THX: Making the Magic Happen

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When you hear the words "home theater," what comes to mind? Big amplifiers, bigger speakers, and a really big picture, right? While those are certainly critical ingredients to making a killer home theater experience happen, it overlooks the most critical "component" of all: the room.

We got an opportunity to sit in on three days' worth of THX Technician training, and it was and eye- and ear-opening experience. Whether you're a home theater newbie, or a seasoned aficionado, there was something to be learned in these seminars. Join us as we recap the highlights of how THX teaches home theater installers how to make good home theater systems sound great.

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It begins by giving your sound system and your room a serious shakedown, and getting rid of rattles. Getting rid of slap-echoes and reflections is a taller order, and you can try simple things like putting down an area rug if your viewing area has hardwood floors, and covering any exposed windows with curtains. The goal is to control sound in your room to get the best experience possible. Diffusers are commercially available to address slap-echoes, but which one will best address any slap-echo issues you have will either be a matter of trial and error, or bringing in a pro. If you have a THX-certified receiver, it likely has the baseline calibration test sounds you need to get your system setup. An inexpensive pressure level meter from Radio Shack can do a surprisingly good job helping you to get your listening position calibrated. According to THX's presenter Tony Grimani, Radio Shack's $60-dollar pressure level meter is accurate to within about 2dB of multi-thousand dollar meters, though it lacks some of the intricate bells and whistles.

For many, a dedicated home theater room is a dream come true, and that theme was brought up several times on the client management side of things, with suggestions about how to help clients make their dream vision a reality. While your dream home theater may still be a few tax refunds away, there are some simple, inexpensive things you can do now to get the most out of the gear you have. THX has brought a new specification to the market called Select2, which debuted at CES and is aimed at moderately priced gear. Pioneer already has its VSX1015TXK on the market, which can be found for around $450. To date, no THX Select2 speakers have been announced, though THX did indicate that several would be on the market before year's end.