Audio Equipment Racks

Is Wireless Surround Sound the Answer to Ugly Wires?

One of the major problems of the electronic age of home entertainment is wires. If you have a PC with printer, headphones, speakers, mouse, and internet you have a problem: wires, and lots of them, a tangled mess that seems purpose designed to cause annoyance and frustration. The same can be true of audio video equipment. No wonder people want to go wireless!

One of the most unsightly wire problems comes from audio speakers. As they can be spread around the room to get the best surround sound, even the most magnificent of speakers, such as the Aperion Audio Intimus 6T Tower Speaker pictured above, can be dragged down to earth by trailing wires. Those wires may not diminish audio quality, but they certainly do nothing to enhance the room’s décor. So how about having a wireless surround sound system? Surely that will provide the best solution.

Well, wireless surround sound seems like a great idea to begin with, but there are problems for those who are particular about the quality of the sound. The sound from individual speakers may be fine, but the timing differences can have a negative impact on your enjoyment if you use wireless speakers. For the best effect from surround sound you need to hear the same sound from each speaker simultaneously, but with a wireless set up there is a time lag between the sound emanating from the rear channels, and that coming from the front speakers.

For the perfectionist, the sounds from a home wireless system will never quite match those of a normal wired system. They would probably prefer to get those wires as best concealed as possible, rather than suffer those inevitable time lags. For the rest of us, though, it could be the delay between rear and front speakers is tolerable. The problem is, you will need to invest in the gear to go wireless before you can find out. So, if you are serious about going wireless, spend some time in the larger audio forums.

Another problem with a wireless form of surround sound is the possible interference from other electrical equipment. Not everyone agrees this is a serious problem, and you are sure to be able to find some forum discussions on this very issue. These will not provide a definitive answer, but may help you decide one way or another.

For some people, going wireless means using wireless headphones, like the excellent Sennheiser RS 160 Wireless Surround Sound Headphones. Stennheiser have a good selection at Amazon, but you will find them elsewhere too.

Having a wireless sound system does seem worth a try if you have the spare cash, and accept that it may not be perfect. Maybe such an investment should not be a priority though, not until you have the perfect audio equipment rack, some snazzy wood speaker stands, and an impressive CD storage rack to keep that CD or DVD collection.