Home theater system layout

Home » Audio-Wissen » 5. Noticeably improved sound or unnecessary add-on? Ask anyone whether a 5. Personal preferences aside, the following is an objective look at each surround sound setup. The two additional loudspeakers contained in a 7.

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Content:

• How to setup at-home surround sound audio
• Ultimate surround sound guide: From DTS to Dolby Atmos, every format explained
• How to Set Up a Home Theater System With Separate Components
• Tips For Placing Your Television & Speakers In Your New Home Theater
• THX Home Theater Room Size Guide
• 5.1 or 7.1: Which sound system is right for you?
• Using 7.1/5.1.2-channel system
• Samsung Home Theater System
• Home Theater Speaker Placement

WATCH RELATED VIDEO: Where To Place Surround Sound Speakers: 5.1 and 7.1 Rear Channel Set Up

How to setup at-home surround sound audio

The best home theater systems draw you in and encourage suspension of disbelief so you can shut out reality for a while and chill. Read on to learn about the important factors to consider as you shop for a home theater system and discover a selection of products that are among the best you can buy. This is often an expensive investment, so when shopping for the best home theater system, make sure it fits the size of the room. Consider ease of installation and how much you want to reconfigure the room.

Make sure you have everything you need—space, layout, equipment—to enjoy everything the system has to offer. A home theater system comes with multiple speakers or channels that immerse you into the action of a movie. Each channel can have multiple drivers. Midrange drivers handle midrange frequencies, and tweeters produce high-frequency treble ranges. A full-range driver puts out both sounds.

Consider cable management for large rooms, where side and rear speakers can require feet or even yards of wiring. The wire must be purchased separately and prepared for each speaker, which involves stripping it to an appropriate length. Minor inconveniences aside, these setups are often more affordable than wireless models. Additionally, unlike their counterparts, wired systems experience no frustrating audio and video lag delays. On occasion, a wireless system will require a wired connection between the rear speakers and the subwoofer, but more often than not, the only cabling needed is a power cord from each speaker to a power outlet.

Sometimes the receiver is replaced by a soundbar or a wireless transmitter. Some home theater systems have more than one subwoofer. A seven-speaker setup with two subwoofers is a 7.

You can also add two or four ceiling or up-firing speakers for a 7. To get the most out of a new home theater system, correct speaker placement is essential. The center channel or speaker should sit below the TV, while the front left and front right speakers should sit on either side of the TV. Picture a triangle between someone sitting on the sofa and all three speakers, if you want the best sound.

An entertainment center could help with front speaker placement. The rear speakers should sit behind you, one on the right and one on the left, and the side speakers should sit to the right and left of your listening position.

Subwoofers should sit on the front wall in the corner—this couples it better with the room and provides the best bass. Speaker sensitivity refers to its capacity to turn power into sound or the amount of power needed for it to function correctly. Sensitivity is generally measured by placing a microphone or sound pressure level SPL meter about 3 feet away from the center speaker. With the amplifier connected and delivering a watt of power, a signal is sent.

The measurement in decibels dB equals the sensitivity. The higher the sensitivity, the louder the speaker will play. An average speaker has a sensitivity of 88 dB. Speakers with a 92 dB sensitivity or above are considered high-performance speakers.

Low sensitivity of 84 dB or below will impact sound quality. Note that each speaker in a home theater system should have the same sensitivity level. Installing a wired home theater system requires more effort than a wireless installation.

Each speaker connects to a wall outlet for power instead. To protect your devices from power surges, you should consider plugging them into a surge protector. In either install, look for products with clear setup instructions and information regarding the platforms, devices, and systems with which the product is compatible.

Verify the product specifications to glean this information before making a purchase to ensure your new home theater system works with all of your devices.

