A Guide to Wireless Speakers Systems
Wireless Home Theater

True wireless home theater is still the unattained ideal many home theater owners would love to achieve. But thanks to advancement in wireless technology, things are changing fast; wireless audio systems have become better, cheaper, faster, and easier to use and install.

However... As things stand today, the term 'wireless' in the audio and video world does not mean 'wireless' - it just means 'less' wires.

And this applies to any wireless speakers system presently available on the market.

Still, reducing the cable clutter can turn out to be a great advantage. Home theater systems are synonymous with a huge mass of home theater cables that are not only unsightly, but also difficult to troubleshoot should problems arise.

Concealing this mass of cables is surely not a straightforward job. This being especially so if you do not have pre-wired walls and ceilings for an in-wall home entertainment wiring solution. At the same time, simply running cables across the floor is far from recommended as these can easily become a serious tripping hazard for anyone in the house.

For these reasons, many find themselves stranded when upgrading from say a stereo set-up to a 5:1 surround, or wish to move from a 5.1 speaker setup to a 7.1 multi-channel solution.

Professionals can do the job for you but it will surely turn out to be expensive to retrofit a house, or in that case even a single room with an in-wall wiring solution for your audio and video systems. And this apart from that fact that such projects are often difficult to manage.

Unfortunately, eliminating the mass of cables and interconnects between system components is still not a completely viable option - in particular if you are after the best audio and video performance, but... reducing the clutter through the use of wireless systems yes, especially when it comes to home audio and surround sound.

Most of today's wireless home theater systems focus mainly around the use of wireless speakers systems to eliminate trailing speaker wires around the room perimeter when installing rear speakers in a surround sound setup. There are various solutions in this respect capable of CD-audio quality sound.

Typical within this category is the relatively inexpensive Rocketfish RF-WHTIB wireless speaker system reviewed on our site. The Rocketfish wireless receiver comes with an integrated 2-channel amplifier capable of delivering 2 x 25W (RMS) into 4 ohms speakers. At just $100, the Rocketfish solution is one of the least expensive but is still capable of delivering surprisingly high quality audio over its robust wireless link. Its only real limitation is the rather limited audio power at the receiver end which limits the use of the Rocketfish mainly in the small home theater and in multi-room wireless audio installations.

If you want more audio power output within this category of wireless speaker systems, the JBL WEM-1 should prove to be a suitable alternative with its 50W 2-channel amplifier. At over $250, it is somewhat more expensive but apart from delivering more audio power, it also includes the convenience of a remote control.

Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio Starter Kit

A more versatile yet cheaper wireless speakers system is the Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio solution. It is an expandable system based on Rocketboost technology. The main concept behind the system is that  of building an easily expandable wireless audio network capable of delivering multiple streams of CD-quality sound. The basic building block within the wireless audio network is the  Rocketfish RF-RBKIT Wireless HD Audio Starter Kit.

The RF-RBKIT comes with a four-channel wireless sender unit and a two-channel wireless amplified receiver capable of up to 42W RMS/channel in 4-Ohm speaker loads.

Additional Rocketfish system components can be easily added to the basic Wireless HD Audio network; these include additional wireless amplified receivers, outdoor wireless speakers, and wireless headphones. The whole setup makes it possible to use the Rocketfish wireless HD audio solution both in 5.1 and 7.1 home theater wireless surround sound, as well as in multi-room audio by playing music wirelessly throughout the home - inside and even outside.

We say versatile because apart delivering a decent 42W RMS per channel audio output, the Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio system comes with a number of enhancements, including the ability to simultaneously transmit up to five audio streams of CD quality sound and a convenient remote control.

For more info on the latest line of Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio, please refer to our Rocketfish wireless speaker system review article here.

Yet there is more to wireless audio in the home than just wireless surround sound.

Sending audio across rooms through a wireless link is also starting to emerge as a relatively inexpensive and straightforward option for most consumers. The Acoustic Research system referred to above is one such ideal candidate for multi-room wireless audio over a 100-feet range thanks to the way the multi-channel transmitter can be configured to handle different audio sources for different rooms.

Most major brands also offer wireless home theater systems with add-on options capable of handling multi-room wireless audio in the home. Typical examples include the Sony DAV-HDX576WF and the Panasonic SC-PT960 reviewed on our site. Admittedly, these units have now been discontinued but the wireless add-on accessories referred to in these reviews permitting multi-room wireless audio are still compatible with newer models from both brands. One such model is the Sony BDV-HZ970W 3D Blu-ray home theater system which uses the same S-AIR technology found on the DAV-HDX576WF model referred in our Sony review.

But this is as far as today's mass-market wireless audio solutions go...

Mind you, the technology is there and relatively inexpensive off-the-shelf solutions are readily available to help you expand say your wireless networking from a simple home office to a fully integrated home entertainment system.

