By taking an hour or so to set up your surround sound system, youll be more immersed in your favorite movies and shows. If not, the speakers will cause video distortion on your screen.
\nLeft and right speakers
\nThe left and right speakers provide more lateral, but still highly localized and directed, sound. From there, just follow the on-screen instructions. Yes, immersion is a hot-button marketing word, but whether youre a new father, overworked bartender, or underpaid desk jockey, being transported away from the stresses of daily life is something we may all benefit from. To do this, youll need an SPL meter. This consolidates your audio-visual cables, requiring one instead of multiple. Denon receivers use Audyssey, Yamaha receivers have an in-house option called YPAO, Pioneer receivers call theirs MCCAC, and so on. You have a couple of options: The subwoofer can complement your full-range front speakers, providing an even fuller bass signal. Audio regularly informs our perception of the world as we bumble through each day. The benefit to adding a DSP box to your setup is that it alters the sound that reaches your ears in a way thats optimized for the room youre in. Sometimes youll see an option with three numbers (e.g. Finally, theres the subwoofer. You want to place your microphone in the main central listening position, at ear levelI used a tripod to get mine in the right spot, but you can use anything you have on hand. As that boat zooms by from left to right, you dont want to have a gap in the middle of your sound field.
\nMake sure any speakers that will be close to a cathode ray tube (direct-view) video display are video shielded especially the center speaker. Connect the inputs to the DSP box, and then the outputs to the correct inputs on the receiver. The speakers in a home theater system include the center channel speaker, the left and right front speakers, the surround channel speakers, and the subwoofer.
\nHere's what a surround sound setup looks like.
\n![\"image0.jpg\"/](\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/115046.image0.jpg\")
\nCenter speakers
\nSome people say the center speaker is optional, because the left and right speakers can handle the sound that comes from the center speaker. Fluance . You also need to look out for decoder compatibility. Instead of the subtle, perfectly-balanced surround effects a movie calls for, youll either hear weird background noises blasting your eardrums from behindto the detriment of whats happening on screenor theyll be too subtle, making you feel like you invested in surround sound for nothing. All you need to do is match each speaker to its respective connection. There are three front channels, two rear (surround) channels, and one subwoofer channel. Many home theater receivers come with an auto-calibration setting built-in. Great. This matrix of connections may look intimidating but should be clearly labelled. AV receivers have a myriad of connectors. For the best results, try to position the left and right front speakers so that the tweeters are at ear level.
\nSurround speakers
\nThe surround speakers (whether you have two, three, four, or more side and back speakers) add a third dimension to your audio programming bringing a front and back dimension to the left and right dimension provided by the front speakers.
\nSubwoofers
\nMost subwoofers have floor-based enclosures with active speaker systems (that is, with built-in amplifiers) for driving the low bass frequency ranges. Second, even if your receiver comes with one of the auto-calibration wizards mentioned above, many home theater enthusiasts recommend checking the levels manually so you can fine-tune anything your receiver might have missedor just doesnt sound right to your ears. Go through each speaker, adjusting each to hit the same level on your SPL meter, including your subwoofer. Dummies has always stood for taking on complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Privacy Policy, I agree to receive Fluance's newsletter.Please refer to our, 5.1 & 7.1 Surround Sound Speaker System Setup & Placement Guide, Signature Series Hi-Fi 5.0 Home Theater Speaker System With Bipolar Speakers. I used this one from Gain Express, though there are plenty of others out therejust make sure you get one that can do C weighting (not all of the cheaper ones can). These numbers address the number of channels but what do they actually mean? The speakers in a home theater system incl","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"
You can maximize the surround sound experience in a home theater by positioning the surround sound speakers properly. However, the center speaker anchors your onscreen dialogue and serves as a seamless connection between your left and right speakers. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. Gain Express Professional Sound Level Meter. Then there are the rear left and right speakers. However, seeing as the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar retails for an unfathomable $2,500, itll likely be a slow extinction. Run through the recommended equalization steps, including placing the mic where youd normally listen at. For instance, the center channel speaker must be hooked up to the center-labeled connections. However, the center speaker anchors your onscreen dialogue and serves as a seamless connection between your left and right speakers. This setup also gives you a more dynamic range, because the bass can go lower than most full-range speaker woofers can themselves (hence the term subwoofer).
