HOW TO SET UP YOUR SPEAKERS FOR SURROUND SOUND

Enjoy the best sound from your home theater when you optimize your speakers’ positions. Our setup guide will get you started, with basic placement information, room considerations, and other tips.

Surround Sound Speaker configurations

Quality sound is hugely important for the cinema experience, and a surround sound system in your home theater can help you connect more deeply with the characters of your favorite shows and the best movies.

A good 5.1-channel system will give you a full surround sound experience. Most DVD and Blu-ray™ media, some Super Audio CDs (SACDs), broadcast TV, and many streaming sources are in 5.1-channel format.

Going to 7.1 channels improves the directionality of sound effects and helps you feel more of your entertainment. Some Blu-ray Disc™ and premium streaming sources feature 7.1. (They will sound fine on a 5.1 system, too.)

A 9.1-channel system adds front height speakers to take advantage of Dolby Pro Logic® IIz, which gets height information from the signal.

How to set up a Surround Sound system

To create an optimal sound system enabled with Dolby Atmos®, first familiarize yourself with the role and position of each speaker. Then choose a central seating point and angle your speakers at it, keeping them at your ear height when you are seated, unless noted otherwise. Here’s a visual guide:

5.1 Surround Sound System

7.1 Surround Sound System

9.1 Surround Sound System

Additionally:

Fine-tuning your speakers

No two rooms are alike. To experience your system at its best, you might need to fine-tune your setup after some initial listening. Here are a few tips.

A clear path

Create a clear path between you and your speakers. If you can’t see the speaker, the sound is being blocked.

Experimentation

Don’t be afraid to experiment with small adjustments and repositioning to boost sound quality.

Room acoustics

You can achieve a more balanced sound by minimizing bare walls and floors.