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4 Tips for Setting Up Wireless Rear Surround Sound Speakers


by DoItYourself Staff

In order to get the best cinema style experience from your home entertainment system, rear surround sound speakers are essential. One of the most difficult aspects of installing these speakers in the past was the wires trailing around the room. The only solution was to hire a professional to conceal them within the walls. With the increase in wireless technology has come a much more simple solution to many of these installation problems. If you're setting up a system with wireless surround sound speakers, consider these tips to get the most from your set up.

Choosing a System

There are two options for wireless rear surround sound speakers: add-on and integrated. If you already have a home theater system and speakers but want to get rid of the inconvenient wires across the room to the rear speakers, an add-on system is perfect. These speakers have a transmitter that you plug into the main speaker unit and a receiver that connects to your rear speakers.

The add-on style of speakers can also be used as a simple multi-room audio system. Although the system isn't completely wireless, it gets rid of the most annoying wires. An integrated system is normally a cheaper alternative if you are purchasing a new home theater system. The audio set-up of the rear speakers is included as part of the system and the system menus provide some interesting configuration options to get the best performance.

Boosting Sound

If the level of sound that you are receiving from your rear speakers isn't as powerful as you'd like it to be, consider attaching an external stereo amplifier to the rear signal receiver. This will help to boost the power of the sound for an improved home theater experience. The amplifier will also allow you more flexibility with your set-up if you want to change the sound levels more precisely in future.

Be Economical

If you are considering buying an add-on rear speaker system, don't spend to much money because you may find that a low-level integrated system doesn't cost much more. Do your homework before committing to a purchase just in case you can get an integrated system for a similar price. Don't be tempted into buying speakers that are extra powerful because many 25w rear speakers can produce more than enough output for a standard room.

Open Circuits

If you are experiencing problems with a humming noise from your wireless speakers, it may be caused by an open circuit because the speakers are not connected directly to the outputs on the amplifier. You can solve this problem by attaching a simple 100 ohm resistor to each of the speaker outputs and experimenting to find the maximum load they need in order to prevent the humming. The lower the value, the more heat will be generated by the resistors. If you use this solution, take care that the resistors do not touch any other household wires as the heat generated will cause damage and possibly start a fire.

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