Home Theater Hacks

Chapter 5. Speakers and Wiring

Hacks 36–47

It might surprise you that it took five chapters to actually get to the subject of speakers, and even with that, this chapter begins with organization of your racks and gear before jumping into speaker selection. If you're an old home-theater guru, this might not be that odd. But newbies rarely realize that killer speakers without the right gear are just expensive paperweights. Don't get me wrong: the reverse is also true; high-end gear can't put out great sound on its own. However, if you get your components set up and working well, selecting, installing, and testing speakers becomes far, far easier.

In this chapter, you'll get a handle on how to keep your wiring orderly. That rather simple-sounding task turns out to be daunting, and a constant maintenance issue. (If you think it's not a big deal, wait until the first time something goes wrong and you've got to trace a cable through 20 twisted feet of components.) Then I'll dive into speaker selection and really focus on the surround speakers that are so critical to home theater. Finally, you'll learn more than you ever really wanted to know about wiring, from choosing the right kind to using banana connectors to bi-wiring wiring and bi-amping. Get ready for some sound: this is the chapter that makes it happen.