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Large room surround sound system


How to Choose the Best Home Theater Speakers

Kramer Crane worked for Crutchfield from 2007-2022. He joined the home A/V writing staff after eight years as an Advisor in our sales department. As a writer, Kramer specialized in home theater and camera equipment. He left Crutchfield to pursue a full-time career as a photographer specializing in portraiture, event, and landscape imagery.

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Speaker placement for home theater

In a nutshell: A surround sound system consists of a few essential parts. This article shows you how to put them together to create a well-matched home theater. Here's what you need:

I am a self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd. Give me a space movie or anything with dinosaurs and I become totally captivated — especially when I can take in a flick on my home theater system. Watching a movie in surround sound puts me right in the thick of the space battle or Tyrannosaurus rex chase. It's so much fun!

My goal is to help you enjoy the same sense of fun and adventure with your surround sound system. This guide walks you through the key things to consider while planning your new home theater system.

How do you match speakers to your room?

The first thing to consider as you’re designing your surround system is the room itself.

How big of a space do you have? A large, open living room with vaulted ceilings needs different gear than a small- or medium-sized room with 8’ ceilings.

Choose speakers that match the size of your room. Floor-standing speakers are ideal for large, open spaces.

Stand-mounted, on-wall, or in-wall speakers are well-suited for smaller rooms.

Another consideration is what else you’ll be using the room for.

Is this the family room where the kids play? Then you might want speakers mounted to the wall that are out of the way.

On the other hand, if this is a dedicated theater room, floor-standing speakers (or speakers on stands) aren’t likely to pose a hazard to pets or kids.

Where will your speakers sound their best?

Consider the layout and shape of your room. Where will the speakers look and sound the best?

My article on speaker placement has detailed recommendations for mapping out your system.

Compact speakers offer unobtrusive placement options

Is this system going in the family or living room?

If the TV and sound system won’t always be the center of attention, think small. Compact speakers easily blend into your décor and leave plenty of room for other activities.

Wall-mounting your speakers keeps them out of the way of foot traffic.

Bookshelf, in-wall, and in-ceiling speakers are great options for immersive sound without taking up a ton of floor space.

Get theater-like sound with floor-standing speakers

If space isn’t a big concern, you’re free to go with larger speakers. Anchoring your surround sound system with floor-standing speakers helps reproduce the movie theater experience. Their large acoustic chambers deliver powerful surround effects for movies and video games.

Tower speakers are also ideal for listening to music in stereo.

Floor-standing speakers provide a large, lifelike soundstage in the front of your room.

What role does each speaker play in a home theater system?

A home theater is comprised of several different types of speakers. Understanding the role of each one will help you choose the best options for your room.

Here are the main ingredients of a surround sound speaker system.

The center channel produces dialogue and more

The center channel is often considered the most important speaker in your system. It delivers more than 50% of a movie’s soundtrack, including almost all of the dialogue. It also provides important center stage sound effects.

Your home theater's center channel is responsible for a large portion of a movie's soundtrack. Choose one that matches both your room and the other speakers in your system.

Your center channel should match well with your other speakers. Compact speakers warrant a smaller center channel, while floor-standing speakers need a large center speaker to match their robust output.

Consider where your center channel is going. If you have an entertainment cabinet, make sure it will fit within the allotted shelf space.

For a deeper dive into center speakers, read our center channel speaker buying guide.

The front left and right speakers create a wide soundstage

Your front left and right speakers reproduce the movie’s musical score. They also handle the bulk of the special effects. To draw you into the story, sound moves between the front speakers in sync with the action unfolding on the screen.

Floor-standing speakers, bookshelf speakers, and on-wall speakers all work well as front left and right speakers.

Surround speakers provide lifelike special effects

Surround speakers go beside and/or behind your seats. They immerse you in the movie by producing ambient sounds like rain drops, or rustling leaves.

