We Have Just One Word for You: Acoustics

In a famous scene from the 1960s classic The Graduate, a young Dustin Hoffman gets some advice from his father’s friend for his future: “I just want to say one word to you. One word. Plastics.” No, this blog isn’t about plastics, and that secret is out anyway. But we do want to talk about one word that can’t be ignored when it comes to home theater – acoustics.

Home theaters present some unique challenges for audio performance. Today’s theaters have many speakers, as many as 16 when you count surround speakers, subwoofers, and height speakers. Each one of these needs to evenly cover a certain area, blend with the overall soundtrack, and not cause sound imperfections that don’t belong. The layout, finishes, and furnishings of the theater also significantly affect the sound. It's not just a matter of choosing excellent equipment and calibrating it correctly, and sometimes the space needs acoustic help.

If you are a builder or designer, it’s wise to consider acoustic treatment early in your plans for residential projects in Charlotte, NC. Why? We’ll get into it below. 

Add Immersive Sound to Your Home Cinema Experience

Surround sound is prevalent these days in just about every kind of video entertainment. For broadcast TV, Dolby Digital has been the standard sound format since the transition to digital in 2009. If you have a compatible soundbar, home theater receiver, or other audio processor and the right speakers, you can enjoy surround sound on many shows, from broadcast to cable to streaming. How well those shows use the extra channels of audio, however, varies greatly.

But you may already know all that. What you may have heard of but not know as much about is Dolby Atmos and another competitive surround format called DTS:X. These are often called immersive surround formats because, well, they are more immersive! While regular surround sound is great, a good Dolby Atmos (or DTS:X) soundtrack might blow you away. So, what is immersive sound, and why is it a great upgrade for your Charlotte, NC home theater? That’s what we’ll get into below!

AudioControl Amplifiers Deliver Effortless, Efficient Power for Any Audio Setup

If you are into the elevated sound quality of high-performance audio equipment, you likely know about the importance of high-quality amplification. In order to deliver detail, impact, and dynamic range, the best speakers need copious amounts of clean power. They say that power corrupts, but when it comes to audio, insufficient power is a greater problem, resulting in disappointing performance and even damaged speakers in extreme cases.

When it comes to power amplifiers, there are many choices from both well-known brands and lesser-known companies. One company that flies a bit under the radar is AudioControl. This Seattle-based company of audio enthusiasts and engineers has been making high-end components for four decades, putting most of their investment in building great products rather than marketing.

Keep reading to learn more about AudioControl high-performance amplifiers for home theater or multizone audio in your Charlotte, NC home.

Sometimes adding a surround sound system to your Charlotte-area home is a fairly simple project. But what if the room you want to watch movies in is oddly shaped or is made of materials that complicate the installation? We want to assure you that when you work with a professional audio/video installer you can overcome any challenges. Read this helpful guide for more information.

SEE ALSO: Take Your Gaming to the Next Level with Media Room Design

Oddly Shaped Ceilings

Positioning two or four speakers in the ceiling is key to creating 3D audio where you can hear the sound coming from above you. If a movie includes a plane flying overhead or other sounds that come from above, you’ll need them. But what if your ceiling is a dome, caved, or made of a difficult material like brick or glass? In cases where the speakers can’t be installed in the walls or mounted on the ceiling, you can use upward firing speakers, which play the soundtrack directly upward so the sound reflects off the ceiling and back down towards you. Keep in mind that these work best when the ceiling is made of a hard and smooth surface.

Open Spaces

Listening to a hit song or a new album from a favorite artist deserves the best auditory experience possible. From slow, melodic music, to pop dance tunes – high-performance audio should always be within reach.

And by bringing a two-channel audio system into your Lake Norman, NC home, you can achieve high-end sound every time you turn on your media of choice.

Want to learn more about how you can elevate your music to a brand-new level? Keep on reading below.

SEE ALSO: DO YOU KNOW THE POSSIBILITIES OF QUALITY AUDIO EQUIPMENT?

Top-Notch Stereo System: A Dedicated Listening Room

What if you could have a space set apart from everywhere else in your home that was solely for the purpose of listening to music – and truly taking it in? It turns out that you can make any room in your house fit for this.