How to Optimize Sound Quality in Your Home Theater

You can transform any space into an immersive cinema with the right home theater design and equipment. While a lot of focus may go to the projector or TV, in this article, we want to focus on the most crucial part of your theater: sound. Visuals are undeniably important, but the sound makes you lean in and engage with your favorite movies, TV shows, and video games. 

It’s that creak in the hallway or the whisper in your ear that gives you goosebumps and truly lets you escape reality. So how can you get truly immersive, detail-rich sound in your New York, NY, home that exceeds that of a commercial movie theater? We offer our top tips below for how to build the theater of your dreams.

SEE MORE: Why You Should Work With a Professional for Your Home Theater Design

Designing the Perfect Sonic Environment 

When discussing home theater sound, clients immediately want to talk about speakers, and we don’t blame them. We promise we’re going to get to that. But first, you need to prepare a dedicated home theater room for them. Poor acoustics ruin even the most visually stunning films and put the highest-performance speakers to waste. 

Expertly placed acoustic treatments will minimize echoing and reverb, resulting in crisper sound regardless of room dimensions. Installing additional sound-absorbing materials on the walls, floor, and ceiling will further help to reduce any issues. For example, adding curtains or drapes to your windows to reduce reflective surfaces. These materials absorb sound and help reduce outside noise. 

We also soundproof the room to reduce outside noise by adding insulation to the walls, ceiling, and floor or integrating sound-blocking curtains or acoustic panels. This is particularly important in NYC, where you have rooms close to each other and may also have to worry about upstairs or downstairs neighbors. 

Installing State-Of-The Art Surround Sound 

Once you’ve created the optimal setting for your high-end home theater setup, it’s time to choose the right audio equipment. I promise we’ll get to the speakers, but first, they need the right supporting crew. Think of your AV processor or receiver as the orchestra conductor and your media sources (media servers, Blu-rays, or turntables) as your first-chair musicians. Both come together to help the best-designed instruments come to life.

Now about those theater speakers. We recommend using a Dolby Atmos surround sound layout that includes front, rear, in-ceiling (or upward-firing), and center speakers expertly placed based on your theater seating. Unlike traditional surround sound, Dolby Atmos signals move freely around the room to create a more realistic soundstage. 

We generally use speakers from Bowers & Wilkins for our home theater systems. Their CI700 line of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers stay hidden and don’t take up room–ideal for NYC homes with limited space and unique interior designs. They deliver exceptional sound quality for cinema and high-end audio applications through advanced design and engineering. 

With the right room design and equipment, we’ll craft the best home theater for your family. If you’re ready to enhance your viewing experience, give us a call, fill out our contact form, or chat with us below to get started. We’d love to help!