In today’s modern households, entertainment plays a crucial role in family bonding and relaxation. Whether it's watching a movie, playing video games, or listening to music, the experience is significantly enhanced by high-quality audio. But watching that content can become frustrating when you keep missing key dialog or are constantly adjusting the volume. But don’t worry because there are likely some things you can do to improve your existing system, plus I’ll have some follow up content talking about different solutions that can help at any budget. So, let’s get going and see if we can make the topic of dialog clarity, a bit easier to understand…
Dialog Clarity: What Did He Say?
One of the most significant advantages of high-quality audio is enhanced dialog clarity. Often, background scores and special effects overpower the dialog, making it difficult to follow the storyline. Quality audio ensures speech is crisp and clear, allowing viewers to catch every word without straining to hear. This is particularly beneficial for older family members or those with hearing difficulties, as it eliminates the frustration of constantly adjusting the volume or relying on subtitles.
One of the biggest complaints about family room and bedroom systems is an issue with dialog clarity, especially at low volumes. This forces us to turn the volume up, only to be sent scrambling for the remote again when the next commercial or action scene is now too loud. This constant volume adjustment can be annoying and distracting, pulling you out of the scene. Moreover, it can damage the tiny speakers in your TV or lower-end sound bar, which nowadays cannot generally be repaired.
Identifying the Problem
What can we, as consumers, do to improve dialog clarity? First, let’s identify the root causes. It's easy to blame the TV show or movie for mixing the dialog too low, or the TV speakers for lacking size and power, which is often true. However, it's more likely that reflections in the room or around the speakers are creating additional noise and confusing what you hear.
Let’s start with the speakers in your TV. In the era of larger, deeper tube TVs, manufacturers had ample room for larger drivers. These weren't the best, but they were front-firing and relatively easy to hear. As technology advanced to plasma, LCD, OLED, and now mini-LED, the panels got thinner, squeezing the speaker size down and often firing downward instead. This downward direction amplifies the sound by reflecting it off the counter surface, making it louder, but often harder to hear. Combine that with the requirement for these tiny speakers to handle dialog, general effects, and explosions, and it’s no wonder audio clarity suffers.
Best Practices for Clearer Audio
So, what can be done? Here are some best practices for placing a soundbar above or below your TV:
1. Soundbar Placement: If you place a soundbar above the screen, tilt it down towards the listener. Newer soundbars often have up-firing speakers designed to bounce sound off the ceiling, creating an enveloping effect. However, placement is crucial, as reflections can cause echoes, confusing the dialog.
2. Avoid Reflections: Place the soundbar as close to the front edge of the shelf or countertop as possible. This reduces reflections and the volume boost they cause, helping to balance the volume between the left, center, and right speakers. Shelves might seem like the perfect location, but they amplify and reflect sound, creating echoes. Mounting a speaker onto the wall or using an in-wall speaker can eliminate this issue since it doesn’t allow for echoes (reflections) to create additional noise. If you do use an in-wall or in-ceiling speaker, try to get one that has a backbox built in as it will also reduce the amount of volume that bleeds into the room behind it.
3. Atmos-enabled Soundbars: If you have an Atmos-enabled soundbar, try to keep it under the TV. Overhead speakers are designed to reflect off the ceiling. Placing them closer to the ceiling can reduce their effectiveness, since they hit the ceiling at a more direct angle, reflecting your overhead effects into the ground in front of you.
4. 2-Channel Mode: If you're still having issues, try switching your system to 2-channel mode. This can remove competing sounds and help you focus on the dialog. The largest amount of content comes from the Front: Left, Center, and Right (LCR) speakers, so getting this part right is essential before adding additional channels and effects.
5. Lower the Bass Levels: I get it, most of us think it’s all about that bass, but if it interferes with hearing the dialog properly, turn it down 50% and see if that does the trick. Once you can hear the dialog properly, you can slowly adjust the bass back up until you get to the threshold of clearly hearing the dialog, then dial it back just a bit for the perfect ratio of dialog clarity and bass response.
6. Consider Upgrading: For the best sound and experience, consider stepping up to a soundbar or AVR, speakers, and a subwoofer. This setup offers far more adjustment to your specific room and can significantly improve audio clarity. If you’re unsure how to make these changes, consult a local AV specialist or watch some of my other videos where I discuss the product I put in my own home, and the issues it solved.
Can You Hear Me Now?
Improving dialog clarity in your home sound system can significantly enhance your family's entertainment experience. By understanding the root causes of poor audio quality and implementing best practices, you can ensure every word is heard clearly and without constant volume adjustments. Remember, investing time and effort into optimizing your audio setup not only elevates your own viewing pleasure but increases the likelihood that the family wants to hang out together for movie nights and gaming sessions.
For additional content on various technologies designed to improve your life, you can subscribe to my YouTube FAQnatics page, where I discuss topics like audio, video, lighting, shades, security, and anything else important to you and your family. And keep an eye out for more content on the subject of audio best practices as I share a few of my personal media room and theater builds here on AV NIRVANA. In the meantime, check out my FAQnatic video on getting the best vocal clarity from your home sound system.
Brett Bjorkquist (Owner MRKTMKR, Head FAQnatic) has 25 years in the CEDIA industry and is a valued member of the AV NIRVANA community. He got his start at GoodGuys, a local AV business, and was running his first location by 25. He’s been recruited by a variety of manufacturers including Logitech, Bowers & Wilkins, and Kaleidescape, has served as a volunteer co-chair for CEDIA, and has won multiple Quest for Quality awards for training/support. Recognizing the industry's need for better training programs, Brett founded MRKTMKR, offering manufacturers a more effective way to engage Integrators. In 2024, he launched FAQnatics, a consumer-focused YouTube channel educating on technology trends and connecting consumers to qualified products and Integrators.
Definitely head over to FAQnatics to see what Brett's been up to... and subscribe to keep up to date when new videos drop!