The surround channels also work with your other speakers to deliver spectacular directional effects. Think of a locomotive rushing by, or a bullet zinging past you.

A 5.1-channel system uses one pair of surround speakers positioned beside or behind you. A 7.1-channel system uses both side and rear surrounds.

If you have a large room or have multiple seating locations, a 7.1-channel system is worth considering.

In a 5.1 system, your surround speakers are best placed to the left and right of your listening positions.

In a 7.1 system, surround speakers are positioned both beside and behind your seating area, aimed towards you.

Your surrounds can go on speaker stands, or you can mount them to your wall.

What speakers should you use for your surround channels?

Many traditional bookshelf or on-wall speakers can be used as surround channels.

You might also consider specialized bipole/dipole surround speakers, which have multiple drivers that fire in different directions. This creates a diffuse sound field that enhances the wraparound effect.

To learn more about the bipole, dipole, and monopole options for rear channel speakers, read our surround speaker buying guide.

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X overhead effects speakers

Building a Dolby Atmos® or DTS:X™ system? Then you’ll need a pair or two of speakers for sound above your listening position. You can use either in-ceiling speakers, or upward-firing speakers for your overhead effects channels.

A Dolby Atmos system starts with a conventional 5.1 or 7.1-channel surround sound system. Then you add two or four upward-firing or in-ceiling speakers for overhead effects that rain down from above.

What size subwoofer should you get?

Movie soundtracks provide a dedicated channel of deep bass that plays through a powered subwoofer. The sub is what gives planes flying overhead and bombs exploding their window-rattling punch.

Most people put their sub in the front of the room, so that it’s easier to connect it to their home theater receiver. If running a cable to where your sub sounds the best is impractical, use a wireless subwoofer kit.

Choose a subwoofer that matches well with your room and your speakers. As a rule, the larger the driver, the deeper the bass.

Have a large room? Go for a sub with a 12" or larger woofer.

Smaller room? A compact sub can sound great. For more detailed recommendations, check out my article on choosing home theater subwoofers.

Voice match if you can, but it’s not required

Each speaker brand or series has its own tonal qualities or “voice.” I recommend using the same brand of speakers for each location so that you get evenly balanced sound and output levels around your room.

If you can’t match all of your speakers together, try to at least use the same brand of speakers for front left, right, and center locations. This gives you a unified front soundstage that ensures consistent performance.

Want stealthy surround sound?

If you want a low-footprint system, consider in-wall, in-ceiling, or on-wall speakers. Read my article about in-wall and in-ceiling speaker installation to learn more about what’s involved.

Everything you need to get started

To get the best sound you’ll need to pair your new speaker system with a good home theater receiver. This guide will help you choose the right one.

Are you wondering how to fit a home theater system into a small room? Read our small home theater ideas article.

You'll connect your system together with speaker wire and a subwoofer cable. We also recommend good power protection for your receiver, TV, A/V components, and powered sub.

We can help you choose

Have questions about choosing the right equipment for your surround system? Our expert Advisors know the gear inside and out.

Give us a call for help! Free lifetime tech support is included with your Crutchfield purchase.

5.

1 vs. 7.1 Home Theater Explained

Home theater can be crazy confusing, especially if you’re just starting out. And one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is whether to go for a basic five-speaker system (plus a subwoofer, because who wouldn't want that bass?) or a more powerful seven-speaker system. While anybody who has experimented with speakers and amps for a while can probably skip this particular How-To, beginners and intermediate users will probably pick up a lot of good information. Even if you just have a desire to get yourself some slightly better sound than your TV is giving you, you’ll probably get plenty of use out this, and we've included plenty of tips and tricks. So let’s jump right in, and talk about the differences between 5.1 and 7.1 systems. 

The Pioneer SP-PK22BS 5. 1 - a good starter system! | The Master Switch

Pros And Cons Of 5.1 And 7.1

First, a quick refresher, so we're all on the same page.