Based on the shopping considerations above, the following are some of the best home theater systems on the market in a range of categories. The all-in-one soundbar has six full-range speaker drivers and two tweeters that bounce sound off the walls for a 35 percent wider sound profile than other soundbars. The two subwoofers offer explosive energy to draw a user into the action, while the four two-way sound effect speakers deliver degree sound.

Users can utilize the four speakers individually in a large room or attach them to form a pair of dipole speakers in a smaller space—both setups ensure the same degree effect. Users can also connect mobile devices via Bluetooth. The Shockwave supports 1,watts, dB, and Dolby Atmos.

This reasonably priced package from Onkyo has five satellite speakers, a subwoofer, and an amplifier. The five satellite speakers boast a 3-inch full-range driver capable of producing 50 watts of power, and the 6. This compact home theater system also comes with Bluetooth capability, so users can connect their laptop, smartphone, or tablet and mirror their device on the TV.

The compact speakers perform well in smaller rooms and come with speaker cables in the box. Experience 9. The speakers have a hour battery life and can recharge within three hours when docked with the soundbar. Users can still enjoy their favorite movies and shows while the speakers are attached to the soundbar.

The soundbar has watts of power for crystal clear audio, while the inch wireless subwoofer enhances the action. Enjoy captivating soundtracks and sound effects without missing any of the dialogue with this 5.

Ideal for small rooms, this system includes a slim subwoofer that can sit upright in a corner or lay flat under the sofa, as well as a soundbar with center, left, and right speakers and two rear surround speakers. The HDMI connection lets users control the soundbar through their TV remote, while Bluetooth support allows for connecting mobile devices. The virtual 3D sound travels through the room and fills it from floor to ceiling. The nine surround channels, one subwoofer channel, and four up-firing channels that reflect the sound off the ceiling wrap the tones around the viewer, while the rear speakers help fill the space and enhance the experience.

After analyzing the content for each scene, the intuitive soundbar automatically delivers optimized sound. A built-in voice assistant makes the soundbar Amazon Alexa-compatible, so users can control their music, manage their day, and get information like weather forecasts, all with simple voice commands. With Bluetooth support, users can connect up to two smartphones to the soundbar at once and switch between playlists.

For those who want a true moviegoing experience, this home theater speaker system bundle from Polk delivers. Each of the two bookshelf speakers houses a 5. The center speaker has a 5. The inch subwoofer has a watt capacity and a uniquely configured directional port for deep and accurate bass.

Each of the speakers in this home theater system has dynamic balance technology that provides wider dispersion with minimal distortions. Amazon Alexa users may want to consider this Samsung soundbar that comes with a built-in Alexa voice assistant.

Users can enjoy all the things they love about Alexa and experience optimized sound throughout the room. The 7. The soundbar analyzes the content for each scene and automatically delivers optimized sound. With Bluetooth support, users can connect their smartphones to the soundbar and listen to their favorite playlists and podcasts. Still have questions about home theater systems? Check out these answers to some of the more commonly asked questions. This depends on room size. For an foot by foot room with 9-foot ceilings, look for something that supports at least 25 watts per channel.

For low-cost speakers, perhaps bump this up to 40 watts per channel. This also depends on the size of the room. Use 5. It makes sense to purchase all of the speakers for a home theater system as a package or from the same manufacturer and from within the same line. Disclosure: BobVila. You agree that BobVila. All rights reserved. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. The best home theater system immerses you into it all.

Check Latest Price. More From Bob Vila. Planning Guide: Home Theater. The Best Entertainment Centers for the Home. Newsletter signup: You agree that BobVila.

Ultimate surround sound guide: From DTS to Dolby Atmos, every format explained

But to truly get that immersive theater experience, the sound needs to be brilliant. While this might have been true in the 80s, getting theater-quality sound in your home has never been easier or more valuable. And yet, the number of decisions you have to make in order to set up a home theater that works for you can be overwhelming. With that in mind, we put together this guide to walk you through a few simple decisions you can make in order to experience theater-quality sound at home. The single most dramatic improvement you can make to how your favorite shows, movies, and games sound on your TV is to add an external speaker. The sound will be fuller, the dialogue crisper, and the bass bolder. For cinematic sound that surrounds you in the story, choose Arc.

