Home theater systems are nowadays a very common trend in the interiors of a number of houses. The rocking thump of bass and the sweet waves of high clarity treble add a higher note to the taste of the house-owner. As the name suggests, a home theater system is a compact integrated electronic device designed to give an excellent listening experience quite similar to that in a theater or cinema hall. To get such a soothing listening effect, the system should be set up and positioned very carefully and tactfully.
Level
Apparently challenging but quite easy if done carefully following the instruction manuals.
Resources Required
- Co-axial cable
- An audio source
- Screwdriver
- Screws
- Wooden Plates
- HDMI cable (if applicable)
- Any other cable (if specifically mentioned in the instruction manual)
Instructions
- Fix a budget, go to a reputed shop which deals with good brands of home theater systems, listen a single piece of music carefully on different systems (It helps you to compare between two different systems), make your choice, bring the system home and be ready to set it up according to the instructions given below.
- The acoustics of your house matters a lot as far as the sound effects and surround sound experience are concerned. A big room with a high ceiling is a bad environment. It will generate a lot of echo. Instead, if possible place the system in a smaller room with a low ceiling, rough walls and preferably a carpeted floor. This will give an excellent result.
- Next, place your main woofer most preferably at the center of the room. The lower you place your main woofer, the better comes the bass effect.
- Construct 4/5/7 wooden stands (depending upon the specification of your system that is whether it is 4.1, 5.1 or 7.1 respectively) on the walls at about 4-5 feet from the floor for placing the sub-woofers.
- The main sound receiver cum amplifier cum processor can be placed anywhere according to one’s convenience to operate it. If it is remote operated, then this will never be an issue.
- Place the sub-woofers in their respective positions (front, rear, left, right, etc.) on the wooden stands exactly as mentioned in the instruction manual. Generally the name of the speaker itself says its position. The wooden stands built at a height will result in a better listening experience as it comes near our ears as compared to that if merely placed on the ground.
- Next, let’s move on to the electrical connections. Get the appropriate wires and cables exactly as mentioned in the instructions manual. Carefully connect each speaker (main woofer and the sub-woofers) with the main receiver. In most of the cases, the cables come along with the packing of the home theater system. Mostly, the rear portion of each speaker is provided with female sockets with a color code in which coaxial cable male jacks are to be inserted just by matching the color. As an exception, in many cases they are provided with simple connectors with a spring-loaded clip system. In such case there is no requirement of a socket. The insulation at the upper tip of the wires are to be removed and inserted into this clip type connector which gets locked tightly as soon as the spring loaded clip is released.
- After the inter-connections between the main sound receiver/processor and the speakers are complete, move on to the main audio input cable connection. Almost all the home theater systems in the present generation remain provided with a “3.5 mm audio jack”. This has almost become an universal standard to simplify audio connections and to increase the connectivity of the system with almost every audio source in the world. Connect the wire properly to the audio source as well as to the receiver again by matching the color codes.
- Finally connect the receiver to the mains. This cable remains connected to the receiver as a factory settings in maximum cases.
- Once again check the electrical connections and ensure that no loose connections are there in the wires and cables. Tighten any jack if found loose. These may cause a short-circuit resulting in damaging your system.
- Switch on the power supply. Play an audio from the source. Adjust the volume and equalizer settings from the audio processor of the home theater and enjoy a hi-fi listening experience at home.
Quick Tips
- Remember to read the instruction manual carefully that comes along with the packing list of the system in order to ensure the correct procedure for any action you take while setting up or operating your home theater system.
- The specifications of the wires and cables should exactly be the same as mentioned in the manual.
- Maintain the polarity of the entire system by properly matching the color codes of the connecting cables and wires before connecting them.
Things to watch out for
- Try to buy a home theater manufactured by a reputed brand.
- Study the room acoustics properly before installing the system as it’s the most important part regarding the surround sound effects.
- Cross check all electrical connections to avoid any type of short-circuit which may damage the entire system permanently.
