What You Need to Know about Home Theatre Systems

Speakers: Why would I need more than two?

Classic stereo utilises two independent audio channels to reproduce sound with depth and directionality. “Surround sound” refers to a growing number of available formats, like Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, that use multi-channel audio to create a more immersive, three-dimensional audio experience via additional speakers strategically placed around the listener. Surround-sound technology has long been familiar to moviegoers, but it’s fast becoming the common choice for consumers of home theatre systems, video game consoles, and personal computers, too. More and more entertainment companies are encoding audio in surround-sound formats, including producers of video games, DVDs, and HDTV broadcasts.

Surround-Sound Formats

There are many surround-sound formats available for use in the home, ranging from 3-speaker setups, to 7-speakers and beyond. The most common, standardized speaker configuration is known as 5.1 Surround Sound, which refers to left, right, and centre speakers up front, surround-left and surround-right speakers in the rear, plus an additional low-frequency speaker. Several competing audio formats are used to encode DVDs, video games, and other popular forms of entertainment to achieve some like-variation of 5.1 Surround Sound, the most common being proprietary technologies by Dolby and DTS. Many home theatre systems, including those made by LG, allow you to switch between these and other standard formats, so you can enjoy the widest variety of entertainment options.

What is iPod Connectivity?

The iPod Connectivity allows you to listen to music, view photos, and enjoy videos that are stored on your iPod.

What do I need to know about "Watts"?

A watt is a unit of energy. With regard to audio systems, watts refer to the energy output of the amplifier or receiver that’s being used to power the speakers. More watts equal more power, and thus more potential volume - itself usually measured in decibels.

What do Watts mean for my Speakers?

When purchasing home entertainment components, you need to make sure that your speakers are compatible with the maximum output of your amplifier or receiver. For example, if you purchase a receiver with an output of 100 watts-per-channel, make sure your speakers are compatible with that level of output. If the speakers are designed to "max out" at less power, the audio will become distorted, and could even damage the speakers. Conversely, if the speakers are designed to handle more power than your amplifier provides, this may result in the sound "clipping” or cutting out), which might likewise cause speaker damage.

Another thing to keep in mind when choosing home theatre components is that the relationship between watts and decibels is exponential, not linear. This means that doubling the wattage does not give you double the volume. As a rule, if you double the number of watts (for example, from 50 to 100) you only get a volume increase of 3dB, which is almost imperceptible. To double the volume, you would instead need to multiply the number of watts by a factor of ten-requiring, for example, a 500-watt system to achieve twice the volume of a 50-watt system.

Compatibility between Components

To ensure that your amplifier and speakers are compatible, always ask an audio expert for assistance. That’s what we did. Many of LG’s audio systems were fine-tuned by renowned audio expert, Mr. Mark Levinson. Just one more assurance that our home entertainment systems are designed to allow all components to work together-to give you breathtaking audio clarity and performance, every time.