3. How To Set Up Surround Sound In Your Home Theater

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HT_Mart Featured #1 : Home Theater Academy
HT_Mart Featured #2 : Crutchfield
HT_Mart Featured #3 : SoundGuys 
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There are a couple different considerations when it comes to choosing a sound system, such as cost, available space, desired channels, and input devices. Also you will need to take into consideration your room’s size, design, and style preferences.

 

Thankfully, though, if set up properly, you can get amzing sound from ANY system!

From your simple media room set up like this great one by @sadece_home_cinema .....


 

.....To much larger and more extravagant setups like this great Star Wars Themed home theater! 

 

 

I like to tell people to first think about what size speaker you want from a decor perspective, then allow that decision to drive your receiver selection. (P.S. Some bigger speakers are seriously attractive, some speakers are very discreet, and some are made to be hidden in walls and ceilings)


For those who want to go the full DIY-route, picking up individual speakers allows enthusiasts to completely customize their system from start to finish. 


The first thing to consider is how many speakers the system will have (remember this goes hand-in-hand with the receiver channel capacity so some forethought is beneficial here). Typically, the standard 5.1-channel sound system has two front speakers, a central channel, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer.

if you are confused about the difference between 2.1 vs. 5.1 vs. 7.1 Surround Sound, check out this great article by our friends over at hometheateracademy.com!

 

 


Also, something newcomers to home theater may not know, is that the center channel is the most important speaker besides the sub-woofer, as it is dedicated to allowing the vocals come through and stand on their own, so take that into consideration. 

 

If you still feel unequipped to turn your sound system into a real experience, we recommend checking out this GREAT video created by Crutchfield, a great company known for being a family of gearheads and audiophiles full of helpful advice, unparalleled know-how, and lifetime support of every product they sell!

 

 

Finally, for more of a wow-factor you may want to check out some of the great surround sound demos included with many movies—here’s a list of all 300+ THX-certified movies that include a THX surround sound test/demo.  The best demonstration, though, is popping in a good movie of your own. We recommend grabbing your favorite movie with a suitable number of explosions and other surround sound show stoppers, and fire away. 

 

Finally, although everything we have shared so far will go a long way in getting you started, the truth is that setting up sound properly can be a bit more complicated and honestly, if you are going to try to set up a sound system on your own, we recommend diving a bit deeper into the details with this article by SoundGuys before you do it! 

 

Their guide covers everything from AV receivers, decoders, cables for inputs and outputs, Digital coaxial and optical inputs, Multi-channel analog connections, Speaker terminals, Subwoofer preamp outputs, optimizing a home theater for sound, how to arrange the speakers for surround sound, and using your computer to “tune” the sound system. (optional.) 

Absolutely awesome read if you are an audiophile. :) We enjoyed it for sure! 


To return to the beginning of the HtMart Design Guide #1: How To Build A Home Theater CLICK HERE!

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