There is nothing like watching one of your favorite Sci-fi or Action movies with a great surround sound system throwing you into the middle of the action. With all the options and all the new versions of surround sound, it can be very confusing. Well, I am here to save the day!! Surround sound consists of a minimum of 5 main speakers and at least one subwoofer. There are versions of surround sound that consist of 7, 9 and even 11 speakers but most are between 5 and 7.
When you have a 5 speaker system, 3 speakers are in front of you and 2 are in back. One speaker is placed above or below the TV and the other two in front are typically placed in the right and left corners. The rear speakers would then be placed in the rear corners. Placement of the speakers isn't crucial but for maximum performance and sound quality you should place them as close to ear level that you can. The subwoofer can be placed anywhere but in most cases the corner is the best place for it. I will go over subwoofer placement more in detail later.
6 and 7 speaker surround sound systems work in the same exact way, there is just one additional speaker in the 7 speaker configuration. You still have the same 3 speakers in the front, like in the 5 speaker system, but that is where the similarities end. The 2 speakers that used to be placed in the rear corners are now on the sides of the listening area. Then the 6th (and possibly 7th) speakers get placed in the rear of the room. When you have a 7 speaker system the 2 rear speakers are playing the exact same thing. The only time you would need to have a 7 speaker system is if you had a very large area you are trying to fill with sound and a large seating area.
Subwoofer placement can make a very big difference in the performance in your room. It can be the difference between hearing it at all and having it overpower your system. The best way, although not ideal, is to place the subwoofer where you normally sit. Then play something that you know has a decent amount of bass in the recording. Walk around the room and determine where in the room has the most amount of bass in it, and place the woofer in that spot. In some cases (especially in large rooms) 2 or more subwoofers may be appropriate (or necessary) to fill the room with bass. See my blog entry on subwoofers and center channels for more detailed information about subwoofers and how they work.
Once you have all of the speakers set where they are going to be, it's time to setup your receiver to make sure that all the speaker levels are correct. Most new receivers actually come with a microphone and an internal program that sets everything for you. All you normally have to do is place the microphone where you normally sit, go into the setup menu of your receiver and let it do what it does best. I have found that the perfectionist still likes to make some minor modifications to the setup when the receiver is done, but most people are happy with what it sounds like with the receiver's settings.
All that is left is to do now is find a great movie with lots of surround sound action in it. Things like the Star Wars movies are great to use because George Lucas loves the surround sound channels. So, grab yourself some popcorn, sit back and enjoy your new system. In most cases your system will even sound better than what you listen to at some of the best movie theaters out there!
When you have a 5 speaker system, 3 speakers are in front of you and 2 are in back. One speaker is placed above or below the TV and the other two in front are typically placed in the right and left corners. The rear speakers would then be placed in the rear corners. Placement of the speakers isn't crucial but for maximum performance and sound quality you should place them as close to ear level that you can. The subwoofer can be placed anywhere but in most cases the corner is the best place for it. I will go over subwoofer placement more in detail later.
6 and 7 speaker surround sound systems work in the same exact way, there is just one additional speaker in the 7 speaker configuration. You still have the same 3 speakers in the front, like in the 5 speaker system, but that is where the similarities end. The 2 speakers that used to be placed in the rear corners are now on the sides of the listening area. Then the 6th (and possibly 7th) speakers get placed in the rear of the room. When you have a 7 speaker system the 2 rear speakers are playing the exact same thing. The only time you would need to have a 7 speaker system is if you had a very large area you are trying to fill with sound and a large seating area.
Subwoofer placement can make a very big difference in the performance in your room. It can be the difference between hearing it at all and having it overpower your system. The best way, although not ideal, is to place the subwoofer where you normally sit. Then play something that you know has a decent amount of bass in the recording. Walk around the room and determine where in the room has the most amount of bass in it, and place the woofer in that spot. In some cases (especially in large rooms) 2 or more subwoofers may be appropriate (or necessary) to fill the room with bass. See my blog entry on subwoofers and center channels for more detailed information about subwoofers and how they work.
Once you have all of the speakers set where they are going to be, it's time to setup your receiver to make sure that all the speaker levels are correct. Most new receivers actually come with a microphone and an internal program that sets everything for you. All you normally have to do is place the microphone where you normally sit, go into the setup menu of your receiver and let it do what it does best. I have found that the perfectionist still likes to make some minor modifications to the setup when the receiver is done, but most people are happy with what it sounds like with the receiver's settings.
All that is left is to do now is find a great movie with lots of surround sound action in it. Things like the Star Wars movies are great to use because George Lucas loves the surround sound channels. So, grab yourself some popcorn, sit back and enjoy your new system. In most cases your system will even sound better than what you listen to at some of the best movie theaters out there!
How do I setup my around asound thingamabob?
Jim Carter's Technology Blog
Posted 4/10/2008