","description":"You can maximize the surround sound experience in a home theater by positioning the surround sound speakers properly. You need an AV receiver, rather than a standard stereo receiver, for surround sound because youre handling more than two channels of audio. If your designated room is completely hardwood, invest in some rugs or thicker curtains. Otherwise, youll be buying a whole new TV to go with your luxury surround sound system. If youre looking for an excellent budget option, the Vizio Home Theater Soundbar System is a great choice that doesnt require an AV receiver. You can fix it to the walls, ceiling, and ideally get bass traps for the corners too. (If it doesnt ask you this during setup, you can adjust it from your receivers menu after the fact.). Its 2021, and home theater technology has come a long way. It may sound like overkill. You can experiment with placement for this to see what works best for your room. If acoustic treatment is in your budget (it should be) and not too much of an eyesore for you, get foam panels to place throughout the room. Raise the master volume of the receiver until the SPL meter reads about 75 dBC (itll jump around, but youll just have to try to get it as close as you can). Hardwood is a reflective surface and bounces sound around like crazy. You could just scrap the room altogether and convert it into a dedicated theater, but this is much more economical. If possible, the left and right speakers in a surround sound system should be full-range speakers. Both speakers should be equidistant from you and sit just above your ear level.
Going through the actual setup process is pretty easy: plug in your microphone and open the receivers settings. Samsung is offering credit to anyone who makes a free reservation. (In my case, when I plugged in the microphone, it automatically jumped into the room correction menu.) If you dont want to fiddle with attaching the wire to the plugs yourself, getthese. So try music and movies with the EQ settings on and off for a few days and see which you like better. If possible, the left and right speakers in a surround sound system should be full-range speakers. This setup also gives you a more dynamic range, because the bass can go lower than most full-range speaker woofers can themselves (hence the term subwoofer). The market is constantly changing, demonstrated by advancements in 3D audio and Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbars, and traditional surround sound systems may soon be rendered obsolete. 
Your biggest decision comes in bass management. This results in more power and attention to the mid- and high-frequency drivers and less strain on the amplifier and speaker systems. After that, take your side-channel speakers and place to the sides of the screen, equidistant from you and the screen. Sure, were inundated with visual indicators, but think about when youre crossing the street. The speakers in a home theater system include the center channel speaker, the left and right front speakers, the surround channel speakers, and the subwoofer. For the best results, try to position the left and right front speakers so that the tweeters are at ear level. As that boat zooms by from left to right, you dont want to have a gap in the middle of your sound field.
Make sure any speakers that will be close to a cathode ray tube (direct-view) video display are video shielded especially the center speaker. Place the microphone face up, at ear level, at the central listening positionusing a tripod if you canand play a test tone for each speaker. If you appreciate visual entertainment as a form of escapism, a way to truly indulge in something outside of your reality, the temporal and financial investment is worth it. The next Samsung Unpacked event is happening on August 10 with new announcements across their Galaxy lineup of products. VIZIO 5.1.4 Premium Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual: Pioneer SP-FS52 Home Audio Andrew Jones Designed Floor Pioneer SP-BS22A-LR Andrew Jones Home Audio Bookshelf Speaker, Up to $200 Samsung CreditReserve the Next Galaxy Smartphone, Watch, and Buds for Free. Receivers typically have two to four HDMI inputs and an output which goes to your TV. It is more work to properly configure a surround sound system than it is to let audio blast through your TV speakers. By adding a DSP box, youre: Sure, its nerdy and expensive, but it maxes the possible performance of any system. The downside to buying such a system is that not all devices support it. You may want to peruse your receivers manual for more information on how its specific calibration tool works. Lining your walls with foam panels greatly reduces echo. The most popular home theater setup is a 5.1 configuration, which consists of six channels. Do you have a mixture of surface types in the room? Featured Product: Gain Express Professional Sound Level Meter | $39 | Amazon. Surround sound uses multiple audio channels and an array of speakers to reproduce audio. Samsung is offering credit to anyone who makes a free reservation. 
