How To Set Up A Surround Sound Speaker System At Home

2. 1 — This is a standard stereo configuration. It uses two left, and right speakers placed in front, and a subwoofer. 5. 1 — This is the most common surround sound configuration. It has three speakers placed left, right, and center in front, and two speakers placed left and right in the rear. It also has a subwoofer. 7. 1 — This is a more advanced setup with 7 speakers. Three speakers are placed left, right, and center in front, two speakers are placed left and right to the side of the viewing area, and two speakers are placed left and right in the rear. It also has a subwoofer.

Most surround sound kits include a receiver. If you bought your surround sound set second-hand, you may have to buy the receiver separately. Some surround sound systems use a soundbar or DVD/Blu-ray player instead of a receiver. The speakers and TV will still connect the same way. A soundbar will have the front, left, right, and center speakers built-in. All speakers will connect to your receiver via AV cable or speaker wire, but the receiver can use optical, HDMI, or AV cables to connect to your TV. Make sure that your receiver’s audio input matches your preferred audio output on your TV.

AV — Receivers that use an AV connection will have a single circular input for each speaker. The inputs are usually labeled and colored-coded. If you are using a soundbar, the rear speaker inputs may be on the soundbar or the subwoofer. Spring Clips — Receivers that have spring clips will have two inputs for each speaker. They will be color-coded black and red for the positive and negative wires. They will have a lever that you push down to insert the bare speaker wire. Binding Posts — Receivers that have binding posts have two inputs for each speaker color-coded red and black for the positive and negative wires. Binding posts have a round knob that you can turn. They also have an input on top for banana plugs.

Optical — This will be a small square-shaped port. Optical audio is the newest and clearest type of audio, and most modern receivers and soundbars support it. HDMI — This is a thin rectangle-shaped port with notched corners. HDMI is the most commonly used cable format for transmitting both audio and video. AV — These are circular. red and white ports. These are used for basic audio. All receivers should support AV input.

If you don’t have the proper cables, you can find them online or in tech department stores. Online is usually cheaper.

Although subwoofers are omnidirectional, placing them against walls and corners will amplify the bass, making it difficult to control. Subwoofers should also be placed in an area that is well-ventilated. Avoid placing them on loose structures or next to anything that vibrates. This will help reduce sound vibration. Consider your neighbors. Subwoofer frequencies can easily carry through walls and disturb those who live next to you as well as above or below you. Avoid placing them next to walls or floors that you share with your neighbors.

Front speakers should be placed the same distance from either side of the TV (e. g. , three feet on each side). The front left and right speakers can be as wide as you want.

You should be able to “draw” a symmetrical triangle between the two speakers and the center of the seating area. If you can raise your front speakers to ear level, you will notice a marked difference in sound quality.

Angle the center channel up or down so that it points at the audience. Do not place the center channel behind the TV, or you will not be able to hear it. Most 2. 1 stereo systems will not have a center speaker.

The back channel speakers should be the same height as the surround speakers. [2] X Research source If you have a 2. 1 system, you will not have rear speakers.

The surround channel speakers are what give the effect of sound happening around the viewer. They do not transmit as much sound as the front speakers, but they enhance the action on the TV by enveloping the viewer.

Speakers can be placed on a speaker stand, on a shelf, or mounted to the wall. Tall speakers can be placed on the floor.

Your receiver may also need plenty of room to vent heat, so don’t lock it in a cabinet.

If you can, run the wires under the carpet or through the wall. Make sure to leave some slack at each end to keep the wires from becoming stressed. Some newer surround sound systems use a wireless receiver to connect the rear speakers. If this is the case, plug in the wireless receiver near the rear speakers and then connect the speakers to the wireless receiver. If you need your speaker wires to reach further, replace them with a longer wire instead of extending them to get the best sound quality. If your speaker wires are longer than 100 ft (30 m), use a thicker gauge to preserve the quality of the sound.

AV — If your speakers connect using an AV cable. Plug the cable from each speaker into the appropriately labeled input. The different speakers will usually have color-coded wires and inputs. For some surround sound systems, the rear speaker inputs may be located on the subwoofer or a wireless receiver. Spring Clips — If your receiver has spring clips, you will need to connect two wires for each speaker. Insert the red wire into the red clip and the black wire into the black clip. Press down on the clip and insert the bare wire into the opening. Then release the clip. If there is no bare wire exposed, you will need to strip the ends of the wire with wire strippers. If the wires are clear, plug the wire with writing into the red terminal, and the wire without writing into the black terminal. Make sure you connect the wire to the correct color-coded terminal on both the receiver and speaker. Binding Posts — Binding posts can accept bare speaker wire or banana plugs. To insert bare speaker wire, turn the binding posts to loosen them. Insert the bare wire into the opening at the bottom and then turn the binding posts to tighten it. Turn it tight, but not too tight. Alternatively, you connect banana plugs to the speaker wire and insert the plugs into the hole on top of the input. Be sure to connect the red wire to the red terminal and the black wire to the black terminal. If the wires are not color-coded, connect the wire with writing on it to the red terminal and the wire without writing to the black terminal. [3] X Research source

The subwoofer port on the receiver is typically labeled “sub out” or “sub pre-out”. If your subwoofer has multiple inputs, connect to the one labeled “LFE in” or the far left input if there is no label.

Most receivers have an “HDMI IN” and “HDMI OUT” series of ports (e. g. , “IN 1”, “OUT 1”, etc. ). For example, a device that is plugged into “HDMI IN 1” would have a separate HDMI cable plugged into the “HDMI OUT 1” port on the receiver. This cable would plug into an HDMI IN port on the TV. The same philosophy applies to older items that use AV cables or composite cables (the red, yellow, green, blue, and white sets of cables).

You can use older connectors (e. g. , AV cables), but they will result in much lower quality. Most modern TVs support HDMI. If your TV has an ARC or eARC HDMI output, use this to connect to your receiver. This will allow you to control your receiver volume using your TV remote.

There are many YouTube videos you can use to test your surround sound system. Just search “Surround Sound Test” in the YouTube app. If you have devices, such as game consoles connected to your TV, set your TV’s Audio Out mode to “PCM. " This allows the audio to pass through the TV without being altered or changed to a different format. Most newer surround sound systems have an automatic setup process that involves placing a connected microphone in the middle of the viewing area and allowing the speakers to read the ambient sound levels. If not, many receivers have an option in the Settings menu that allows you to set the exact distance each speaker is from the viewer. If your surround sound doesn’t feel correct to you, try adjusting your TV’s settings and the items to which the surround sound is connected before physically adjusting the speakers. You can also try adjusting the volume levels for each speaker. If the rear speakers sound too loud, try turning them down. If you want the center speaker to be a little louder, you can turn it up. If you experience any audio delay, there are ways you can troubleshoot this problem.