Here at Expressive Audio we are as passionate about movies as we are about music, and in my humble opinion it's all about the big screen experience, which is not complete without the sound to make that big screen come alive. The best thing about going to the cinema is how much more captivating any film is with the soundtrack playing all around you. We want to help you to create the same big screen experience in your own home.
Whether you are in a small room with a 40" TV or a dedicated cinema room with 120" projection screen, the big screen experience is all about filling your field of vision and immersing you in the film, concert or programme you're watching, or even the latest game you're playing. However, no matter how big or small your screen is, it only does half the job. Without the soundtrack to your viewing of choice, you will never get completely drawn into what you're watching or listening to. George Lucas, the director of Star Wars, said that “the sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a movie” which reflects just how impactful music is in a film, and if you're watching a concert you clearly want to hear the music in its entirety. When playing a video game, music creates an even more immersive experience as you control your character in the story and feel the emotions.
Surround sound is what distinguishes a home theatre setup from a basic television setup, and enables you to enjoy the big screen experience in the comfort of your own home - perfect for the current global situation. Surround sound immerses you in what you are watching or playing by making the sound happen around you using multiple audio channels.
A proper surround sound system needs two or three speakers in front of where you sit and two or three speakers to the sides or behind. The audio signal is split into multiple channels to make different sound information come out of each speaker. The most noticeable sounds come out of the front speakers. When a noise is made on the left side of the screen, you hear it more from a speaker to the left, and when something is happening on the right, you hear it more from a speaker to the right of the screen. The third speaker sits in the centre, just under or above the screen, and is very important because it anchors the sound coming from the left and right speakers to play all the dialogue and front sound effects so that they seem to be coming from the centre of the screen, rather than from the sides. The speakers behind you produce the background noise, and also work with the front speakers to give the sensation of movement by making a sound start from the front and then move behind you. A good surround sound system does require quite a few speakers, but it’s well worth it to have the full immersive experience at home!
At Expressive Audio we are able to help you with all your home cinema needs, whether it be with a Soundbar to improve the audio performance of your flat screen TV, a small discreet cinema system to go in your front room to engross you in your content, a pair of JVC Exofield XP-EXT-1 Dolby Atmos enabled surround sound headphones if you don't want to be the noisy neighbour, or a full blown 5.4.1 Dolby Atmos Cinema system running in your own separate cinema room.
With 30+ years of experience between us, we have been going through many different options to fit all these purposes and have partnerships with suppliers that enable us to help you get the best out of your cinema systems. Get in touch to discuss with us in more detail or to arrange a demo at our Lincolnshire showroom!
