Are Wireless Surround Sound Speakers the Future?

[Audioholics]

<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Are wireless surround sound speakers the next big thing? Hong Kong leads the market in the release of wireless 5.1 speaker systems. Wireless and active surround sound speakers with built-in decoders appear to be topping&nbsp;the list of R&amp;D expenditures in various Chinese technology manufacturing companies. Makers in both Hong Kong and mainland China are racing to come out with the latest wireless surround speakers, and upgrade various 5.1, 6.1&nbsp;and 7.1 systems to make use of this technology.</FONT><FONT face=Arial></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>2.4GHz RF and Bluetooth integration coupled with digital amplification systems seem to be the direction many companies are headed in terms of providing new innovative products for average consumers looking to expand into, or improve upon, home theater systems. The advantages are obvious - no line level signal wires to run and a great freedom of speaker placement throughout the listening room and home. Read on to see some of the challenges and advantages to the formats.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>[Read About Wireless Surround Speakers]</FONT></P></FONT>

 

[BMXTRIX]

So, there are people who actually would purchase wireless surround speakers, carefully mount them in the right locations on their wall, or on a shelf, hook everything up correctly...

Then wonder why no audio comes out of the speakers.

Oh yeah! Speakers need POWER.

I think wireless is great for people who are using battery or plug in speakers in remote rooms of their home. Or, if they have plugs convenient to their surround locations, then by all means. But, how in the world do you do it when there is no outlet? Do you run new 120v lines to accomodate the wireless technology?

I would call it more gimmicky than practical. The IDEA of wireless is not always the reality. It's great for a laptop, that you really do move around and will plug in once every few hours for a refresh. Great for the outdoor speakers you want to then bring back into your home. Wonderful for baby monitors and remote controls... But permanently installed, non mobile, power hungry speakers? I guess if you find the right sales guy to sell it!

 

[Tsunamii]

Good point

BMXTRIX, good point. IMHO 2.4ghz is getting way overcrowded. My wife recently had a Baby and I bought a wireless monitor with video and audio. The frequency was hopelessly clogged. The video was just OK and the audio had constant interference. I cant even imagine trying to jam it further with surround sound. Why not just install the wires in your walls? Its not to much work and you only have to do it once..

 

[Unregistered]

While I cant speak for 50 years down the road, I just cant see the best wireless has to offer beating out the technology for cable speakers today.

 

[Audioholics]

I think the market is for existing homeowers who would not be able to easily get speaker wire across to a particular location, while typical code dictates an AC outlet every 12 feet, or such that no distance along any point on a wall is more than 6 feet from an outlet.

In this way, they have as much power as they will need, and bandwidth becomes the only issue.

Yes, anyone can figure out a way to run cable around a room, but its far easier, quicker, and wife friendly to merely plug a speaker into a wall and be done with it.

That's the market as I see it - assuming they get the quality up to where it needs to be, of course.

 

[Leprkon]

speaker cables versus electrical wires

for many of the reasons BMX quotes (dang it hurts to agree with him twice in two days that lousy video upconvert lover) and for many of the reasons Clint states (you nailed yourself this time buddy instead of making your own case), wireless speakers have some major obstacles.

It might be easier for a wide (err wife) to plug in to 110 but it's also a lot safer in a family room with kids to run long wires overhead or behind walls than it is to have a bunch of extension cords all over the place. Mrs Clint will probably be the first one to shoot down AC plugs for wireless speakers. There are just too many tripping hazards involved. Granted, it might work in a perfectly rectangular room where the rears are completely out of the normal walking path, but very few people have that.

You're also looking at connecting only low-level (ie stand-mounted) speakers in this situation. Any high-mounted or ceiling monted surrounds will be nixed by the wife for the even-more visible cables. In any event, your speaker location now becomes limited by where available outlets are located, not by the best location for their sound.

Most normal rooms (ie those of us who have homes or apartments rather than beds attached to THX-certified theatres) do not have a clean spot to run 120v to two or more back speakers. We might get to one, but the other is gonna be right in the middle of everything.

None of this even adresses interference ( sorry dad, you can't come over and watch a movie, my system will fry your pacemaker)...

In case of a loose-wire accident from a knocked-over speaker, I would personally much rather deal with a DC output from a receiver than a live AC extension wire plugged right into the wall.

A further (if lesser) point is that more of your components become at risk to burn-out from a power-outage recovery. A bad one would take out your receiver, but not do much to the speakers. In a wireless scenario, the speakers go too.

But since I'm from Oklahoma, can I mount a couple of windmills on my roof to power the ceiling-mounted surrounds ?????

 

[dreadstar]

Wireless ewww

Wireless anything other than phone and remote controls are like WHY?

2.4ghz is so crowded with garbage now as it is.

Sure go get a 2.4ghz wireless router for your broadband and then get arrested because someone uploads a bunch of child porn through your node.

Also it would be fun to see what happens to your wireless speakers if someone else in your condo has the same set.