Yet, even though there are already several products on the market with wireless support - including set-top boxes, wireless speakers systems, and media players - a full wireless home entertainment solution is still not a true mass-market proposition.

In particular, replacing HDMI cables so common with today's AV systems, with a wireless alternative to carry your HD video is still relatively expensive with respect to a wired option. LG's AN-WL100W Wireless Media Kit - a wireless AV media box capable of streaming full HD 1080p uncompressed content to your TV from up to 50ft away to free your LG premium HDTV from the cable clutter is presently selling online at $200; definitely affordable but not cheap considering it is just replacing a few dollars worth of AV cables.

However, we think that wireless AV solutions such as the LG AN-WL100W represent a step in the right direction. It is a case that what was unattainable and unaffordable up to the recent past, is becoming attainable, more affordable and better than ever.

Of particular interest in wireless home entertainment is the effort by a few manufacturers like Linksys, D-Link, Creative Labs, etc., with their wireless digital media players.

Wireless digital media players represent a great solution in home entertainment. For around $250, it is possible to get access to video, photo and music files from anywhere within the home network, whether it being your home PC, internet, etc. Just set up a wireless digital media player and you will be able to use your existing TV or home entertainment system to play digital audio and video files. Media players come with a remote control and an on-screen menu for easy access of digital content through your TV screen.

But even if you have a computer with Windows Media Center, you can use your Xbox 360 or a Media Center Extender to stream TV, digital audio and video, photos, and more.

Interesting is that most of the latest HDTVs and AV systems include DLNA support - meaning that once you load the appropriate software on your PC, you can access your home network to browse your media files, etc. straight from your TV without the need for a digital media player.

Yet... while it is true that wireless media players and DLNA support on AV gear provide ease of integration of audio and video data accessible via your home network, there is still no complete wireless home theater solution many dream of where all audio and video systems within the home are interlinked through a wireless setup.

Under this section, we look at wireless speakers systems, the technology in use behind these systems, and available solutions from major manufacturers. We also present a few audio installation tips to help you better integrate your new wireless speaker system with the rest of your audio gear.

Wireless Home Entertainment ...the hard facts

Whether you like it or not, the use of audio and video interconnects will remain for several years to come. Quality, security, and pricing, are among the main issues manufactures of wireless home entertainment systems have to work out before this technology can be delivered at a price that appeals to the mass-market.

This does not mean that wireless technology is not already providing a helping hand in the home theater and home entertainment. Full PC/home theater integration through a wireless solution is already easily achieved.

And there is more... Technology has evolved to the point where, setting up say a wireless speakers system for the rear channel or a multiroom wireless audio installation is as simple as taking the wireless speakers kit out of the box and power it on. Some affordable wireless speakers systems such as the Rocketfish Wireless HD Audio and the JBL WEM-1 already referred to above are so good that once installed, you would soon forget there are no wires in between!

We still say that wired sound quality is superior. But the gap between wired and wireless speakers systems has diminished to a point where unless you have a pristine sound source, it would be hard to perceive any difference in sound quality.

Wireless Speakers Systems ...understanding the technology

To understand the technology behind wireless speakers systems, one must first realize there is truly no complete wireless system. These systems still require at least some connectivity to a power source. Wireless speakers systems require amplification either through an integrated amplifier or through an external unit; and there is no way you will amplify an audio signal without power!

It is true there exist various battery-powered wireless speakers systems. However, these would normally be more suitable for multiroom audio or for external use rather than for home theater. Battery power simply cannot provide sufficient audio power for home theater use in a viable manner.

Therefore, the key factor with any wireless speaker setup is not a total wireless solution. Rather, it is the added flexibility and convenience of not having to wire the speakers all the way across the room or home. This applies irrespective of whether it is a rear surround speaker setup, or some remote speaker system in a multiroom audio environment.

When it comes to home theater wireless speakers systems, you have two main options: Add-on Units and Integrated Wireless Systems.

Normally, these make use of RF wireless transmission over the 900MHz or 2.4GHz bands to transmit audio signals using digital technology to the remote speakers. To ensure a robust wireless connection and extended range, these wireless speakers systems often make use of relatively powerful RF transmitters. However, this means they may very well interfere with your 2.4GHz wireless home network.

There are a few wireless speakers operating in the 5.8GHz band. Since most WLANs operate in the 2.4GHz range, these wireless speaker systems are not prone to interference from yours or neighboring wireless networks. In addition, these units are less likely to suffer interference from mobile phones, microwave ovens, and other household appliances operating in the 900MHz or 2.4GHz bands. At the same time, one cannot ignore the fact that 5.8GHz systems support shorter distances. This means that before investing in a wireless speakers system, you need to consider the wireless networks operating in your air-space.

