Do wireless rear speaker systems work well when used strictly for music?

Question

I am looking to invest into a sound system for our living room. This system would be strictly for music (no television involved, that's in another room). Here's the problem...We have an old house so wiring through the walls is not an option because I do not want visible wires throughout the room. I am considering the Panasonic SC_PT1050 or Sony (model???) rear wireless system through Sam's Club. An old friend had the Sony hooked up as surround sound for A/V purposses, and it was great for movies! However, my purpose is SOLEY for music, and I've read that music can sound "echoey" due to transmission delays to rear speakers. Is anyone familiar with these systems at Sam's Club (or anywhere for that matter)? Would I be better off goin with a Bose "Wave" style system? Or...Is there another option that I may be unaware of? Thank you for your response.

Answer 1

Wireless surround sound systems work fine by transmitting audio signals to the individual speakers via multi-radio frequency transmitter.

Wireless speaker systems can be a bit misleading though.

Just because actual speaker wires are not needed, remember these types of speakers require a power source to operate.

(Wireless speakers are referred to as an active system. Wired speakers are referred to as a passive system.)

Just because you’re not required to run speaker wire to each individual enclosure, it may not be convenient to run AC power to each speaker for its proper location to recreate an accurate sound field.

The other issue you mentioned is the possibility of the system being “echoey”.

If you are using a surround system, you should have no problems if the equipment allows you to adjust the front and rear speaker delays. If you are using a conventional stereo system, there will be a slight delay dilemma if the speakers are not equidistant to the general listening area. Time alignment is critical for proper sound imaging. The amount of time delay will be dependant on the size of the room, the general acoustic properties with respect to wall coverings and type/size of furnishings.

My best suggestion prior to purchasing anything would be to use some speaker cabinets from another room or maybe borrow a pair of one of your friend’s speakers. Then temporarily hook them up and experiment with the locations you have in mind before installing them.