When we talk about a home theater system, we always preface it with a set of numbers. The most common are (as you will know already if you’ve read the title of this article and are only mildly awake) 5.1 or 7.1. Both refer to the number of speakers in the setup. A 5.1 system consists of five smaller speakers and one subwoofer. The subwoofer handles the bass, while the five additional speakers handle everything else In this particular setup, you will have a center speaker that sits directly in front of your listening position, underneath your TV. On either side of it will be two front speakers - these can either be smaller satellites, or big floorstanding speakers. The remaining two speakers usually sit to either side of your listening position – so one on each side of your couch. The subwoofer can occupy various positions, but is most commonly placed in a corner, or to one side of your TV.

One of the big advantages of 5.1 systems, which we'll go into in a little more detail below, is that they are self-contained. You can buy them in a single box, without any additional equipment needed. A good example? Try the Onkyo HT-S3910, a simple set of speakers that comes with its own receiver – which, by the way, is the hub that you’ll run everything into, and which connects your speakers to your TV.

Then there’s 7.1. Now, very obviously, this is the same set up with two additional speakers added – only this is where things start getting complicated. Those two additional speakers could be identical to the ones on either side of your listening position, only placed behind it. They could be height speakers, that are bolted to the wall, facing downwards. This is where you really start to get the full surround sound effect. If you’re looking to get involved with this many speakers, try something like the Klipsch 7.1.2 System. It doesn’t come with its own receiver, but that’s not uncommon among bigger systems.

Of course, you can go bigger. Much bigger. By now, you’ve probably worked out the numbering system, so if we tell you about a 9.2 or 11.2 system, you’ve almost certainly got a good idea of what this entails. It can actually get quite complex – we’ve seen systems that are 9.2.4, which is nine surround speakers, two subwoofers, and four speakers installed in the ceiling. On a related note, Mad Max: Fury Road sounds badass through that system.

The center speaker of the Pioneer SP-PK22BS 5.1 system | The Master Switch

Whichever home theater system you decide to go for (and were going to stick to 5.1 and 7.1 here, otherwise we’ll be here all day) you need to be aware of the pros and cons.

5.1 first. It’s got several distinct advantages: the systems usually come in a single box, as we’ve mentioned, meaning there’s no need to invest in additional components - although of course, that's always an options. They are also relatively easy to set up and place, which can be a real boon for smaller rooms. They are inexpensive – it’s possible to get a good 5.1 system for under $1,000 – and depending on the receiver they come with, eminently customisable if you ever decide to go that route. And even if you buy the cheapest one available, it’s going to be an immediate upgrade to the sound coming out of your TV. You’ll notice this the moment you watch a movie, or play a game, or load up a series on Netflix, or do anything that has surround sound capabilities.

You're also far more likely to find wireless systems here - and for anyone who has ever spent an afternoon stripping and twisting speaker wire, that's probably a huge relief. If you’re into checking out wireless systems, they come in both 5.1 and 7.1 variants. For 5.1, try the Enclave Audio Cinehome II.

Of course, they do have a downside. A couple, actually. They can feel underpowered, compared to bigger systems, and they simply don’t have the depth or precision of those setups. More importantly, if you are in a larger room, they are simply not going to be adequate. For the most part, these systems are composed of satellite speakers, which are small and light, and can be placed easily. That’s fine – but it does come with the caveat that they aren’t going to be nearly as powerful. In addition, while wireless systems are far more convenient, in that they don’t clutter up your listening room with wires, sound quality can sometimes suffer, and you will need to plug each speaker into a power socket. Wired speakers almost always sound better, but do have the disadvantage of needing ugly speaker wire, which you’ll almost certainly have to purchase separately.

7.1 systems, on the other hand, make their advantages known immediately. Increasing the number of speaker channels gives you richer surround sound, and at the price ranges they usually operate at, the speaker build quality and audio capabilities are usually way, way ahead of any 5.1 system. While not all packages come with the receiver, they do demand that you have one, and any you invest in will almost certainly allow you to easily upgrade your existing system, should you choose to.