Otherwise, if you already own a receiver Monoprice is respected for its high-value, low-cost products. Nevertheless, if you want to take full advantage ofDolby Atmos technology, overhead speakers facilitate more accurate audio reproduction by adding height information. While its a way to futureproof your investment, you must check that your TV is HDMI ARC-compatible. There are two reasons we pay to see a movie in theater: for an immersive experience, and to indulge in popcorn so buttery cholesterol levels rise from just looking at it. The center channel speaker goes under or above your screen, which should be directly in front of your couch. You can always fine-tune the placement to your liking. Links on SoundGuys may earn us a commission. Worst-case scenario, you can always place the speakers close to the couch. How to Set the Phase and Crossover Frequency on Your Subwoofer. Most subwoofers have floor-based enclosures with active speaker systems (that is, with built-in amplifiers) for driving the low bass frequency ranges. Youre right. They have a sharper 90-110 angle. A good starting point is to look for a Dolby Digital-ready receiver: every DVD and all United States HD broadcasts use Dolby Digital. TV, monitor, projector). First, if you have a soundbar, youll probably have to set the surround levels by hand, since most dont come with an auto-calibration feature. Coaxial and optical inputs serve do basically the same thing but with different cables and connectors. This is probably the biggest mistake I see people make when they buy a 5.1 soundbaryou have to set your levels! Speakers get connected here via speaker wire and banana plugs. Five of them are standard full-range speakers while one is a dedicated subwoofer for low-frequency reproduction. If not, the speakers will cause video distortion on your screen. Still, if you have it available, I think its a good first step, since itll not only set the volume levels for each speaker, but attempt to do some room correction through an equalizer, phase control, and other tweaks to cut down on reflections. Michael O. Flanagan, MD, is a neuropsychiatrist in private practice in New Mexico. If possible, the left and right speakers in a surround sound system should be full-range speakers. However, we can guide you through setting up a surround sound audio system. This setup also gives you a more dynamic range, because the bass can go lower than most full-range speaker woofers can themselves (hence the term subwoofer).
Danny Briere is CEO and founder of TeleChoice, Inc., which provides strategic consulting services to businesses. They are coauthors of Smart Homes For Dummies, Home Theater For Dummies, and HDTV For Dummies. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9284"}},{"authorId":9285,"name":"Pat Hurley","slug":"pat-hurley","description":"
Danny Briere is CEO and founder of TeleChoice, Inc., which provides strategic consulting services to businesses. This results in more power and attention to the mid- and high-frequency drivers and less strain on the amplifier and speaker systems. They are coauthors of Smart Homes For Dummies, Home Theater For Dummies, and HDTV For Dummies. ","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9285"}}],"primaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":33562,"title":"TVs & Home Theater","slug":"tvs-home-theater","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33562"}},"secondaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"tertiaryCategoryTaxonomy":{"categoryId":0,"title":null,"slug":null,"_links":null},"trendingArticles":null,"inThisArticle":[{"label":"Center speakers","target":"#tab1"},{"label":"Left and right speakers","target":"#tab2"},{"label":"Surround speakers","target":"#tab3"},{"label":"Subwoofers","target":"#tab4"}],"relatedArticles":{"fromBook":[],"fromCategory":[{"articleId":285279,"title":"Cord Cutting For Dummies Cheat Sheet","slug":"cord-cutting-for-dummies-cheat-sheet","categoryList":["technology","electronics","tvs-home-theater"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/285279"}},{"articleId":210324,"title":"How to Mount a Flat-Screen TV to the Wall","slug":"how-to-mount-a-flat-screen-tv-to-the-wall","categoryList":["technology","electronics","tvs-home-theater"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210324"}},{"articleId":210321,"title":"How to Connect an Antenna or Cable to Your HDTV","slug":"how-to-connect-an-antenna-or-cable-to-your-hdtv","categoryList":["technology","electronics","tvs-home-theater"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210321"}},{"articleId":210319,"title":"How to Connect an HDTV to Your Sound System or Home Theater","slug":"how-to-connect-an-hdtv-to-your-sound-system-or-home-theater","categoryList":["technology","electronics","tvs-home-theater"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/210319"}},{"articleId":201204,"title":"HDMI Digital Video Home Theater