Occupants of condominiums and apartments must comply with bylaws causing them to exercise extreme care to avoid unnecessary noise when using radios, televisions, and amplifiers that may disturb others. This makes it impractical to use in-wall speakers and subwoofers, as the sound they produce spreads to adjacent units.

But that doesn't mean people living in condos and lofts have to give up on a high quality home theater sound experience. An alternative to traditional room surround sound has been developed by BodySound Technologies, Inc. It’s the fusion of luxury seating and close-field acoustics. The sound comes from the headrest, arms, back, and seat so the sound is focused on each individual listener.

Much less sound spreads throughout the room and adjacent spaces when using BodySound technology versus standard room surround sound.

The rooms represented above are identical. BodySound technology with its close-field acoustics was used in the first example and standard 5.1 surround sound in the second. The same music was played at the same loudness levels (measured at the chair) and measurements were averaged over 1 minute using a music DVD.

It’s not surprising that sound levels within the room and spreading outside the room are greater with traditional room surround sound simply because sound levels diminish by the 4th power over distance. As a result, to achieve the desired volume for the user, the sound levels must be considerably greater at the speakers when using a tradition setup. With BodySound seating the sound and the seating are essentially the same. The user’s proximity to the speakers causes less sound to be transmitted throughout the room.

Speakers located in the back of each BodySound seat also provide conducted sound through the user’s body to add more volume. In addition, the vibratory feeling generated by the pair of back speakers in conjunction with the seat driver substitute for a traditional subwoofer and psycho-acoustically further add to the perception of greater volume, which tends to cause the user to listen at even lower volume levels.

Each seat in a BodySound seating arrangement powers its 7-speaker array with its own multi-processor audio amplifier. Seating arrangements include recliners, love seats, couches, and connected rows and curves of seats. As a result each user sets volume levels and other settings for themselves.

If a Condo owner does want a traditional room surround sound setup, it can be done, especially with new construction. However, new Condo construction is not very common these days due to the current Condo market. Retrofitting an existing Condo for surround sound can be accomplished if one is willing to spend the money. Unfortunately, the renovation requires extensive soundproofing, typically costing in the range of $8,000 to $10,000 and those structural improvements to the Condo remain in place when the occupant decides to vacate the premises. And even more annoying, those improvements generally do not add to the resale value.

It’s now possible for people living in smaller spaces to experience a big home theater sound experience without the need for extensive soundproofing and without annoying their neighbors. I would have liked that when I went to college.

BodySound Technologies, Inc., based in Eden Prairie, MN, is the developer, manufacturer, and marketer of BodySound technology used for entertainment and relaxation. www.BodySoundTheater.com