Downsides? 7.1 systems can be expensive. Actually, scratch that can – in almost all circumstances, they are pretty pricey. The only way they wouldn’t be is if you take a 5.1 system, swap out the receiver for something with a bit more meat and more channels, and add in a couple of additional satellite speakers, but this Frankenstein -like configuration is never going to be a patch on a purpose-built 7.1 system. And if you try to deploy a 7.1 setup in a small room, you’ll quickly find that the sound becomes muddy and unfocused, as you need a little bit of distance between you and the speakers to get the effect you’re looking for.

So, here are the key things to bare in mind when choosing:

Ah, the joys of speaker wire... | The Master Switch

Room Size And Acoustics Explained

When you’re deciding which system to go for, this is probably the most important thing to consider.

It’s not just about a system being unable to fill a larger room, or a system that is too big swallowing the space in a smaller room and muddying the sound – not to mention taking up actual physical space with speakers and speaker wire. It’s what’s in the room itself.

Ideally, we’d all have a dedicated rectangular media room, with a listening position on a comfortable couch (with La-Z-Boy functionality and built-in cup holders, if you please), with walls that have been acoustically proofed, and speakers that are in precisely the right position. But most of us don’t. The vast majority of us don’t. For most people, the 5.1 or 7.1 system will be installed in a lounge or living room, and it will be filled with objects that will do funny things to the sound.

Bookshelves. Coffee tables. Vases. TV stands. Paintings. The bicycle that you’ve told your ten-year-old a million times not to leave in the living room. On top of that, there’s a pretty good chance your couch is probably pushed up against the wall, or at the very least, not exactly in the ideal listening position for the space. You might want to position rear speakers on speaker stands behind you, but they might very well get in the way.

Broadly speaking – and we really are talking very broadly, because acoustics is a vast science – there are objects that are good for sound, and objects that aren’t. A full bookshelf does good things to sound, because it absorbs the majority of the soundwaves, allowing you to hear what’s coming out of the speakers more precisely without it being muddied by reflections. Ditto for couch cushions, drapes, beanbags… Anything soft or uneven, really. On the other hand, walls, ceilings, paintings – anything flat and reflective – is going to complicate things as they reflect sound waves back into the room. In extreme cases, two parallel walls will create what is known as a standing wave: a low-frequency resonance that pops up as sound is reflected between them.

Ultimately, a good way to approach it is as follows. Evaluate the size of your room – anything up to 350 square feet (roughly) will be just fine with a 5.1 system, while anything above that would almost certainly benefit from a 7.1 system. Take a look at what you have in the room, and if possible, try to maximise bookshelves and soft furnishings (especially the bookshelves, because books are cool). Then pick the type of system that suits the size of the room.

And look: we know this is inexact. We understand that. Every single room is going to be different, and all we can do is provide some general principles. As long as you’re aware of them, and pay attention to your surroundings, you should be fine. If you’d like more guidance, check out these setup diagrams from Dolby.

A word on subwoofer placement. Placing the surround speakers is relatively simple: centre speaker under the television, front speakers on either side, and side speakers on the left and right of the listening position. Rear speakers behind it (for 7.1), roughly mirroring the position of the front speakers. But the subwoofer needs to go at floor level, Which opens up a whole can of worms.

Traditionally, the subwoofer is placed on one side of the TV, or in the corner, or in some cases along the side of one wall, pointing inwards. If you can, try to keep it close to the front speakers, which will help the illusion that the bass is coming from there. A good way to fine tune placement is as follows: put the sub, wired up, in your listening position – we know it’s weird – then, with something playing, walk around the room, or even crawl around at floor level. See where the bass sounds best. That’s where you want to put your subwoofer. And just remember: good base isn’t just loud, it’s also rounded, clear, and accurate. It shouldn’t blow your head off. Or your neighbors’.

