we'll help you choose the right speakers for your home theater, from entry level to state-of-the-art

Acoustic Frontiers Audio Equipment Engineering process and 15+ years of experience will help you select the best speakers for your home theater performance and budget goals.

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How to choose a Home Theater Speaker System

engineering a home theater speaker system

Acoustic Frontiers approaches speaker selection from an engineering first perspective. With the publication of the Immersive Audio Design Recommended Practice (CEDIA RP22) home theater designers now have quantified targets to aim for. The design criteria relevant to speaker selection are:

  • Speaker maximum SPL capability (RP22 #12 & #13)
  • Seat-to-seat frequency response variance for all speakers (RP22 #16 & #17)

For each of these design criteria, CEDIA RP22 defines four performance levels, from entry level high performance (Level 1) through state-of-the-art (Level 4). Client discovery provides the performance level target for each project as well as the target equipment budget.

Through in-depth calculation delivered via our Audio Equipment Engineering service, and in consultation with the client on speaker sound quality, form factor and value, Acoustic Frontiers specifies a speaker system that will meet project goals. Confirmation of performance is provided through our RP22 scorecard, with a pass/fail against the four relevant design criteria.

other considerations

Whether a speaker system meets engineering goals is only one perspective. Using our 15+ years of experience in home theater design, Acoustic Frontiers brings a balanced approach to helping you find the right speaker system for your project:

  • Form factor - can the speaker blend in to the overall home theater design, without causing clunky ergonomics or aesthetics? 
  • Sound quality - a speaker may meet engineering goals, but does it sound great whilst doing so, with inaudible compression, distortion and resonances?
  • Value - does the speaker offer an acceptable blend of performance vs. cost given the project goals?

Acoustic Frontiers makes it a point of principle to continually evaluate manufacturer offerings for home theater speaker systems, to geek out on measurements and trade show demos, and to provide a balanced perspective to our clients based on extensive real world usage of our recommended speaker brands in our projects.

Our Recommended Home Theater Speaker Brands

  • Theory Audio - entry level high performance, for our level 1 and 2 rooms. A small but perfectly formed range, with soundbars to match TVs from 55" to 75", one in-wall speaker, one on-wall speaker and an in-ceiling speaker.
  • JBL Synthesis - for our level 3 and 4 home theaters; those that meet commercial cinema standards through state of the art. There's virtually no home theater project we can't do using JBL Synthesis speakers.
Theory Audio Logo

Theory audio

JBL Synthesis Logo

JBL SYNTHESIS

Creating A System You Love Shouldn't Be Difficult

With Acoustic Frontiers, all it takes is 4 simple steps.

1

CONSULTATION

We'll take the time to understand your unique needs and goals to customize our approach to designing the best experience for you.

2

SYSTEM DESIGN

This is where the magic happens and what really makes Acoustic Frontiers stand out. Every room is different, and we’ll account for all the elements that impact performance in your space to ensure you get the best system for your budget.

3

INSTALLATION & CALIBRATION

We’ll make the installation process as painless as possible and carefully calibrate your system to optimize performance.

4

ENJOY YOUR EXPERIENCE

You deserve the best, and now you’ve got it. Put on your favorite movie or album, or create your next track because the system you wanted is yours to enjoy.

Free eBook

THE ACOUSTIC FRONTIERS GUIDE TO BASS OPTIMIZATION

This guide teaches you everything you need to know to get the
best bass possible from your system.

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What Do Our Clients Think?

“Acoustic Frontiers were very patient and helpful when it came to selecting speakers and equipment for the room. As a vendor for a multitude of companies, I really felt that I was getting objective advice. They helped me select everything from the speakers, AVR, to even the projector and screen! The end result was nothing short of amazing and my family and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Acoustic Frontiers receives my highest recommendation. We can’t thank you all enough!”

L.O., NY. 

Case Study

“One of Acoustic Frontiers’ strengths was their willingness to work flexibly with us from both a budget and design perspective. Although they are of course well prepared to make equipment suggestions, they are also willing to work with whatever equipment is already in place to create the best system possible. We ended up with a mix of gear, but it all works together seamlessly. Post-installation and calibration, the system looks and sounds phenomenal!”

Dr. Rosenbaum. 

Case Study

“Acoustic Frontiers started out with a design review (since the room work had already begun) and after a couple of interactions I was comfortable enough to let them plan/guide the rest of the build, and purchase the AV equipment from them. They took the time to understand our requirements, discuss equipment options and budget considerations, and were able to provide recommendations without any over-selling. The room has turned out beyond our expectations, and it would not have been possible without Acoustic Frontiers’ home theater products & services.”

Mr. Parvathaneni, North Carolina, USA. 

Case Study

Contact Us About This Product

video-design

Nyal Mellor, Founder, Acoustic Frontiers

  • (415) 524-8741
  • Serving USA & Canada
  • Fairfax, Northern California, USA

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