Wireless Rear Speakers

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testing123

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Master Geek

#23045 16-Jun-2008 14:35

I'm looking to get a decent surround sound set up at home, and would like the thought of wireless rear speakers (i cant drill holes in walls to install properly and hide long wires etc)

A question the small handfull of sales assistants have not been able to answer for me is this:

Does "wireless" mean its radio, or data?

If it's just radio and subject to compression/signal loss then i'll go with wired speakers, but if it's data/digital (kind of like AirTunes/apple airport base stations) then thats a different story.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks

cyril7

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#138372 16-Jun-2008 14:49

Hi, most of these wireless rear speaker systems are operate either in the 900MHz or 2.4GHz band using digital modulation rather than analog FM etc, however the air interface is normally not a 802.11 based one typically its something much simpler but the do give good performance. Some are IR based, but once again digital.

Dont forget that you still need to power them, and often there is a single rear pickup amplifier at one rear channel and a wire to the other speaker, so you dont always run away from wires.

These rear speakers are normally of the small variety, so little or no response below 100Hz (if not higher).

Personally I would go wired if possible, as for gettting wires to the rear of the room, if there is a will there is normally a way.

Cyril

testing123

176 posts

Master Geek

#138375 16-Jun-2008 14:56

Thanks Cyril, question answered. so you think it's not a huge signal degridation?

yeah, i knew there was still "rear wiring" as such... but i have enough random cables in the lounge as it is :)

one day, when i'm not renting.... wall-mounted hard wired heaven shall ensue.

cyril7

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#138382 16-Jun-2008 15:06

Unless you intend to use the rear speakers for listing to multichannel music (ie SACDs or DVD-A in which case you should be looking at totally higher spec speakers than what you imply here) rather than for effects channels for movies then their performance is more than adequate.

Cyril

testing123

176 posts

Master Geek

#138385 16-Jun-2008 15:15

ah, indeed. Audiophlie i am not, just making sure i dont walk face-first into a bad decision.

At this stage the project is almost exclusively about having Starbuck and Apollo flying from one corner of the room to the other in persuit of the 13th colony.... in between Battlefield Badcompany marathons, of coarse :)

Thanks again for the info, most helpful!