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Placing the speakers for that surround experience

Placing the speakers for that surround experience

 

Setting up a home theater system has become one of the dreams of every media and electronics enthusiast. In this way, you will be able to enjoy watching movies in the comfort of your own home. The thrill of shopping for a home theater system can be a dream or a nightmare considering that a plethora of models are available from different electronics companies.

 

Opening the box of a home theater system will emit the smell of that freshly-made product. A smell that is exhilarating to the senses and make you think about the hours of enjoyment in watching your DVDs in full surround sound. The basic home theater system includes the receiver, amplifier, several speakers and the accompanying wires. The receiver and amplifier are the ones that are easiest to set up, as these only needs to be hooked up to the television and eventually the electric plugs.

 

Home theater systems nowadays have six speakers, as most already feature 5.1 surround. Advanced systems already come in 7.1 surround but those that want the basic system normally go for 5.1. A 5.1 theater system has several speakers which include the center channel, two front speakers, a subwoofer and the two rear channels. Crucial in setting up the system is placing the speakers around the room. Unlike car audio where speaker placement can actually make or break the overall sound, a 5.1 system eliminates some of the shortcomings in poor speaker placement.

 

However, there are ideal locations where each speaker should be placed in order to achieve the best surround effect. The center channel is where nearly 50% of the soundtrack emits. The main job of the center speakers is to keep the sound anchored to scenes in the TV screen. The center channel is ideally placed above or just below the TV in order to preserve the surround effect.

 

The front left and right speakers proved a wide soundstage that goes along with the video on the TV in order to produce a realistic movie experience. The front speakers are placed at the sides of the TV just like when positioning a stereo system.

 

The subwoofer is probably what gives a home theater system its character. The subwoofer is arguably the easiest to set up, as it can be placed almost anywhere. Bass is omni-directional and placing it near a wall or corner can actually improve its impact significantly.

 

The surround or rear speakers produce ambient and atmospheric sounds. These speakers are the most complicated to place because putting them in a poor location will greatly hurt the surround effect of the system. Ideally, surround speakers should be wall-mounted or stand-mounted at the far end from the television.

 

 


 



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