Wireless Speakers

Learn the basics to wireless speaker systems.

There are two types of wireless speakers on the market today; those that use infrared light (IR) and those that use radio frequencies (RF). Lets first talk about IR speakers.

Infrared Wireless Speakers

IR wireless speakers operate on the same principle as most television remote controls. A tiny infrared LED is used to transmit a signal to the receiving DVD player, television, etc. In the case of a wireless IR speaker, a small base station transmits the audio information via the infrared light to the speakers. The base station is connected to your speaker connectors on your amplifier.

There's no real possibility of static interference, but direct line-of-sight between the transmitter station and the speakers is required. It’s also possible that your speakers can be temporarily "blinded" if exposed to a bright light like sunlight. Momentary interruptions in the sound or music are also possible if the signal is cut off such as when a person walks in front of the speaker.

Radio Frequency Wireless Speakers

In the case of wireless speakers that use radio frequencies, a small transmitter sends a radio signal to the speakers. In this case, the speakers don't need line of sight to work. This is a huge advantage over IR wireless speakers because you have practically unlimited placement options of both the transmitter and the speakers. RF wireless speakers though are susceptible to radio interference from other electronic devices and even from environmental factors. These speakers have to share the same frequencies as cordless phones, wireless laptops, and can even pick up noise from microwave ovens.

Having to transmit through steel girders or thick cement walls can also cause a problem for RF speakers. Most of these speakers use spread spectrum technology have selectable channels to help get around such problems but its not foolproof in especially "noisy" environments

Not So Wireless

Most people assume that wireless speakers are literally wireless. Not so fast. You no longer need speaker wire to deliver the audio signal to the speaker, but you still need to drive the speaker magnet and receiver. Don't think you can run a 50 watt speaker on 4 AA batteries. In traditional speakers, the analog signal delivered by speaker wire is strong enough to drive just about any speaker. With that power now gone, wireless speakers must get their juice from somewhere else.

Wireless speakers are either battery powered or AC powered, that is you plug them into a standard outlet. You'll practically never use battery powered speakers in a home theater setup. They're just not strong enough and the batteries won't last more than a few two-hour movie sessions. So the only alternative is to plug the speakers into the wall. You're still stuck with wires, but you won't need to worry about running wires to your home theater gear.

Anybody who uses wireless speakers in a home theater setup usually uses them for the surrounds. If this is your plan, be sure to have an electrical outlet available within about 8 feet of the surround speakers as the speakers are generally mounted up high near the ceiling. It’s even better if you can have an outlet installed up high to help hide the electrical cables.

Subwoofers are a great candidate for wireless technology. Low frequency sound is mostly omni directional meaning the sound blasts out of the sub in all directions. This is both good and bad for many reasons but to stay on topic, a wireless subwoofer gives you better placement options within your home theater.

Wrap Up

Wireless speakers have come a long way since the early wireless headphones of the 80's. With fancy frequency hoping and error-correction technologies, wireless speaker systems have been able to reach the same level of quality as most traditional wired speakers. Despite their limitations, wireless speakers certainly can find a place in many home theater setups.

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