How to Make a Wireless Speaker System for a Home Theater Unit
Truly wireless home sound is the brass ring for manufacturers, but somehow consumers as of 2010 are still waiting to be set free from their tethered systems. "Wireless" exists for home theater systems only in that there are "less" (fewer) wires. The systems are not "wire free." Every little bit helps, though, and setting up these almost-there-but-not-quite systems is easy. The reduction of wire clutter is at least a small consolation for not having a truly cord-free environment.
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Things You'll Need
- Wireless-capable receiver or
- Wireless transmitter
- Wireless receiver
- Speakers
- Speaker wire
Instructions
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1
Decide on a wireless technology. Most wireless options today use a radio frequency signal of 900Mhz, 2.4 Ghz or 5.8 Ghz. There is the possibility of interference on any of those frequencies. Home Wi-Fi can creep in on 2.4 and 5.8 Ghz, while older cordless phones, microwaves and other electrical appliances can cause noise on 900Mhz.
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Buy an add-on wireless transmitter if your home theater receiver doesn't have built-in wireless technology. These are small units that attach to the rear channel output on the home theater system with standard speaker wire. The transmitter draws the rear channel signal as though it was a pair of speakers itself. Then it broadcasts that information to the receiver.
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Place the receiver between the two rear channel speakers. It will need to be near a power outlet as the receiver contains the amplifier that boosts the signal since they won't receive that power directly from the home theater system.
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Wire the rear speakers to the receiver and mount them. You've eliminated the need for wires that run all the way across the room or around the perimeter, but sadly, wire is still needed to carry power.
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Tips & Warnings
Match the power in the wireless receiver to the watts per channel of your amplifier or home theater system as closely as possible.
Use the remote speakers with your stereo in the same way that you would use them as the rear channel of your home theater system.
Some wireless speakers use batteries to supply power eschewing the need for wiring from the wireless receiver, but the diminished performance is still not worth the reduction in wires.
