When a client doesn’t have the budget or space to accommodate a big home cinema sound system, can a smaller 5.1 system still give a great home cinema experience? Amy Stoneham finds out.
An integrator’s ideal client is one with a big budget and lots of space to install multiple technologies, from home automation and lighting to big entertainment systems. However, this isn’t always possible. Many homeowners want the full experience without having access to a big budget.
In terms of home entertainment, we always talk about the big high-end systems that give the ultimate immersive experience in a dedicated home cinema room. But what about smaller, non-dedicated spaces? Can you still get a system that provides a great sound experience for a lower budget in a non-dedicated space?
“It is absolutely possible to achieve an immersive home cinema sound experience with a small audio system, especially for those customers that have a modest budget or non-dedicated cinema space,” states Stephen Rhead, Sonos Professionals IS manager, UK and Ireland. “It is not all about the size of the system, but rather its performance. In most homes, all that is required for room-filling, high-quality, immersive surround sound is a great soundbar, a pair of rear surround speakers and a subwoofer.”
Technology has come a long way in recent years to improve experiences, as Amit Ravat, director of Lithe Audio, explains: “Modern audio processing and speaker technology allows these systems to provide rich, enveloping sound that is closer than ever to larger systems, making them perfect for homeowners with limited space or budget.”
Smaller, 5.1 systems are ideal for multi-purpose rooms or open-living spaces. Image: Bluesound
While these systems can still provide a great experience, understanding the performance capabilities of a more budget-friendly system is something that should be highlighted to customers. Peter Gibb, business development for custom install at Bluesound warns that systems below a certain price point can sometimes compromise quality for the number of channels to give a more ‘immersive’ result, which is often not the case.
He says: “While you can still achieve ‘surround sound’, if you’re using poorer quality system components, it won’t necessarily be immersive or sound very good. We use the word ‘immersive’ a lot in our industry, and generally it’s used to describe a system with a lot of channels surrounding the listening area to create a 3D audio experience. But for me personally, an immersive audio system is one that engages me in what I’m watching, regardless of the channel count, by conveying the emotion and impact of the content. It’s far more important to have a balanced sound with a smooth frequency response, detail and is dynamic and punchy.
Start of a journey
Often, the first step to improving sound from integrated TV speakers is a soundbar, introducing consumers to the world of better audio. This can lead to further upgrades as and when they can.
Ravat agrees: “Any product that delivers audio closer to how the movie or gaming director intended is a positive thing. Affordable products that bring great audio to more people who may aspire to having a dedicated cinema room but can’t afford such a solution are always a good thing because it introduces that experience. As space and budget allows, these consumers who have installed better audio will be the ones to invest in larger systems.”
Lithe Audio's new 5.1 Wireless Surround Sound Cinema Kit uses WiSA technology to bring an immersive audio experience to media rooms without needing a big, integrated setup
Soundbars have many benefits, such as being easy to integrate, easy to use and scalable for a better experience. As Michael Nielsen, business development manager, EMEA at Paradigm Electronics says: “AV systems with more components can scare some customers off. However, for some, a soundbar will be a window to the world of a far greater experience. We often find that visitors to our demonstrations at exhibitions are amazed by what a ‘proper’ system delivers, as in many cases, it is the first time they have experienced something better than a soundbar in a home environment.”
Of course, a soundbar is going to give a very different experience to a 5.1 or 7.1 system, but it’s a good start to introducing a consumer to higher-quality audio, as Gibb says: “Every person’s audio journey has to start somewhere, and as an industry, one of our challenges is getting people on the path and helping them realise the benefits of upgrading their audio system. Fewer homes now have a dedicated hi-fi system, but almost every home has a TV as the centre of an entertainment system, so just getting consumers on that ladder by upgrading from the built-in TV sound to a soundbar is a great starting point. Once they hear the difference, it can lead to further upgrades in the future, whether that's better stereo or a home theatre system."
Wireless vs. wired
A multi-use room or smaller space can sometimes benefit from a wireless system rather than wired, making it easier, more flexible and more scalable. There’s the age-old argument though that wired systems will always provide a better experience than wireless.
However, thanks to technology advances, wireless systems have greatly improved in quality, as Ravat explains: “While wired systems may have traditionally had an edge in creating larger, more immersive, and potentially greater sound quality, advances in wireless technology such as WiSA have greatly narrowed this gap, offering comparable sound quality without an AVR or cable runs to the speakers, all working with zero latency. Wireless systems are also scalable, so adding additional speakers to grow a system over time is possible.”
