An HTB (home theater in a box) is a multichannel audio system in kit form. It’s more or less a complete system, ready to set up . . . which means you’ll have more time to enjoy your favorite movies.

Shopping Advice

Besides your price range, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make when you’re shopping for a new HTB is how many speakers you want it to have.

The most popular sets are 5.1-channel systems, which neatly match the surround-sound soundtracks available on the majority of movie discs. These sets have five speakers called satellites (see this article's Speaker Placement diagram), plus a center speaker for clearer dialogue. The ".1" part of 5.1-channel represents the subwoofer, which is a relatively big speaker that creates very deep bass sounds, such as the groaning of a sinking ship or the roar of a famished tyrannosaurus.

A sound system’s RMS (root mean square) wattage rating is supposed to give you a rough idea of how loud the system can get for an extended period of time without overheating or distorting the sound. HTBs vary, however, so it’s best to go to an electronics store to test a few systems’ actual volume and sound clarity.

Most HTBs come with a DVD or BD (Blu-ray Disc) player. If you’re an HDTV owner considering a sound system with a DVD deck, make sure that the player can upconvert video to your TV’s screen resolution, such as 1080p.

Many HTBs come with wall mounts, and a few come with speaker stands. Speaking of speakers, bear in mind that “wireless” rear speakers do have power cords you’ll need to plug in.

Assembly

Sony graciously loaned us an HTS-S360 Component Home Theater System ($349.99; www.sonystyle.com). It’s a 5.1-channel 1,000W RMS HTB that sounds much better than its low price would suggest. Because the system doesn’t come with an often superfluous DVD or BD player, Sony passes the cost savings along to you.

Among other things, the HTS-S360 comes with a receiver, five satellite speakers, a subwoofer, a remote control, and speaker cables. However, you’ll need to buy one or more cables to connect the receiver to your other devices, plus two or more stands or wall-mounting kits.

The receiver has built-in decoders for the audio formats used in the vast majority of movie DVDs; it will do a good job reproducing audio decoded by BD players, too. Importantly, it has HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors to let top-quality video from a disc player pass through the receiver to an HDTV.

Except for the skinny center speaker, the Sony kit’s satellites have labels describing where they go, such as R for Front Right and SL for Surround Left. Likewise, Sony makes the included speaker cables easy to identify (they’re color-coded) and to hook up to the receiver (they use snap-in connectors). However, the speaker ends of the cables are bare wires, but they’re soldered so their strands won’t fray.

Using the Speaker Placement diagram as a guide, set the satellites and center speaker in their tentative places around your room. Temporarily lay each speaker’s cable between it and the place where the receiver will go, such as in your TV stand. Route each cable so that no one will step on it or trip over it, such as near the baseboards of the walls; this will tell you whether all of the speaker cables will be long enough.

Next, push the cable connectors into their color-coded ports in the back of the receiver. To attach the bare ends of each cable to its designated satellite, press down on the speaker’s black (negative) spring tab. Slip the striped wire into the gap and let go of the tab. Connect the other wire to the red (positive) spring tab in the same way. If any speaker seems too quiet later—note that you won’t always hear audio from a surround speaker—double-check its cable for the right polarity and good metal-to-metal contact between the wire and the spring clip.

With help from this article’s “Suggested Cable Connections” chart, connect a cable from the output of a BD/DVD player to an appropriate input on the receiver. Plug in the receiver front panel reads Cleared. Next, turn the volume to 15 or so using the large knob on the right.

Check the BD/DVD player’s settings to make sure that its audio output is set to 5.1-channel sound. Unless your BD/DVD deck can decode more audio formats (such as Dolby Digital) than your receiver, set the player’s digital audio output to RAW or BITSTREAM.

Next, play a movie disc with a 5.1 soundtrack and then fast-forward it to a scene with lots of action. Press the receiver’s Input Selector button until you hear the film’s audio. (Be sure to turn down your TV’s built-in speaker volume so the HTB is the only thing you hear.) Finally, walk around the room to verify that each speaker is working.

Now that you’ve tested your new HTB, consult Sony’s users manual regarding suggested stands or wall screws (not included) for mounting the HTS-S360’s satellites. Tuck the speaker cables out of the way, such as under the baseboards of your walls or into conduits.

Install the receiver into your TV stand, if you have one, but leave it turned to the side so you can access its rear connectors. Sony’s users manual indicates various ways to route audio into the receiver; check the “Suggested Cable Connections” chart again for the best options. The chart also tells you which input buttons at the top of the remote to press in order to hear audio from various devices.

Configuration

Because the surround speaker cables are different lengths than the front ones, and because it’s unlikely that each speaker is the same distance from your favorite seat, you’ll need to calibrate the speaker delay settings on your new HTB. Fortunately, Sony makes this easy with the HTS-S360’s Digital Cinema Auto Calibration feature.

Grab the included microphone (it looks like a black disc) and then plug it into the AUTO CAL MIC jack on the rear of the receiver. Place the microphone at ear level in your favorite TV-viewing chair; prop it up on something such as a box or the seat back. You’ll need a quiet room for the automatic calibration, so turn off anything noisy or shoo it outside temporarily.

When you’re ready, press AMP MENU on the remote, then the down arrow button until the receiver display says A.CAL. Press the button in the center of the arrow buttons twice to start the test. A few seconds later, the speakers will make loud bleeps and bloops followed by thumps from the subwoofer. When the receiver display says SAVE, press the center button again to save the calibration settings. Unplug the microphone, and you’re done.

One of the benefits of HDMI is HDMI-CEC (HDMI-Consumer Electronics Control). This technology lets you control all of your compatible, HDMI-connected hometheater devices with one component’s remote, such as turning on your TV, receiver, and disc player when you press Play. Sony’s version of HDMI-CEC is called Bravia Sync. The HTS-S360’s users manual has details on how to enable and use it.

Afterward, you can use the receiver’s remote to turn compatible devices on and off simultaneously with the TV/AV power button at the upper right. A few rows down and to the left are menu buttons for BD/DVD players. At the bottom of the remote are more BD/DVD controls, and at the lower left is a TV button you can hold down as you press the GUIDE and TOOLS/OPTIONS buttons to see channel listings and TV settings menus, respectively.

Sound In The Third Dimension

Once you’ve set up and calibrated your new HTB, it’s time to dig out all your favorite epic, sci-fi, and action movies for some multichannel magic. If you find yourself ducking as things whiz by, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

by Marty Sems

View the chart that accompanies this article.
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Speaker Placement A 5.1-, 6.1-, or 7.1-channel HTB literally surrounds you with sound. Here are the ideal locations for your sound system’s speakers in a typical square or rectangular living room (your room may vary). The center speaker should sit just under the middle of your TV screen. Along with the satellites, it should rest at about ear height from your viewing chair. The subwoofer can go anywhere because its low bass seems to emanate from all directions. For punchier response, try setting it near a corner. Subwoofers with downward-facing speakers sound best on a hard floor or piece of tile.