1. What is included in a typical home theater system?
A typical home theater system comprises of
1. Speakers: Front stage speakers , surround speakers, effect speakers and subwoofer Ranging from 5.1 Surround sound to 11.2 surround sound.
2. An AV receiver.
3. A source player like DVD player or Blu-ray player.
4. Projectors or flat panel televisions like Plasma or LCD.
2. What is surround sound?
A 360 degree sound experience representing screen related activities in front speakers (front left, center, front right) and OFF- screen activities in surround speakers. The 360 degree sound experience should be in strict co-relation to the video events On-screen and Off- screen.
3. Will I be able to buy all the products like Speakers, amplifiers, Players, TV etc., at Audio Planet?
All the Audio components of a Home Theatre system are available at Audio Planet. We do not sell Televisions and Projectors in Audio Planet, but we can surely suggest some of the best dealers.
4. How big a room do I need to get a real Home Theater experience?
A minimum size of 170 sq ft is required for a decent home theatre. The width:length ratio is a very important aspect and a ratio of 1:4 is highly recommended. On the higher sound, large rooms of even 700-800 sft can give a very spacious sound movement feel, provided the acoustics are optimum.
5. What kind of furniture do I use for my Media room?
High Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) during movie playback can cause loose surface to rattle. All furniture should be free of loosely held components to prevent clutter and rattle. Glass should not be used liberally in theater environments.
6. Should I buy a HDTV or a projector for the best home theatre experience?
The size of the screen is dependent on the viewing distance. As a basic thumb rule the ideal width of the screen is approximately half of the viewing distance. While TV screen have the advantage of being more resolute by virtue of smaller pixel size and also manage to have better brightness and contrast parameters, they lose out on the Panasonic and real- life that a projector can support by virtue of magnified images. Very high-end projectors can match the image qualities of the smaller televisions.
7. Does the acoustics of the room have an effect on the audio quality?
Yes, the acoustics of the room contributes to more than 40% of the overall sound experience.
8.What is the power consumption of a home theatre system?
Depends on the amplifiers and projectors used in the room. Class A Amplifiers are very hungry on power. Class AB Amplifiers are leaner on power in comparison. Class D-Amplifiers are the most efficient on power.
A typical class AB AVR driven home theater of around 250 sqft, subwoofer ,a projector, and sources will require anywhere between 2.5 to 3 KVA. Larger the room, higher will be the power requirements of amplifier.
9. What service can I expect after I buy the products?
Buying the right products is less than 50% of the project. Installation and calibration are very key aspects that we specialize on. Educating the customer on all aspects of equipment and features is a very valuable aspect of our service.AMC is another value- add that Audio Planet can provide.
10. What is the warranty period for the products?
The Warranty Period for the services vary from product to product and varies from one year to twenty years as decide by the manufacturer.
11. What is the best time to approach Audio planet for Consultancy? (before or after the construction).
Room size and room proportions are very critical and hence contacting us even before construction is the right thing to do.
12. In case there is some problem in the system, can I approach Audio Planet for servicing?
At the movement we are limiting our services to only our customers who utilize our turnkey services.
13. What are the differences between typical stereo speakers and home theater speakers?
There is nothing called “typical stereo speakers” and home theater speakers.
Stereo as a format requires 2 full frequency band speakers and home theater as a format requires at least 5 speakers (L,R,C,SR,SL)and a subwoofer.
Stereo as format demands more fidelity out of the speakers as the listener is bound to have a higher reference for music and hence clear yard sticks for measuring performance. Home theater on the other hand involves many instances of noise (bomb explosion, car chases, gunshots, action sequences etc.) where there can be multiple references and hence unclear yard sticks for evaluation .Hence home theater as a format can be considered to be less demanding on the fidelity aspect of speakers than the stereo format.
14. What are the things to be considered to setup a home theatre system?
Room size, room proportions, acoustic surfaces(absorption and reflection), speaker positions, distances from walls, seating positions, screen size, viewing angles.
15. Should one consult an acoustic specialist to setup a home theatre?
Acoustics is the single largest contributor to sound quality in the room and hence consulting an acoustic specialist is very important.
16. Should one seek the services of an interior designer to design a home theatre setup?
An Interior designer is critical in the converting the acoustic ideas of an acoustic consultant into pleasing interiors.
17. Does the material/type of flooring impact the acoustics?
Any of the six surfaces of the room will impact the home theater acoustics.
18. How does one derive maximum value/listening experience?
The word “value for money” is the most abused term in the audio video industry. The Term “Value” is a variable from customer to customer and can be ascertained only on interacting with the customer.
19. If one has already purchased the systems, would Audio Planet help in integration? Acoustic design? Performance optimization?
Yes ,at a mutually agreed cost.
20. How can we experience the best audio systems, acoustics before we make a decision on our setup?
Audio Planet offers experience centers for evaluating 13 international brands in optimal acoustic conditions.
