Comparison Bose Lifestyle 550 vs Bose SoundTouch 520

The ability to connect speakers to the base via a wireless interface — most often a radio. The main advantage of this connection is the absence of connecting wires, which significantly limit the movement of the speakers and can interfere, getting confused with each other and with other wires. The disadvantages of wireless speakers are often lower sound quality than wired counterparts, as well as high cost.

The phase inverter is a tube installed in the column housing and having an outlet to the surrounding space. Most often, this feature is found in subwoofers, although it can also be used in main acoustics. The length of the tube is chosen so that a signal comes out of the outlet, inverted in phase relative to the signal from the front of the diffuser. This increases the sound pressure and improves the sound of the speakers, however, it can create certain side effects (in particular, associated with the hum of the air flow in the bass reflex pipe). Therefore, the presence or absence of this function is not a clear advantage — it all depends on the preferences of the listener and the design features of a particular speaker.

Home theater support for progressive scan, namely, the ability to output a video signal with such a scan.

Initially, scanning was called a method of constructing an image on the screen of a kinescope TV. In such screens, an electron beam is responsible for the image, running around the screen and drawing each frame line by line. Different types of scanning differ in the order of these lines: with the interlaced method, the beam first draws odd lines (1, 3, ...), then even ones (2, 4, ...), and with progressive — each line in turn. The second option is considered more advanced, because. improves image quality and reduces the chance of noise and artifacts. Liquid crystal displays use other imaging methods; nevertheless, the visible features of both types of sweep are preserved for them.

Note that progressive scan is only available if progressive scan is supported not only by the home theater system, but also by the screen on which the images are displayed. On the other hand, most modern TVs meet these requirements; therefore, although it would not hurt to clarify compatibility, most likely there will be no problems with it.

Prevent children from viewing discs with inappropriate content, such as erotica or violence. Licensed discs with such films, usually, have appropriate digital marks that are recognized by the home theater player, and adult users can set a password without knowing which it will be impossible to start such a disc.

— Smart TV. This function actually turns the home theater into a networked medical centre with Internet access. Specific Smart TV capabilities vary by manufacturer, but in most cases they include at least access to branded online content repositories and/or Internet services (like YouTube). In addition, games, educational programs can be provided, and the most advanced models even allow you to install additional applications at the request of the user. To connect to a network, a Wi-Fi module(see below) or a LAN port (see "Inputs") is usually used.

— Connecting an iPod. A special dock connector for connecting iPod family players to the acoustics of a home theater (except shuffle, which does not have a dock connector). You can also connect such players to play music through a regular line -in, however, connecting via a dock connector provides more additional features — for example, you can switch tracks from the home theater control panel.

— Wireless playback (AirPlay). The device supports AirPlay wireless playback technology. AirPlay was created by Apple to replace AirTunes proprietary wireless technology. Wi-Fi technology is used to transfer data, and in this way you can broadcast not only music, but also additional data (song titles, album covers a...nd even videos). AirPlay is especially useful for portable devices (iPhone, iPod touch, etc.) as allows you to play music without placing the gadget on the docking station. Although the technology was originally created for Apple devices, it is not completely closed. Not only portable devices and Apple computers can serve as music transmitters, but also PCs with iTunes installed, and receiving systems of various classes (from acoustic sets to music centers) are produced by several third-party manufacturers.

— FM tuner. The presence of an FM tuner allows the home theater to receive and play FM radio broadcasts through its own acoustics — that is, in fact, turns the device into a full-fledged receiver (however, an external antenna may be required for reliable operation). This feature is relevant in light of the fact that it is the FM band that the vast majority of modern music radio stations prefer.

— TV tuner. With a TV tuner, your home theater can receive cable, over-the-air or satellite television broadcasts. This option can be useful given that not all TVs come with their own built-in tuners (especially for wall panels). When buying a cinema with a TV tuner, you should separately pay attention to the standard of the received signal. Main signal standards:
DVB-T (Terrestrial) — conventional terrestrial television signal;
DVB-C (Cable) — cable TV;
DVB-S (Satellite) — satellite TV.
In addition, it should be taken into account that all these standards are digital, and analogue broadcasting is still very common in the post-Soviet space.

— Bluetooth. Wireless communication technology between different devices. In home theater systems, Bluetooth can be used, for example, to play music from a Bluetooth device (such as a mobile phone or player), copy files from such devices to the home theater's own storage, connect wireless headphones, etc.

— Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi technology is most often used to wirelessly connect a home theater to local computer networks. In this way, you can access content that is stored on the hard drives of computers on your home network, and even access the Internet — for example, to update the player's firmware. In addition, such a connection can be used to use DLNA features (see DLNA Support). And more recently, many Wi-Fi modules also support other accessibility features, such as Direct mode (a direct connection between two devices that does not require a computer network). Such a connection can be used, for example, to operate a smartphone as a remote control, to wirelessly connect a video signal using Wi-Di or Miracast technology, etc. Specific Wi-Fi capabilities vary by home theater model.

— Card reader. A memory card reader that allows direct playback of memory card content on your home theater system, such as photos taken with this digital camera or video from a camcorder. Note that at the present time several types of memory cards are actively used, and not all of them are mutually compatible; therefore, when using a card reader, you need to pay attention to the type of supported cards.

— NFC. NFC technology is intended for direct wireless communication between various devices over short distances — up to 10 cm. Theoretically, the applications for this technology are very diverse, but in home theaters it is most often used to simplify connection with an external device (also with NFC support) using Wi-Fi technology and bluetooth. The chip is most often installed in the remote control, and to establish a connection, it is enough to bring the connected device to this remote control so that the chips “see” each other and confirm the connection via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This is much more convenient than digging into the settings and establishing a connection manually.