You probably don't need a sub as big as this SVS PB16-Ultra, but... | The Master Switch

Room Calibration Explained

Some slightly more expensive systems offer a fantastic way of getting the most out of your setup, which is room calibration.

Essentially, this allows the system to fine tune the performance of the speakers to suit a given room, which (inappropriate room size aside) will help get the most out of your purchase. How this works is that usually, the receiver will come with an external microphone, that is connected to it and placed in a series of listening positions around the room. The receiver plays a variety of test tones, which are reflected around the room and captured by the mic, essentially giving the receiver’s processors a picture of your listening environment. When it’s got this, it can use its built-in equalisers to adjust what you’re hearing, in order to maximise the clarity of your system.

Calibration systems do vary – and they are much more common in 7.1 then 5.1 systems. And in most cases, you'll hear an immediate improvement in your sound, especially in your regular listening position. It's the kind of thing which can make a major difference, and where possible, we'd urge you to go for it.

But what if your system doesn’t come with room calibration? Not to worry. You can still do it – although it’s a little more complicated. You’ll need to invest in something like the Digital Video Essentials: Optimize Your Home Entertainment System DVD.

The excellent SVS Prime Elevation angled height speaker | The Master Switch

What About Height/Ceiling Speakers?

Let’s put it this way: we all want height speakers. But most of us don’t need them.

For starters, the more speakers you add onto a system, the narrower the range of entertainment that can actually provide dedicated channels to those speakers. Almost all Blu-rays these days are capable of high level surround sound mixes, so if that’s what you listen to, then you should absolutely invest in them. But if your entertainment diet consists of cable news, or Netflix, or even most video games, then chances are height speakers will be wasted on you. Not in the sense that you want appreciate them, but in the sense that they won’t be performing to nearly their full potential.

Oh, they’ll still make noise. In some cases, beautiful noise. The problem is, it won’t be noise specifically designed for height systems. It won’t sound off, or wrong, but it won’t be nearly as good as it could be.

Then there’s placement, which for height speakers, can be a pain. You’ve either got to bolt them to the wall, or position them on a high bookshelf. Depending on whether you own or rent, the former may be unachievable. If you are thinking of checking out height speakers, you could do worse than invest in the absolutely superlative SVS Prime Elevations (full review here). They not only do the job of height speakers, but their angled body and multi-placement options mean you can use them in a number of situations.

Ceiling speakers - as in, ones actually installed into your ceiling - are a little bit trickier. The principals are the same but the actual installation process and oodles of speaker wire are not, and you'll need to be really convinced they'll help before you embark on knocking holes in your roof. By all means, go for it, but be aware that it's tricky.

The 9.2 Marantz SR7011 receiver - maybe overkill, but so, so good | The Master Switch

Dolby Atmos Vs DTS:X Vs Auro-3D

There are three main types of software – codecs, to use the technical term – that allow your system to process surround sound. These are Dolby Atmos, DTS:X (the most common) and Auro-3D  (highly specialist). We’ve actually got a full explainer for the three different types right here, but if you need a TL;DR:

DTS:X is probably the simplest. It doesn’t require a minimum number of speakers, and is purely software-based. It’s also got excellent conversion capabilities, turning even audio that doesn’t have surround sound mixing into something that can be put out through a surround sound system.

Dolby Atmos is a piece of software that uses height or ceiling speakers, and specifically requires them. You will almost never find this on setups below 7.1, although if you have the room size in the budget, it’s well worth experimenting with. 

Then there’s Auro-3D: a highly specialised, deeply cool speaker setup that relies on something called the Voice Of God speaker, which is installed in the ceiling. This is the least common of the three, although its integration is becoming more widespread. 5.1 users definitely need not apply. Come to think of it, you couldn’t run a conventional 7.1 system through it either; by definition, adding height speakers would turn it into a 9.1 or even 11.1 system.