A few do away with RF technology to avoid possible interference by using infra-red technology. But there again, these are limited to short distances within the same room since infra-red based wireless speakers systems require line of site between transmitter and receiver.

Add-on Wireless Speakers Systems

Add-on units consist of a small sender unit that connects either to the rear-channel speaker out on the A/V receiver, or to the line-level out on your source. These units use wireless digital technology to transmit the audio signal to a powered audio receiver unit at the back of the room.

The remote rear unit includes built-in power amplifiers to drive the rear speakers. Ideally, these should be the same rear surround speakers that came with your home theater system, though any appropriate set of matched rear speakers will do.

Connection between the rear receiver unit and the surround speakers is achieved through normal speaker wire. All that remains to have a functional wireless speaker system setup is to plug the wireless sender and receiver units into convenient mains power outlets.

These add-on units represent the ideal solution if you already own a home theater receiver complete with all the necessary speakers, and all you are looking for is a way to remove those unsightly rear speaker wires crossing the room.

Add-on units with integrated power amplifiers in a wireless speakers system setup designed for home theater surround would typically deliver anything between 25W and 60W RMS per channel. This renders these systems compatible with entry to mid-level home theater systems. Do not underestimate 25W RMS per channel systems; when used in wireless surround sound setup, 25W RMS per channel wireless rear speaker system can easily match a surround audio setup with 60W to 75W RMS per channel for the main front speakers.

If you want more power for your rear wireless speakers, you can always hook up your add-on wireless speakers systems into a suitable external power amplifier placed at the far end to drive the surround speakers.

But the role of add-on wireless speakers systems is not limited only to their use as a rear wireless speaker solution in the home theater. These units may very well serve as a convenient - possibly cheaper alternative to in-wall wiring - in a multiroom audio installation.

For reviews of available add-on wireless speakers systems, please check our wireless speaker reviews here.

Integrated Home Theater Wireless Speakers Solutions

If you are in the process of purchasing a new home-theater-in-a-box solution, a fully integrated home theater system with wireless rear-speakers would often represents a cheaper and more convenient option.

These integrated solutions include an audio wireless set-up for the rear channel speakers. Integrated wireless home-theater-in-a-box solutions would normally support some interesting control features for the rear channel - in particular with respect to the delay settings - that are well integrated within the overall system menu.

Do not expect to find a large selection of wireless home theater systems. Your choice is still somehow limited - in particular if what you are after is an affordable solution that provides good performance for an HTIB system.

However, you can still find a few interesting products from major brands that are worth considering if a wireless rear speakers option is essential for your needs.

One issue many face here is whether to opt for a home theater in-a-box solution, or a component-based system. There are a few major differences which are worth being aware of between the two before you spend your hard earned cash; otherwise you may very well end up disappointed.

To help you in your decision, we have prepared a short guide; click here to learn more.

Wireless Speakers Systems Installation Tips

Installing wireless speakers systems is often a straightforward process... at least that is the way it should be! All it takes is often to power up the wireless system and connect the wireless transmitter end to your audio source.

But things are not always so simple. We often receive various queries from our site visitors with a few common difficulties many encounter when installing an add-on wireless speakers system to existing audio gear. We therefore thought of presenting a few installation tips to help make the whole installation process a bit easier. 

Just follow through this link to discover how best to deal with the most common difficulties many encounter when installing wireless speaker systems: Wireless Speakers Installation Tips

A final recommendation...

Wireless speaker technology has evolved to the point that setting up a wireless speakers system is often a simple straightforward solution. Yet we cannot say that it has matured to the point of representing the perfect cable-free solution.

If all that you are after is an add-on wireless speaker system to help manage the cable clutter, do not spend more than is needed for the purpose. Keep in mind that technology will surely be more refined in the near future, so if you cannot wait, go for an inexpensive system that covers your minimum requirements.

There are quite a few robust wireless speakers systems on the market for under $200 that are worth considering. The Rocketfish RF-WHTIB referred to earlier on in this article is selling at under $100 while the more powerful Rocketfish Wireless Audio Starter Kit is selling for less than $190.  Other similar products are also available that can deliver anything up to 50W per channel; the JBL WEM-1 is one such interesting wireless speakers system - though a bit expensive. So do yourself a favor and check out at your preferred retail or online store.

Anything costing more will most probably be an overspent unless you are opting for a complete wireless speaker setup or a home theater system with integrated Blu-ray player and wireless speaker support, etc.

So, do not spend more on a wireless speakers system - at least not for now. Let's face it - it may be that you will never need anything more than what today's basic wireless speakers systems offer. In the process, should new wireless technology emerges that is more appealing to your needs, you would not feel like having wasted a fortune, either.

In the meantime, you will still have a wireless speakers system and a problem solved!