April 26, 2021
Creating the perfect home theater system is an involved process that requires a good amount of thought. It’s necessary to consider a number of factors like what size TV you want, what furniture would work best in the room, and if the room has proper lighting. Additionally, you’re going to have to find a solid audio setup.
When it comes to home cinema speakers, you have a plethora of options to choose from. However, wireless TV audio systems have quickly become a favorite thanks to their simplicity. Not only are they able to connect seamlessly with the TV, but they also allow you to get rid of ugly and bothersome wires. But you may be wondering, how exactly do speakers work without wires?
Before getting into the meat of this blog, let’s first start by talking about how speakers work. Then we can ease into how sound is wirelessly transferred. Since wireless speakers operate almost exactly like traditional speakers, this should help clear some things up.
A speaker system’s main purpose is to act as a transducer. A transducer is a device that converts energy from one form to another. In the case of an audio system, the speaker is converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. Electrical energy refers to audio signals while mechanical energy refers to sound waves.
Stereos are made of various components, but the one that’s responsible for energy conversion is known as the driver. When the audio signals reach the driver, it causes the driver to move within a thin sheet of material called the diaphragm. As the driver moves, the surrounding air is pushed and pulled, creating soundwaves that mimic the audio signal.
You’ve likely used Bluetooth technology many times from connecting your phone with your car to connecting a game controller to your console. This is a wireless connection standard that allows devices to share data over short distances using ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio waves. Bluetooth is a complex topic as it allows for a range of applications including communication between devices, streaming of data, and remote control over devices.
There’s no need to do a deep dive into Bluetooth for this blog, so we are only going to scratch the surface. What you need to know is that every device that uses this technology has a Bluetooth profile. For separate devices to be compatible, both devices have to support the same profile.
Going back to how speakers work, we know that the driver must receive audio signals in order to create sound waves for us to hear. However, how the driver receives these audio signals can differ between devices. For wired speakers, the signal is received through the system’s wires. Wireless speaker systems, on the other hand, receive audio signals from a component known as a transmitter.
A transmitter creates radio waves using an antenna. When the audio source (your TV) sends audio signals through the transmitter, it’s broadcasted to the wireless device it’s connected with. More often than not, the two devices are connected via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The wireless speakers then use a receiver to pick up the radio waves. This is done in real-time so there is no noticeable delay.
It’s a breeze to connect wireless speakers to your TV. All you need is a Bluetooth transmitter. Once you have a transmitter, connect it to the audio output on your TV. Depending on the type of transmitter you choose, it may need a power source. The next step is to pair the transmitter with your Bluetooth speakers. For the best audio quality, you are going to want a WiSA certified transmitter. After the devices are paired, you’re good to go.
The WiSA Association is dedicated to setting the standard for high-quality, multichannel wireless audio. We work with over 60 major brand manufacturers to bring incredible wireless entertainment experiences to homes without the hassle of wires.
Contact us today to learn more about our members and their WiSA-certified products.
