I’ve been after wireless surround sound for years.
You’d think, with all the wireless speakers around, wireless surround sound would be old hat by now. The problem: wireless speakers — especially those designed for outdoor use — are usually mono (you need stereo for true rear-channel surround) and battery-driven (who wants to replace the batteries every day?).
The good news: if you’re buying a completely new home theatre system, you have lots of wireless options. My personal favorite is the Samsung HT-DS690. This sweet system was the first to use BlueTooth technology to beam wireless digital goodness to its satellite speakers.
Before investing $500.00, though, I’ll let the BlueTooth technology mature a bit. There’s a reason why Samsung has discontinued this model, and I suspect it has to do with the often-mentioned conflicts with home wireless networks.
More conventional systems using the same frequencies as wireless telephones are also available, like the Panasonic systems incorporating the SH-FX50.
This wireless add-on works with several of the Panasonic home theatre systems, making it possible to beam rear-channel effects to wireless speakers in the back of the room.
In my case, though, I didn’t want to invest in a whole new system; instead, I wanted to get wireless rear-channel action going with my curent system. (I also wanted to spend as little as possible.)
One option I considered was the Pioneer HW-XT1, which works with any home theatre. In addition to beaming sound to a wireless rear-speaker base unit, the HW-XT1 transmitter also drives a subwoofer and cleans up dialogue (so what Sydney says while kicking butt on this week’s episode of ALIAS won’t be overwhelmed by the sound effects and music). It’s a good option … but, at $200.00, more than I wanted to spend right now.
I finally found my solution at Radio Shack, of all places. After reading this article on the Orb Audio web site, I hustled down to my local Radio Shack and found the 15-1974 Rear-Channel Amplifier. (I was shocked, frankly, that it was on the shelf!)
It broadcasts rear-channel sound over the 5.1 gHz range — so it’s less likely than most solutions to receive interference from wireless phones and microwave ovens. Best of all, while listed at $99.00, I found mine on clearance for $69.00!
It took less than five minutes to run speaker wire to the transmitter, place the rear-channel receiver, and connect my rear speakers to it. I pushed one button and — voila! — I had wireless rear-channel excellence almost effortlessly.
If you’re looking for a way to get wireless rear-channel surround sound on a tight budget (or if you want to wait for BlueTooth technology to mature before making an investment in a whole new system), Radio Shack’s $69.00 solution may be the way for you to go.
It seems that Radio Shack no longer has the 15-1974 wireless adapter. They are now pushing EOS wireless cord system EOS-100 T1RB, for a higher price, of course.