How to Set Up a Home Theater System With Separate Components

You spent hours researching high quality speakers. The center channel speaker projects the dialogue and is one of the most important speakers of your home theater system. Most homeowners know that the center speaker should be placed you guessed it at the center of the system- either above or below the tv. Example of a center speaker placed too low. Photo source: Klipsch. The fix: Place your center speaker at ear level when seated. A lot of homeowners choose aesthetics over logic when it comes to their home theater set up. The common temptation is to hide front speakers in the entertainment center or other furniture. Placing a speaker inside a cabinet or partially enclosed fixture obstructs its sound waves, and this muddles the noise.

Tips For Placing Your Television & Speakers In Your New Home Theater

You see, before the coronavirus pandemic upended life as we knew it, theaters were in the midst of a renaissance of sorts. For instance, if you were watching an action movie and there was an explosion on the right side of the screen, half of the speakers in the theater would all play that same sound. With Atmos, the sounds in a theater could now come from distinct locations determined by the professional audio mixers that had arranged them. This meant that, theoretically, theater operators were limited only by their appetite to add extra speakers and amplification. Digital music is also getting the Atmos treatment, with a number of streaming services Tidal, Amazon Music, and Apple Music, to name a few already taking advantage of Dolby Atmos Music , an offshoot of its theatrical, object-based sound technology.

THX Home Theater Room Size Guide

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. It would be irresponsible of us to write a how-to detailing the amount of butter required to compete with your local theater popcorn. However, we can guide you through setting up a surround sound audio system. The Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar is an all-in-one surround system. Surround sound uses multiple audio channels and an array of speakers to reproduce audio. This affords a more realistic emulation of sound than the typical 2.

5.1 or 7.1: Which sound system is right for you?

When it comes to home theater layout, the secret is location, location, location. Failing to consider seat, speaker, screen, and sub placement can lead to real problems and ruin the performance of your home theater:. Our approach incorporates analysis across all aspects of theater layout:. Layout is best done in conjunction with Low Frequency Optimization, since this service incorporates analysis of seat and subwoofer placement to produce consistent seat-to-seat bass under Hz. The first task that should be done in any home theater design is choosing the number and type of seats. In fact seating choices end up dictating a lot of other things including room dimensions, acoustic [ Where do I put all these speakers in my 5. There are three main organizations that provide guidance on speaker placement.

Using 7.1/5.1.2-channel system

This home theater harkens back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, entrancing guests with plush velvet theater chairs and ornate lighting. You're ready for a home theater set-up, and you're quivering with anticipation at the thought of a fully immersive movie experience right in your own home. But there's that one nagging question:. There are so many variables to consider, both technical and financial.

Samsung Home Theater System

RELATED VIDEO: How to Create an Immersive Home Theater

THX can help you optimize your home audio and video experience for any type of home theater system and for any room size. THX can help you optimize audio and video for anywhere from a cozy nook to a fully tricked out home theater. Regardless of room size, your entertainment experience should be the best one possible. Here are some considerations and product suggestions for systems of all sizes and best practices for set-up.

Home Theater Speaker Placement

In this article, we are going to discuss how to figure out exactly where to place your speakers. Because this can get complicated quickly, this article addresses only the placement of speakers for 5. These two legacy formats matter a great deal because the placement of these speakers is the same when adding immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos. These layouts are the foundation for all movie audio you enjoy in a commercial theater as well as at home. In a future article, we will discuss adding the overhead speakers. We are also going to leave subwoofer placement for another article as it requires a lot of attention to separate the fact from opinion.

Surround sound systems add depth and make the audio in movies, video games, or music performances more realistic. This means that apart from a big screen, you need a quality sound system like 7. So how do you choose between a 7.