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What Is Your Main Speaker Configuration?
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 18, 2011
Last week, I asked about your main video display. But as all enthusiasts know, video is only half of the home-theater experience—the other half is audio. Most home-theater content is created for a surround-sound system, usually with five main speakers (front left, center, right, plus two surround speakers at the sides of the listening area) and a subwoofer, which is designated as "5.1." Other configurations include 6.1 (5.1 with one extra surround speaker at the back of the room), 7.1 (5.1 with two additional surround speakers in back), 9.1 (7.1 with extra speakers above or outside the main front left and right), and even 11.1 (7.1 with the addition of both "height" and "wide" front speakers, depicted above).

At the other end of the spectrum are systems that include only two speakers with or without a sub (2.1 or 2.0, respectively) or maybe three front speakers (left, center, right) and a sub, which is designated as 3.1. Finally, many folks, especially those with their main system in a small room, opt for a soundbar—a long, thin cabinet with several speaker drivers that, in some cases, simulates the sound of a surround system and might or might not include a separate subwoofer.

So I ask you—what is the speaker configuration in your main system? Some elaborate systems might have more than one subwoofer, in which case, select the option that reflects the number of main speakers. Then, I really hope you'll leave a comment describing your speaker system, including brand, models, and placement.

Vote to see the results and leave a comment about your choice.

What Is Your Main Speaker Configuration?
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3D Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Yogi Bear 3D (Blu-ray 3D)
David Vaughn  |  Mar 18, 2011
When Yogi (voiced by Dan Aykroyd) finds out that Jellystone Park is being sold, tossing him, Boo Boo (Justin Timberlake), and all their friends out of the only home they've ever known, he and Boo Boo join forces with is long-suffering nemesis, Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) in order to save the park from an evil politician.

This one certainly caters to a younger audience and I doubt viewers without kids would want to give it a look. Regardless, it actually isn't that bad and features surprisingly good 3D effects, a decent story, and the cartoon characters of Yogi and Boo Boo blend seamlessly with the live-action actors.

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Audio Video News
Sharp Wins Energy Star Honors
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 18, 2011
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding Sharp the Excellence in Energy Efficient Product Design Award for 2011. The award ceremony will take place in Washington, DC on April 11.

Sharp Aquos Quattron TVs beat the voluntary Energy Star efficiency standards by 67 percent. Fifty-one Sharp LCD TVs are Energy Star certified along with all of its Blu-ray players.

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The Big Picture
Farewell Gary Altunian
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 17, 2011
It is with profound sadness that I report the passing of Gary Altunian, a colleague and friend of many years. It looked as though he had won his long battle with cancer a few years ago, only to have it recently return with a vengeance. He finally succumbed on March 15, 2011, at the age of 59.

I first met Gary in the early 1990s when he was National Training Manager for Yamaha Electronics. I was just beginning my career as a journalist in consumer electronics (I had previously covered pro audio), and he helped me with my coverage of Yamaha CE products. We became friends and then colleagues when he left Yamaha in 2003 to pursue his own career as a freelance audio journalist. He was an excellent and conscientious writer, and I hired him whenever I could to contribute to whatever magazine or website I was working on at the time.

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AV Receiver Buying TipsAV Receiver SetupAV Receiver Tech
HT Guide to AV Receivers
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 17, 2011
The A/V receiver is your home theater’s central nervous system. All cables and connections to and from your other components are likely to run through your AVR. It will manage and switch the A/V signals from all of your sources, and it will power at least five of your loudspeakers. Making the right choice in an AVR can feel like a science exam, but once you make the perfect match, the rewards are huge. The right AVR will be a pleasure to use and will make your speakers and other components perform their best. Helping you make the best choice is where Home Theater’s AVR Buyer’s Guide comes in.
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Speaker Buying TipsSpeaker SetupSpeaker Tech
HT Guide to Speakers
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 17, 2011
Home theater has transformed loudspeakers in nearly the same way it transformed TV. As screens have gotten bigger, the stereo soundstage has expanded into a surround soundfield. Wall-mounted HDTVs can now mate with in-wall, on-wall, or soundbar speakers. Even the higher performance of HDTV finds an analog in lossless surround for movies and music.
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Audio Video News
Bob Geldof at SXSW: Best. Keynote. Ever.
Ken Richardson  |  Mar 17, 2011

 

Maybe not exactly ever, but it sure seemed that way. After all, unlike recent "keynotes" at the SXSW Music Festival - which have tended to be mere Q&As with an onstage interviewer - Bob Geldof's talk this morning was an actual keynote speech. And an enthralling one at that.

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Premiere Design
Duevel Sirius Omnidirectional Speaker
Scott Wilkinson  |  Mar 17, 2011
After designing and building direct-radiating speakers for over 20 years, Markus Duevel decided to try a different approach. Years of experimentation resulted in a unique combination of horn loading and omnidirectional radiation, and Duevel now offers several models, including the flagship Sirius.
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Audio Video News
Time Warner's new iPad app escalates the battle for the small screen
Michael Berk  |  Mar 17, 2011

Time Warner's new TWCable TV app for the iPad (which lets TWC internet and cable service subscribers stream content to their tablets over their home WiFi ) became the most-downloaded piece of software in the iTunes st

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Audio Video News
Netflix Gets Tired of Bottom Feeding
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 17, 2011
Netflix distributes a huge amount of video programming and a rapidly increasing percentage of it via streaming. But in the race for hot new titles, it tends to lag behind cable/satellite VOD and disc release. Now Netflix is looking to improve its game by licensing original content and streaming it ahead of competitors.

The first property Netflix is eyeing is House of Cards, a remake of a BBC thriller of the same name, this time starring Kevin Spacey and directed by David Fincher, who directed The Social Network. Netflix is bidding $100 million for two seasons of the series in the hope that it may do for Netflix what The Sopranos did for HBO and Mad Men did for AMC.

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