Just remember: knowing about these is helpful, but shouldn’t affect the system you pick. You should choose the right number of speakers for your room, and calibrate them correctly, rather than worrying about the type of surround sound codec. Consider this extra information.
 

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Home Theater Sound Systems

A guide to creating an amazing surround sound system

In a nutshell, a surround sound system consists of several main parts. In this article, you'll learn how to put them together to create a coherent home theater sound system. Here's what you need:

Want to keep things simple? Let's take a look at the process of building a home theater sound system using a pre-selected surround sound system as an example. See our top reviews of 2018.

Generally speaking, I'm a seasoned nerd flying through a variety of science fiction. Offer me a space movie or anything with dinosaurs and I'll be fascinated; and it especially pleases me if I can watch a movie on my home theater, because watching a movie in surround sound puts me right in the middle of a space battle or a tyrannosaurus rex chase.

My goal is to help you enjoy the same sense of fun and adventure with your surround sound system. This guide will walk you through the key factors to consider when planning your home theater.

How to choose speakers for your room?

The first thing to consider when designing a surround sound system is the room itself.

How much free space do you have? A large open living room with vaulted ceilings obviously needs different equipment than a small or medium room with 8" ceilings.

If you are planning to install the home theater system in a room where children play, then you may want the speakers to be attached to the wall so that they don't get in your way. On the other hand, if you have a separate home theater room, floorstanding speakers (or speakers on stands) are unlikely to pose a danger to pets or children.

Choose speakers that fit your room. Floor standing speakers ideal for large open spaces

Stand, wall or in-wall speakers are good for small spaces

Where will your speakers sound best?

Consider the layout and shape of your room. Where will the speakers look and sound best?

My speaker placement article provides detailed guidance on planning your sound system layout and may be helpful to you.

Compact speakers offer discreet placement options

Is your sound system going to your living room? First of all, you need to consider that here the TV and sound system should not always be in the spotlight. Compact speakers will easily fit into your interior and leave a lot of free space.

Wall mounted speakers are the safest for your movement

Wall and ceiling mounted bookshelf speakers are great options for immersive sound without taking up much space.

Get theatrical sound with floorstanders

If space isn't a big deal, you can use larger speakers. Using floorstanding speakers in your surround sound system helps replicate the cinema experience. Large acoustic chambers provide powerful surround sound effects, which is especially true for movies and video games. "Towers" (columns Tower), among other things, are ideal for listening to music in stereo.

Floorstanding speakers provide a more realistic soundstage at the front of your room

What role does each speaker play in a home theater system?

The home theater sound system consists of several different types of speakers. Understanding the role of each will help you choose the best options for your room.

Here are the main components of your surround sound system:

Center channel speaker plays dialogue and more

The center channel speaker is often considered the most important speaker in a sound system. It provides playback of more than 50% of movie soundtracks, including almost all dialogue. It also provides important sound effects in the center of the stage.

The center channel speaker must be well combined with other speakers. Compact speakers require a smaller center channel driver, while floor standing speakers need a large center speaker to match their increased power.

Consider where you will place your center channel speaker. If you have a special cabinet, make sure it fits in the space provided for it on the shelf.

The home theater center speaker is responsible for most movie soundtracks. Choose the one that suits both your room and the other speakers in your sound system

Left and right front speakers create a wide soundstage

The front left and right speakers play the movie soundtrack. They also handle most of the special effects. To pull you into the story more effectively, the sound moves between the front speakers in sync with the action unfolding on the screen. Floor-standing, bookshelf and wall-mounted speakers work well as such.

Surround speakers provide realistic special effects

Surround speakers are located next to and/or behind your seats. They immerse you in the movie by creating ambient sounds such as raindrops or rustling leaves.

The surround speakers also work with your other speakers to create impressive sound directional effects. Think of a locomotive passing by or a bullet flying past you.