— Karaoke. A popular entertainment that gives users the opportunity to sing their favorite songs themselves: under the appropriate musical accompaniment (the so-called phonogram — “minus”, in fact, a composition with a cut out vocal part), lyrics are displayed on the screen, highlighted as they need to be sung. A mandatory attribute of a home theater with a karaoke option is a microphone jack; sometimes there can be two such connectors.

— Karaoke Mix. A system that provides advanced features for using karaoke (see Karaoke). So, participants can be given points for the quality of performance, it becomes possible to arrange team competitions. There is a function of creating and editing a list of favorite songs, sorting them by a number of parameters (title, artist, genre), etc.

A decoder can be broadly described as a standard in which digital audio (often multi-channel) is recorded. For normal playback of such sound, it is necessary that the corresponding decoder is supported by the device. Dolby Digital and DTS were the first signs of multi-channel decoding, gradually improving and introducing new features. The final stage for 2020 is Dolby Atmos and DTS X decoders.

Dolby Atmos. A decoder that does not use a rigid distribution of sound across channels, but the processing of audio objects, due to which it can be used with almost any number of channels on a reproducing system — the sound will be divided between channels so that each audio object is heard as close as possible to its proper place. When using Dolby Atmos, in-ceiling speakers (or speakers facing the ceiling) are highly desirable. However, in extreme cases, you can do without them.

— DTS X. An analogue of the Dolby Atmos described above, when the sound is distributed not through individual channels, but through audio objects. The digital signal contains information about where (according to the director's intention) the object audible to the user should be and how it should move, and the processor of the reproducing device processes this information and determines exactly how the sound should be distributed over the available channels in order to achieve the required localization. Thanks to this, D...TS X is not tied to a specific number of audio channels — there can be as many as you like, the system will automatically divide the sound into them, achieving the desired sound. Also note that this decoder allows you to separately adjust the volume of dialogues.

— DVI. Digital connector, used primarily to connect external devices to monitors and projectors; almost never seen on TV.

— SCART. An obsolete, but still widely used connector for connecting external signal sources to a TV and analogue audio and video signal transmission. The largest connector in consumer video equipment has a characteristic rectangular shape.

— Component. An analogue three-cable connection (red, blue, green) used to transmit video from the player to the TV. Provides a very high, by the standards of analogue interfaces, signal quality; on the other hand, the audio signal is not transmitted over the component connector — it requires a separate connection.

— Composite. One of the simplest and most common analogue outputs. It consists of three connectors, one of which is responsible for the output of the video signal (coloured yellow), and the remaining two are for audio (1 channel of stereo sound per connector). Thus, the composite output allows both video and audio to be transmitted over the same interface. Another advantage of this standard is its prevalence, including on older TVs. On the other hand, the composite output is not suitable for working with HD video, and the picture quality is noticeably lower than with a component connection (see above).

— Linear.... Output for analogue audio transmission. It can be used both for connecting a speaker system and for outputting an audio signal to musical equipment — for example, for recording. Usually, the line output provides sound transmission in stereo format. It can use different connectors; most often there is either a 3.5 mm mini-Jack or a pair of RCA jacks (“tulips”, one for each stereo sound channel).

— Dolby Digital 5.1. A set of connectors for connecting a six-channel (5 satellites + subwoofer) audio system.

— Dolby Digital 7.1. A set of connectors for connecting an eight-channel (7 satellites + subwoofer) audio system.

— Headphone output. Standard headphone jack. Most modern technology is equipped with plugs with a diameter of 3.5 mm; plugs of most modern headphones are also made for this output. The 6.35 mm jack remains the prerogative of high-quality Hi-Fi and Hi-End technology. There are adapters between connectors of various diameters.

Speakers in audio systems usually use fairly powerful magnets. If these speakers are placed near a CRT TV or monitor, the magnetic field may distort the picture. To prevent this effect, some speaker models are equipped with screens that “lock” the magnetic field inside the speaker cabinet. This is especially important for centre and front speakers in multi-channel home theater audio systems.

The material from which the cabinets are made in general-purpose speakers (satellites), which are included in the delivery set of the home theater. It is believed that the material can significantly affect the characteristics of the sound, in particular, the “coloration” of the sound, but this assumption is only partly true: manufacturers can use different solutions in the design that can “colour” the sound in the right direction, regardless of the composition of the speaker cabinet. The materials themselves can be:

— Plastic. Plastic is characterized by low cost, light weight and ease of processing. It is often considered the prerogative of inexpensive low-cost technology, but in home theaters this is not at all the case. Firstly, there are many varieties of plastic on the market, including and very advanced features. Secondly, ease of processing facilitates the use of various design tweaks in the speakers, thanks to which high-quality sound can be achieved. Thanks to this, plastic is very popular and is found in all categories of home theaters — from inexpensive to top-end ones.

— MDF(Medium Density Fiberboard — medium density fibreboard). This material is considered more advanced than plastic, in terms of acoustic properties it approaches natural wood. On the other hand, it has no noticeable practical advantages over the same plastic, while MDF is more expensive and more difficult to...process. Therefore, this material is practically never found in its pure form, it is usually used in conjunction with plastic (see below), and even then quite rarely.

— Plastic/MDF. Combination of plastic with MDF. See above for details on the features of each of these materials; here we note that their combination allows to slightly improve the acoustic characteristics of the case (compared to pure plastic) without a significant increase in the cost of the speakers.

— Wood. Wood is notable for its excellent acoustic properties; many lovers of high-quality sound consider it the most “correct” material for cabinets in terms of acoustics. At the same time, these properties are not much superior to those of the same MDF, the tree also does not have much external advantages, but it costs much more. Therefore, this material is used infrequently, mainly in premium home theaters, and not so much for practical reasons as to emphasize the overall level of the device.