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When designing and building a home theater system, many homeowners get so obsessed with picture quality that they totally forget that audio quality can make or break their home theater experience.

Whether you are an ardent gamer or a movie buff, follow these tips to achieve the best audio quality in your home theater.

Use Acoustical Treatments

The right acoustic treatments in your home theater will help eliminate echoes and improve sound isolation of the system.

To improve sound quality, place acoustic panels at strategic points to control the way sound waves bounce. Acoustic panels are designed to absorb sound waves and dampen reverberations, helping create a more immersive experience.

The number of acoustic panels required will vary depending on speaker power, materials used, and the placement of reflection points.

Square or L-shaped rooms typically need more panels than rooms with traditional designs. You will also need more panels than usual if your home theater has concrete walls or multiple doors as sound waves bounce off hard surfaces.

Place acoustic panels in areas where the most disruptive echoing occurs. Another step you can take to improve home theater sound quality is to replace traditional fabric on walls with acoustically transparent fabric.

Not all acoustically transparent fabrics are created equal. A home theater installation expert in Sonoma County will help you identify the right acoustically transparent fabric for your home theater.

Toe-in Your Speakers

Make sure your speakers are pointed at appropriate angles towards the audience. Place your front speakers at a 22-30 degree angle towards the seating area. Speakers shouldn’t face the direct center of the seating area. To get the best sound possible, ensure soundbars are eye level.

Rethink Your Seating and Subwoofer Placement

Placing your subwoofers in the corner at the front of the room will boost their output. To determine the optimal viewing distance, use this formula:

Distance from screen = Diagonal length of your screen*2 (convert the result into feet).

So, for example, your projector screen is 120 inches, the optimal viewing distance is 120*20 = 240 or 20 feet.

If you have a small room and it isn’t possible to place seats 20 feet away from your screen, a 3-5-feet deviation is acceptable. Make sure your seats are at least one foot away from the back wall. Any closer than this and the bass will get too boomy.

The distance between the couch and your speakers should exceed the distance between the center/rear speakers themselves.

Sync Systems is a top-rated home theater installation company in Sonoma County. We have perfected the science and art of creating the ultimate home theater experience. To learn more, call (707) 799-9558.