Connections","slug":"hdmi-digital-video-home-theater-connections","categoryList":["technology","electronics","tvs-home-theater"],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/articles/201204"}}]},"hasRelatedBookFromSearch":true,"relatedBook":{"bookId":281735,"slug":"home-recording-for-dummies-6th-edition","isbn":"9781119711100","categoryList":["technology","software","music-recording-software","general-music-recording-software"],"amazon":{"default":"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/111971110X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","ca":"https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/111971110X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","indigo_ca":"http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-9208661-13710633?url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/111971110X-item.html&cjsku=978111945484","gb":"https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/111971110X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20","de":"https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/111971110X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiley01-20"},"image":{"src":"https://catalogimages.wiley.com/images/db/jimages/9781119711100.jpg","width":250,"height":350},"title":"Home Recording For Dummies","testBankPinActivationLink":"","bookOutOfPrint":true,"authorsInfo":"\n
Jeff Strong is the Founder and President of REI Institute, which focuses on neuro-developmental disabilities. Until then, cozy up to your leftover collection of speaker wire and banana plugs and get to streaming your favorite Hulu shows and Netflix movies. Its treated with a low-pass filter and attenuates frequencies higher than 120Hz. Rather than laboriously adjusting fine settings, the computer knows whats ideal, and can even take your input on how you like to hear your sound. The subwoofer can handle all the bass, giving your front speakers the ability to focus on the mid- and high-range frequencies. Once youve got that handy, fire up your receiver or soundbar and head to its speaker level settings. These connections transmit Sony/Phillips digital audio interface (S/PDIF) signals between various devices. When its finished, it may offer you the option to calibrate a second or third seat, which you can do if you like. The subwoofer for the LG SK10Y soundbar stands about 15 tall. Be sure to check the product description before you buy. Depending on what kind of 5.1 configuration youve purchased and your pre-existing peripherals, only some of these connections may be used. Some systems require an audio-visual (AV) receiver, while others dont. Remember, this does a lot more than just tweak the volume levels of each speakerit often applies equalizer settings that can be really great, or really muck things up, depending on a number of factors. For the best results, try to position the left and right front speakers so that the tweeters are at ear level.
\nSurround speakers
\nThe surround speakers (whether you have two, three, four, or more side and back speakers) add a third dimension to your audio programming bringing a front and back dimension to the left and right dimension provided by the front speakers.
\nSubwoofers
\nMost subwoofers have floor-based enclosures with active speaker systems (that is, with built-in amplifiers) for driving the low bass frequency ranges. Dolby Atmos is the new hotness when it comes to home theater gear, but there are a lot of different. It should do most of the heavy lifting, and you should get out of its way and try not to make any noise. This takes care of all the explosions and adds impact to action scenes. As that boat zooms by from left to right, you dont want to have a gap in the middle of your sound field. Most should be able to output a test tone while you adjust the speaker levels, but if not, you may need to play some pink noise through the system manually. After a few test sweeps the computer will determine what the best equalization settings are, and export them to the DSP box. If youre completely new to the world of home theater, an AV receiver receives audio and visual signals from multiple sources, then processes and amplifies those signals to drive the speakers and display (e.g. Sometimes placing speakers far away can lead to inconsistencies in when notes reach you, causing the appearance of an echo. The second number (after the decimal point) specifies how many low-frequency channels exist. Most home theater experts will advise you to move all bass to the subwoofer. Rather than assigning a basic left and right connection, as stereo setups do, surround sound requires dedicated inputs per channel: left front/back, right front/back, and center. Your biggest decision comes in bass management. You have a couple of options:
\n- \n
The subwoofer can complement your full-range front speakers, providing an even fuller bass signal.
\n \n The subwoofer can handle all the bass, giving your front speakers the ability to focus on the mid- and high-range frequencies.
\n \n
Most home theater experts will advise you to move all bass to the subwoofer.