5.1 channel sound systems use one pair of surround speakers placed next to or behind you. Sound systems that support 7.1-channel audio use speakers located at the back and both sides of the circle with the listeners in the center.

If you have a large room or multiple seating areas, consider a 7.1 channel system. In a 5.1 system, the surround speakers are best placed to the left and right of the listening positions install on stands or attach to the wall.

Which speakers should you use for your surround channels?

Many traditional bookshelf speakers or wall-mounted speakers can be used as surround channel speakers.

You might also consider specialized bipole/dipole speakers that have multiple drivers that produce sound waves in different directions. This creates a special, so-called. diffuse, sound field, which enhances the effect of sound wrapping.

Dolby Atmos and DTS:X vertical effect speakers

Have you decided to build a Dolby Atmos® or DTS:X™ system? Then you will need a pair or two pairs of speakers to produce sound in the area above the listening position. You can use either in-ceiling speakers or vertical-firing speakers for this.

The Dolby Atmos system is used with a conventional 5.1 or 7.1 surround system, to which two or four vertical speakers (or speakers built into the ceiling) are added to create sound effects falling down on the listener

Which subwoofer size would you prefer?

Movie soundtracks are provided with a dedicated deep bass (low frequency) channel that is played through a powered subwoofer. The subwoofer is what recreates in your room the effect of exploding bombs and the roar of an airplane flying overhead.

Choose a subwoofer that fits well with your room and your speakers. As a general rule, the larger the subwoofer speaker, the deeper the bass.

Do you have a large room at your disposal? Then you should definitely upgrade to a subwoofer with a 12-inch or larger speaker.

Do you have a small room at your disposal? A compact subwoofer will sound great here. For more detailed recommendations, check out my article on choosing subwoofers for your home theater.

Most people place their subwoofers at the front of the room so they can be easily connected to a home theater receiver. If running the cable where your subwoofer sounds best is not practical, use a wireless subwoofer

Voice matching, which is optional

Each brand or series of speakers has its own tonal quality or "voice". To get an evenly balanced sound level throughout the room, I recommend using the same brand of speakers for all locations.

If you cannot match all the speakers together, try using the same brand of speakers for the front left, right and center locations. This will give you a complete front soundstage, i.e. ensure stable sound system performance.

Want hidden surround sound?

If you need a sound system with the smallest footprint, consider built-in, in-ceiling or wall-mounted speakers. Read my article on installing in-wall and ceiling speakers for more on what's involved.

Everything you need to get started

To get the best sound, you need to pair your new speaker system with a good home theater receiver. This guide will help you choose the right parts for your sound system.

Use dedicated speaker wires and subwoofer cables for connections. We also recommend that you secure the power supply to your receiver, TV, audio/video components and subwoofer.

Best Universal Home Theater Systems

Over the years I have developed dozens of surround sound systems. And the systems I custom made are great. And I'll let you in on a secret: you can get theater-quality sound by purchasing a pre-matched surround sound system. Here are a couple of my favorites.

  1. Klipsch Reference Theater Pack - the best surround sound system for small rooms

Klipsch Reference Theater Pack quickly gained popularity among buyers. The system does not take up much space, but it provides the sonic depth and sonic attack that you would only expect from large speakers. This is the perfect choice for small rooms with premium space.

Fantastically clear sound, compact yet powerful.

Adjustable subwoofer allows you to move from

Dynamic explosions to subtle vibrations

- Larry, Pottsboro, Texas

  1. Definitione ProCinema 800 - the best system of volumetric sound for the medium

Definitive Technology's ProCinema 800 is a powerful, dynamic system that offers surround sound without the need for floor standing speakers.

Why does she work so well? The answer is partly due to the use of passive radiators in each speaker. These drivers do not require power, they move by coupling with powerful woofers used to boost the mids and lows. The result is clear, powerful sound for music, movies and video game soundtracks.

