Video cables
EUR14,95
Primewire HDMI Cable 2.1, 8K @ 120Hz / 4K @ 240Hz DSC, Ultra High Speed, Nylon Jacket, HDR, ARC
2 m, HDMI
Generation USB and the home cinema set-up: fiddling for surround sound
11.12.2023
Translation: Elicia Payne
One week, I was completely satisfied with tinny TV sound. The next, I was fiddling with the cable insulation of my brand new 5.1 Dolby surround system. Here’s the full story.
«What’s wrong with the TV speakers? I can hear everything» was my catchphrase for many years. My idea of a cosy evening after work involves sitting on the sofa and streaming films and series, so– you’d think I’d have developed a certain standard of audio quality over the years. But no, I was always satisfied with the narrow sound spectrum that TV speakers provided.
Not that I ever gave it much thought. But at least when I bought my current TV three years ago, I made sure that it could play Dolby Atmos, which is what cinemas always brag about. It had to be good, right? With that, the idea that my TV already had the best sound was cemented in my mind. Why would I spend a lot of money on additional speakers?
Barbaric: taking a knife to the stereo cable
But then a friend gave me his 20-year-old floorstanding speakers, i.e. «speaker towers». «You just need to connect an amplifier, then they’ll work perfectly!» Wait, an amplifier? Great, that too. Why can’t you just connect the speakers directly to the TV? They don’t even have jack connectors! I already knew that with hi-fi loudspeakers, the exposed cable ends are squeezed under rotating knobs instead of being neatly plugged in. That’s barbaric. I’m Generation USB!
But there’s nothing for it. If you already have better speakers, you should use them. I looked for an amplifier, which, unfortunately, quickly turned out to be quite expensive. Unwilling to spend too much money, I ordered a simple device in the 200-300 euro price range, just good enough to connect two speakers and stream music from your smartphone via Bluetooth.
When the little amplifier arrived, the time had come. I grabbed a box cutter and, swearing under my breath, set about stripping eight cable ends and then fumbling them into the various inputs and outputs. Crazy!
Source: Debora Pape
If it’s going to be a home cinema, it’s got to be the real deal
I connected the amplifier to the TV’s headphone output as a test, using the jack after all. And lo and behold, the sound flooded my ears much more powerfully from the two standing speakers. What a sound, what a difference! I was over the moon.
For about three minutes. Until I thought to myself: while I’m at it, wouldn’t «a little more» be even better? 5.1 or 7.1 Surround, with real Dolby Atmos for the booming home cinema experience with explosions from all directions? Yep, I’d been sucked in – I wanted my sound system firing on all cylinders. But I didn’t know exactly how to set it up or what I’d need to do so. First things first, I asked Google.
A few insights into planning a surround system
It was clear that I’d underestimated the set-up. The new amplifier isn’t capable of surround sound because it only has connections for two speakers. But for 5.1 I need five speakers and a subwoofer. So I disconnected the amplifier and sat down to think things through better this time. A system like this isn’t cheap and you’ve got to be happy with it in years to come.
If you’re interested in designing your own surround sound system, it’s worth planning for something bigger. A 5.1 system can easily be turned into a 7.1 or Dolby Atmos system by adding more speakers, but the amplifier or AV receiver (and, of course, the TV) have to support this. My TV actually provides all the outputs and features I need. I give my former, ignorant self a pat on the back.
You should also consider how the TV will be connected to the amplifier or receiver. The signal should reach the external speakers from the TV with as little loss as possible. However, if you connect a console to an AV receiver, for example, its video signal needs to reach the TV too. This is where HDMI comes to mind. HDMI transmits picture and sound, but only in one direction (unidirectional), namely from the output of one device to the input of the other.
The ARC standard (Audio Return Channel) comes into play here – with an ARC-capable HDMI connection, audio signals can be transmitted in both directions (bidirectional).. So at least that’s one less cable. However, make sure the connectors on the device involved and the cable are suitable for ARC.
Though it might seem obvious, where you place the speakers – and whether you even have room for them all – is really important (linked article in German). After all, surround systems don’t just involve two floorstanding speakers at the front – they also involve at least two more at the rear. And where do you put the cables? Firstly, you can’t have cables visibly lying around on the floor. Secondly, the cables shouldn’t be too long, otherwise you may reduce the sound quality.
Source: Debora Pape
Banana plugs for battered copper wires
After a few hours of research, I felt confident enough to order the Ultima 40 5.1 surround set from Teufel and the X1700H AV receiver from Denon.
Unfortunately, the surround set isn’t available on the German Galaxus store.
I also wanted to save myself the barbarity of the wires under the knobs in round two. Banana plugs (yet another term I’m initially unfamiliar with) provide a remedy. They’re the metal sleeves you screw the stripped cable ends into so that they’re protected. You can then use the cables in a similar way to jack plugs. A 5.1 system requires 20 banana plugs, four for each speaker cable. Stripping the cables and screwing them into the connectors was hard work, but my inner neat freak was loving it.. Banana plugs are, of course, also available in our range.
Source: Debora Pape
And how’s the new surround sound now?
A few weeks after my home cinema upgrade, I’m thrilled when the subwoofer makes the couch vibrate during a movie, or my Mario Kart opponents whizz right past my ears.
However, I do need to reduce it a bit. Yes, 5.1 sound is really great – but only if the movie warrants it. Dialogue-heavy films and series benefit less from surround sound. Dialogue-based sound usually comes out of the centre speaker box, which is ideally positioned directly in front of the TV. I recently watched a classic, The Godfather. At times, I actually wondered whether the sound system was working at all. Birdsong or background music from behind was as good as it got.
In action-heavy films such as Inception, there’s so much crashing and clattering around you that it’s a real joy. But then there’s a risk that conversations will be too quiet and barely understandable. Since I usually watch films in their original language with subtitles, this is less relevant for me, but it’s not ideal. I’ll definitely look into this as well – maybe the ratio can be adjusted.
Nevertheless, movie night is much more immersive for me with the new 5.1 system. And even if a hi-fi system isn’t cheap, I think the investment was worth it. I’m also planning to upgrade it by adding Dolby Atmos. All I need now is a list of movies worth watching with extra sound from above.
*Are you also a home cinema fan? Is the TV sound enough for you or do you use a soundbar or other speaker systems? And do you have any movie recommendations that I can really make the most of surround sound with?
Header image: Debora Pape, who’ll soon be repapering the wall and painting all the units black. What you see here is a work in progress!
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
