In a real theater, the most important speakers are the ones you don't see... the ones behind the screen, that anchor the movie dialog to the screen and make it clear. Most movie action takes place on screen... not off to the right or left so it is important that sounds seem to come from the same place as the action!

It's no different on your big screen TV or projection set at home. The addition of a center channel speaker can make your movies much more realistic and the dialog will come through much more clearly. That's why Dolby ProLogic® and Dolby Digital® surround sound recordings all have center channels encoded onto the video tapes and discs you buy and rent. If you don't have a center channel, your not getting everything that is on the tape!

A center channel speaker should be at approximately the same height as your other front speakers and that generally means it will sit on top of or under your TV. This creates several problems, the first being that the strong magnets in most conventional speakers will magnetize the TV picture tube and make it look like a lava lamp! So the first requirement for a center channel speaker is that it be magnetically shielded and that it fit comfortably on top of a TV or in a TV stand...(notice the size and shape of the one at the right).

The second problem is that the center channel is a full frequency 20-20,000 Hz channel and most center speakers can't get big enough (in light of the first requirement) to reproduce really deep bass. Fortunately all Dolby ProLogic® and Dolby Digital® components allow us to send the non-directional center channel bass sounds to the left and right front speakers. So, the center channel speaker needs to do a good job in the mid bass all the way up through the highest highs but we can cheat a bit on the deep bass.

Finally, the center channel speaker must be a good sonic match to the other front speakers. If an actor is speaking and moving from one side of the screen to another, it is disconcerting to have his/her voice change as it moves from right to center to left speakers. This principle is known as "voice matching" which means that especially in the midrange (where voices are found), it is important that your center channel speaker sound very similar to your main speakers. In practice, this means that it is helpful for all three speakers to be of the same brand and using the same midrange driver, but close matches can be found between brands with some careful listening. If you already have a good pair of front speakers, be sure to tell us about them when you shop so we can recommend an appropriate sonic match for your center speaker. Center channel speakers are available in all price ranges to fit your budget and match up with your existing speakers.

In a Dolby ProLogic® home theater surround sound system, the rear or surround channel is mono (not stereo) but most people buy two speakers to mount on either side of their listening position or in the rear of the room. The frequencies contained on a Dolby ProLogic® surround channel are limited from 100 Hz in the bass to 7000hz in the treble. This allows you to purchase a very modest and small speaker and have it do a fine job in a surround role. There are no special requirements for a surround speaker but it is helpful if it has a similar sound quality to your main speaker which generally means that picking a small speaker of the same brand as you main speakers is a good choice. In Dolby ProLogic® the surround sound speakers should provide an envelope of sound to surround you rather than a direct source of sound. For this reason, many people choose to "bounce" the sound off of a wall or ceiling rather than have the speakers firing at the listening position directly, but this is largely a matter of personal preference.

If you plan on upgrading to a Dolby Digital® surround system (also known as Dolby 5.1 or AC3) then the rules for surround speakers change (and they get more expensive - wouldn't you know it!). Dolby Digital® contains two separate soundtracks in stereo for the rear speakers and both channels are full 20-20,000 Hz signals so a full range quality speaker is desirable. Because Dolby Digital® systems give you the option to play all the deep bass through the front speakers or subwoofer, you don't need a pair of monoliths in the rear of your room too! But you do need a speaker with a quality sound through the musical range above the deep bass. We expect that rear channel speakers similar to center channel speakers will evolve to meet the new sonic requirements of Dolby Digital®.

If you don't already own a pair of good front speakers and will be in the market for a complete surround sound speaker package, you may want to consider one of the pre-packaged sub/sat systems we have available like the one shown above. Since all of the speakers are shielded and have identical voice matching they are perfect for theater systems. They also fit in more decor schemes than conventional surround systems!