This loudspeaker is the biggest blow to the price of a sound system I have ever seen.

8

Each speaker is very solid and eye-catching

- Bree, Montgomery, TX

5 Basic Surround Sound Tips

Home Theater Surround Sound Setup - In this article, we'll give you some tips for setting up your home theater surround sound system surround sound. A good movie experience is not only a big screen, but also a big sound. Great sound makes you feel like you're in a movie frame.

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Surround sound in home theater speakers

When watching a movie in a movie theater, you feel the reality of what is happening on the screen - whether it is bullets flying over you, car accidents or whispers in a tense scene that draws you into the drama .

To get that immersive sound experience in your home, you need a surround sound system. From relatively inexpensive soundbars to full-fledged twelve-speaker systems with high-end AV processors and amplifiers, there are many options for bringing surround sound from movies into the home.

Cinema and home surround sound

The cinematic experience of the big screen is visceral and alive, drawing us into the fantasy world of cinema and surrounding us with high-quality sound literally flying at us from all directions.

You can also bring this feeling to your home with a music center and surround sound system. With such equipment, you can create your own home theater for any room with any space.

The idea behind this project is to use multiple speakers to simulate 3D sound. You don't have to have as many speakers as you would in a movie theater to create the perfect surround sound environment in your home. Once you have all the audio equipment you need, all you have to do is properly set up the equipment in your room.

A few highlights before we get started: When you're looking for a new surround sound system for your home, you should know that each one has numerical configurations: 5.1, 7.1, 9.1 and 11.1. The first number corresponds to the number of speakers, and the second refers to the number of subwoofers or low-frequency component that is responsible for the sound of bass attacks of any musical composition.

A 5.1 surround sound system (most common) typically consists of a channel speaker, right and left speakers, surround speakers (place them around the outside of your room or behind you) and a subwoofer. Together, these components create the perfect surround sound. But this is not the only option. Let's say you want to expand your home music experience for a more vibrant experience. Here are some additional tips for setting up your new system!

5 tips for getting the most out of your home theater

1. Don't mount the subwoofer on the side

Bass is an important part of the sound spectrum and should always be kept in mind. Connoisseurs of good sound recommends "do not treat your subwoofer like a naughty 4-year-old child, and do not put it in a corner." We are often tempted to keep a subwoofer in a secluded area to neutralize some of the deep bass, or so that it is not always visible. But it shouldn't be like that. No need to hide the epicenter of your home's sound system.

The goal here is to recreate a cinematic feel, so get the subwoofer out of its hiding place and experiment with different placements. It is desirable to have a subwoofer slightly off-center, that is, from the place where you are most likely to sit, so that the sound reaches you and your guests. To avoid rattle that can ruin the sound quality of your system, make sure the subwoofer is not touching anything other than the floor.

2. Position the center speaker above

Center speakers run in the middle - easy! Surround sound experts recommend placing a dynamic center speaker above the TV in the center in a horizontal plane, on which we quite agree! In addition, it is important that you feel that the dialogue is coming directly from the screen, or from some external source located somewhere else in the room.

And if possible, it's best to do this by placing the source above the screen. In this case, several options would fit - a wall mount, rubber feet for rotation or a stand. If this is not possible, keep the center channel as close to the TV as possible.

3. Surround Sound: Remember... size matters

Listen, no matter what anyone says, size matters. For most people who have "a medium-sized living room or office, it makes a lot of sense to have 12" to 15" bookshelf speakers in that room, the engineers say."

If you have not previously designed a home theater room or are currently building an entertainment room in a much larger room or multi-purpose space. Then you can try 38" or larger dynamic drivers. The idea here is to create an immersive soundscape, so be careful not to go too far and end up drowning... in the sound.

4. Bigger room, bigger system

While a 5.1 system is great, it's not necessarily the best fit for the room you currently use as a home music system.

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