The Stereo

Doesn’t a big picture deserve a big sound–without driving the neighbors nuts? The sound that you play on your stereo comes from your video source's (audio-out) and has to connect to your sound system's (audio-in). You can choose between a two-speaker stereo configuration, or a five-speaker surround-sound setup. We at OutStandingScreens™ like to use 5.1 surround-sound, sub-woofer optional.

TIP: Watching all-night movies with a few friends? Move the speakers in towards your group. It will sound louder while allowing you to turn down your volume and stay friends with your neighbors. 

Features to consider:

Stereo vs surround-sound: Stereo requires two speakers and separates the sound into right and left channels. 5.1 surround-sound uses five channels and means that there are five speakers used, plus one sub-woofer (optional). There is also 7.1 surround-sound, seven speakers and one sub-woofer.

Whatever your choice, bear in mind that

most all recent programming will include surround-sound coding, including even video games these days. So, if you really want a fully-immersed experience, we highly recommend using a surround-sound set-up. Imagine the scary movies, at night, in the dark! Are you brave enough for surround-sound?

A word about speakers: Outdoor speakers are available that can be permanently installed in your environment. They look like frogs, rocks and logs. More conventional speakers are also available in water-proof versions. Do understand the big difference between water-resistent and water-proof. You want water-proof speakers if you are leaving them outside.

A word about speaker wire: We will offer a 16-gauge speaker wire sometime in the future. This wire is black and intended for outdoor use and even direct burial in-ground, if you choose that option. Quality of wiring can affect your sound quality, so you don’t want to go too cheap on speaker wire.

 

How expensive is sound?

Perhaps the better question would be, what do you want to spend? It can be as simple as buying an old surround-sound stereo and speakers from someone in a garage sale. The other end of the spectrum is buying water-proof speakers and building a seven-speaker surround environment, complete with a sub-woofer. The choice is yours. We enjoyed our original 5.1 Dolby Digital surround-sound stereo movie experience by spending about $50 at a garage sale. Surround-sound isn’t that new, so you may already own better equipment than you realize.

 

Link to Projection Screen Review at Sound & Vision magazine
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