home theater audio system will result in a consistent wraparound sound. The best way to get voice matched speakers is to purchase all of them from the same series and manufacturer. Or you can get a pre-matched multi home theater speaker system.

The front speakers are very important to your audio system as they blend with the video to create a realistic and exciting movie experience. The right and left front speakers handle the majority of the audio special effects. The sounds move back and forth from each speaker in sync with the action on the screen. They also provide the stereo sound when listening to music.

The most popular front speaker type is tower speakers. They have the most impact and provide great low frequency response but they also take up more space. A more space efficient home theater audio speaker is bookshelf speakers. They don't provide as much bass quality but the still sound good.

If the home theater audio system is the heart of your movie theater experience, then the center speaker is the heart of the audio system. The center speaker channel is crucial as it provides almost all the dialogue and over 50% of the movie soundtrack. This speaker usually sits on top of your TV or below it. If you have a wall mounted TV or no stand, then you might consider a wall mount center speaker.

Surround sound speakers are the directional special effects part of the audio system. They are the speakers that put you in the movie by providing effects such as bullets zinging by your head, planes flying over, or the sound of wind or rain drops coming down. These speakers are usually, but not always, wall mounted. They are also the most important speakers to have placed correctly in your setup. You can find placement advice in our Home Theater Design section on this site.

BOOOOMM!!!!! The home theater powered subwoofer is the bass speaker that provides the window rattling special effects. One thing to remember is the larger the driver, the bigger the bass response. Usually a 12" or 15" woofer cone will provide you excellent results. Placement of the sub woofer is pretty flexible however; placing it against a wall or in a corner will provide you with the ultimate bass for your home theater audio system.

Those are the basics of the home theater audio system. One thing to consider, if you do not like having wires strewn across your room and do not want to run them through your walls, you might want to look at wireless speakers systems.