Image: Lithe Audio
Wireless systems should be considered in spaces that don’t allow for installed speakers, such as open-plan living areas, apartments or outdoor TV setups. In Ravat’s opinion, these areas are best suited to wireless systems as they require minimal cabling and don’t need an AVR.
Although wired systems can provide a better experience, the convenience of a wireless system can far outweigh the benefits of a wired system in particular cases. As Rhead highlights: “Usually, there is no additional building work required and the system can be easily scaled up and reconfigured as the client or room requirements change.”
However, it is important to consider the negatives of a wireless system and ensure the customer is aware of them, as Nielsen points out: “Wireless tends to have more issues with reliability and generally poorer sound quality. Yes, it is very convenient but, as any installer will tell you, a wired system delivers a more robust experience, both in terms of reliability and sound quality.”
Key considerations
When specifying equipment for any type of room and setup, installers should take into account the size and shape of the room and the expectations of the client. This is the same for a smaller, multi-use room, and asking the right questions is important to installing the best equipment for that experience.
“As with any audio system, it just needs to be designed around the customer’s needs,” says Gibb of Bluesound.
Some of the questions that should be asked, according to Gibb, include: “What will the system be used for? Is it being used as the main music system as well as for TV sound? What sources need to be connected and how will it be controlled? What size is the room and how far is the listening area from the speakers? Are the acoustics in the space particularly challenging, meaning that room correction is required? How will the system blend into the interior design of the space?”
The physical size of the room will also play a big part in the experience. Working out speaker placement to ensure performance is not compromised in a smaller or unconventionally shaped room is something that should be considered.
“How to make the best sound in a smaller space is always tricky, and it requires the same level of setup and calibration to obtain the very best performance as a larger system,” highlights Nielsen of Paradigm Electronics. “In-ceiling or on-wall speakers tend to make more of the smaller spaces but need to be placed with care. With built-in calibration systems, such as Anthem’s Room Correction (ARC) software, this is made significantly easier.”
A great surround sound experience can still be achieved with a smaller system. Image: Sonos
AVRs
Traditionally, a home cinema would always feature an AV receiver, but some think they are not always a necessity anymore, especially in smaller setups.
Rhead says: “With a Sonos wireless audio system, for example, the speakers and subwoofers connect directly to a primary product, like the Sonos Arc Soundbar. This flexibility is supported by locked system operation. By attaching to a primary – in this case, the Arc – it allows similar operation to that of a Wi-Fi router-connected system.”
Some wireless systems have an AVR built-in, such as Lithe Audio’s Cinema Systems that, according to Ravat, do the same decoding to Dolby Atmos level and handle the transmission of the audio wirelessly to active wall or ceiling speakers. “This makes these digital AVRs compact and small enough to hide behind the TV,” he says. “It still delivers the same experience as a digital audio stream but without the need of an AVR. It is a particularly good option in smaller setups where space is at a premium.”
Gibb suggests that an AVR is not always required but it does depend on the primary use of the room as to whether it’s worth having an AVR for a better experience.
“If the client’s main use for the system is watching video content with surround sound, an AVR is always going to deliver the best results for a cinema system,” states Gibb. “Connectivity can also come into it if switching multiple HDMI sources is required. A good room correction software can be extremely useful in spaces like this. If the primary use is for music listening with some TV viewing, then a really good stereo set up could be a consideration depending on budget, etc.”
Nielsen, however, thinks that an AVR is extremely important for a truly immersive experience, even in a media room: “An AVR is both the brains and heart of any AV system. For a small media room, we would always suggest using an AVR because the processing power, steering and speaker control that you get with an AVR is basically what provides an immersive experience.”
Anthem's new MRX SLM is an extremely compact AV receiver that can sit behind an LCD screen and still deliver an amazing cinema experience. By removing a lot of the bulk, such as displays and control knobs, Anthem has retained the processor and power to deliver a great sonic performance in a very discreet package. It is controlled via Anthem’s dedicated app, meaning that full control is available from the comfort of the listening position.
Main image: Paradigm Electronics & Anthem offer many smaller options, including its latest offering, the Anthem MRX SLM, an extremely compacy AV receiver that can sit behind an LCD screen to deliver a high-quality home cinema experience