Home Theater Design e-Guide
Integrating a Wireless Speaker System Into Your Home Theater
Depending on the circumstances, your home theater arrangement may dictate the need for a wireless speaker system. Unfortunately, the reality is that we sometimes are left with no choice but to deal with the deck of cards that have been dealt to us. This is a route a friend of mine took recently who had purchased a home with a slab foundation and the room where he was going to establish his home theater was covered completely with wood flooring. The wireless sytem has worked out quite well; but to manage expectations, the performance is simply not on the same tier as a traditional speaker system.
Wireless speaker systems are becoming more prominent at electronic retailers everywhere as the technology continues to advance. This creates a significant benefit to consumers, who not too long ago didn't have much of a selection from which to choose. We're starting to see a few more players in the market and some differentiation of product features, which is always a good thing for us.
This type of system is a viable workaround solution to contraints imposed by the space you're working with as you build your home theater environment. In my friend's case, he couldn't run wiring from one side of the room to the other to connect his surround sound speakers to his receiver like he could if the room was carpeted. He also didn't feel comfortable trying to "fish" wire through the walls of a fully finished room.
Most of the wireless speaker systems available on the market are equipped with a 900 MHz RF transmitter, so this isn't really something to consider as you compare products. Obviously, you would certainly want a unit capable of transmitting at higher levels to prevent interference from occurring.
Also, don't pay a lot of attention to the distance a transmitter can send/retrieve a signal -- just because it's higher doesn't mean it's better and you're more than likely working with a space where distance won't remotely be an issue. A unit with both battery (rechargeable preferably) and cable-power will offer you some flexibility in both placement of the system as well as usage. Make sure the unit doesn't have any problems transmitting signals through walls, floors, ceilings, etc. Some will highlight this as a product feature and is a good indication of the sensitivity of the product. Automatic tuning of the speaker/transmitter is also a very handy feature to have as it requires one less thing to configure or adjust.
Interference (resulting in sound distortion, static) is the nemesis of this type of technology. Interference can be introduced by virtually any electronic device; microwave ovens and telephones are common culprits. Hence, a unit that supports multiple channels is preferable to one that does not, which will ultimately help minimize interference.
Wireless Speaker Systems → Design Guide main page
