Optimizing Audio in Your Home Theater: A Deep Dive into Surround Sound Systems

Movie theaters have been struggling for years. Part of this is due to the fact that people simply don’t go out quite as much as they used to, but it’s also largely due to the fact that our home theater systems have become so impressive that the at home experience can now rival that of the local theater. 

Our televisions have gotten larger and crisper over the years, but the sound quality on those televisions hasn’t kept up the same way. That’s why a solid home theater audio setup is so crucial to achieving a true theater experience.

Sound Bars vs Surround Sound

The most common way people handle the sound on their TVs these days is with the use of a sound bar. They are incredibly simple to set up and provide substantially better sound than the built-in speakers, but can have some shortcomings when it comes to high end home theater audio.

Sound bars simulate the surround sound experience, but that dialed-in sound isn’t necessarily replicated throughout the entire room. We end up with sweet spots when working with sound bars, which leaves a lot to be desired for anyone sitting outside that zone. Even within the sweet spot, sound bars don’t always provide a full surround experience.

Properly calibrated surround sound setups, on the other hand, provide a full range of quality surround sound to the entire room. This is especially helpful in larger spaces, where sounds can mix or break down. They also offer more bass than most sound bars, however, newer sound bar models often include a subwoofer to bring up the low end. With all they offer, setup is substantially more involved, and may require some help for those of us who aren’t technically inclined.

At the end of the day, a surround sound home theater audio setup provides an experience that much more closely resembles the ones found in our local theaters. They are an excellent choice for audiophiles and people who like to completely immerse themselves in theatrical sound. 

Home Theater Audio: Stereo vs Surround

Starting in the late 1950s, stereo became the gold standard for sound over the few decades that followed. Prior to that everything was recorded in mono, meaning each speaker played the exact same thing. Stereo signaled the start of utilizing independent audio channels to create three dimensional audio perspectives.

With stereo sound, each of two loudspeakers reproduces a separate audio channel, allowing sound systems to produce multi directional sound that more closely resembles the way we hear sounds in nature.

A surround sound setup utilizes the same type of multi channel audio as stereo, but expands upon it for a completely immersive experience. In order to get the most out of your setup, the speakers must be carefully placed.

Speaker Placement Guide

Correct speaker placement is the first step in getting great sound out of your home theater. Each surround sound speaker is tied to a specific channel, and correct placement will ensure sound is reproduced successfully. As they are two of the most common types of surround sound, we’ll look at setting up 5.1 vs 7.1 surround sound.

5.1 Surround Sound Setup

In a 5.1 channel setup, the number 5 represents the number of loudspeakers, and the .1 represents a single subwoofer. This is the most common surround sound format.

If you’re setting up a 5.1 surround system, you’ll need a single center channel, two front loudspeakers (one right and one left), two rear speakers (also one right and one left), and a subwoofer.

Center Channel

The center channel is used for dialogue, and is typically situated directly below the screen. For greatest dialogue intelligibility, it is often placed slightly below head level, and angled upward just a little bit. 

Front Speakers

The music and sound effects come out of your front speakers. For this reason, many people utilize larger speakers for the front channels than those in the back. Your front left and right channels should be placed at or near head level and spaced far enough apart that they fill the room with big sound. 

Rear Speakers

Rear speakers are used to create the surround sounds in a home theater audio setup. This is where the fully immersive experience really comes into play. These speakers should be set at approximately head height or slightly higher and spread at the same distance as the front speakers.

Subwoofer

Subwoofer placement is a little more tricky than the other types of speakers, as the size and shape of your home theater will influence how faithfully bass tones are reproduced. Subwoofers placed near walls or corners often provide the biggest punch, so those locations are a good place to begin. 

Some people like placing their subwoofer for home theater very near seating, which allows the bass to rumble through the seats for a true theater experience. Beyond these common locations, it may be helpful to try out a few different locations and see which one sounds best.

7.1 Surround Sound Setup

If you’re looking for the ultimate home theater audio experience, adding two more speakers to your surround sound setup may be a good move. This setup splits each of the two rear channels into two distinct channels, allowing for greater sound immersion. It’s not available on all source material, but if it is, this audio setup will completely surround you with multidirectional sound.

The 7.1 surround sound setup follows the same speaker placement as a 5.1 channel setup, but has two additional speakers placed on both sides of the room. These additional side speakers should also be at or slightly above head level, and pointed toward the viewing or listening area.

Room Acoustics for Home Theaters

Even with top of the line speakers, we aren’t guaranteed perfect home theater audio. Once sound waves leave the loudspeakers, those waves begin to interact with their environment. If your room acoustics aren’t up to snuff, the great sound produced by top shelf surround sound systems can sour.

Since most home theaters are placed in squared off rooms with parallel walls, you’ll need to introduce sound absorption and diffusion into the mix to prevent audio issues like echo and reverberation. Here’s how to set them up.

Absorption

Absorbing some of the reflections produced by your home theater audio system will go a long way toward eliminating acoustical issues that take away from the overall experience. Most often, we use acoustical panels for this purpose. A whole room setup will provide the best results, but you can get great results from just a few well-placed panels.

Behind Front Left and Right Loudspeakers

One panel location that delivers big benefits is directly behind your front right and left channels. Not only will this prevent immediate reflections from ruining your sound, but it also helps eliminate vibrations that could add unwanted artifacts. This works best in small rooms where speakers must be placed right up against the wall due to space restrictions.

Depending upon your setup, you may get bigger benefits from utilizing diffusers behind your front speakers, but more on that later.

Back Wall

Placing a few acoustic panels along the rear wall, behind your seating, will also help eliminate acoustical issues. If your rear surround speakers are set off from the wall slightly, you can also place one panel behind each to help deliver the subtle sounds you want out of these speakers. 

Corners

You can also get some solid benefits from mounting acoustic panels near the corners, where sound waves, particularly bass waves, are prone to buildup. This will help keep the volume under control and improve sound slightly. If you want the biggest benefit, bass traps in the corners provide absorption that’s specifically designed to tackle tough bass waves.

Diffusion

Another way to enhance the sound of your home theater audio is to mount some sound diffusers. Diffusers operate under a different principle than absorbers, but are no less important in creating great sound.

Diffusers serve the function of redirecting sound reflections. They accomplish this through curved or staggered surfaces that prevent reflections from moving directly across the room and bouncing back off of opposite walls. This diffusion helps retain a natural, vibrant sound in the room, but also helps to prevent acoustical issues that might otherwise negatively affect the big sound we’re after. Diffusers are essential tools that help us optimize home theater setups.

First Reflection Points

An ideal location for curve diffusers is at your first reflection points. You can identify these locations by sitting in your normal viewing position, having a friend hold a mirror at eye level along the side wall, and move it until you see the speaker that corresponds to that side in the reflection. So if the mirror is on the right wall, you should see the right speaker in the reflection, and on the left side, you should see the left speaker. 

Behind Front Speakers

Depending upon the type of front speakers you use, diffusers may be a better choice. Make sure your speakers are placed at a sufficient distance to allow the diffusers to provide maximum benefit, however. If speakers are placed too close to the diffusers, you may not get the results you’re after. When in doubt, play around with the layout until it sounds fantastic.

Back Wall

Utilizing diffusers on your back wall can also deliver great results. They prevent the sound waves traveling across the room from bouncing back and forth, creating acoustical issues in your listening areas. Redirecting sound reflections at first reflection points and the back wall helps keep your home theater audio crisp and clear.

Setting up your Theater

As we’ve examined throughout this article, choosing a surround sound system is only half the battle. Beyond that, proper placement of your speakers and the introduction of acoustical materials are necessary to get the biggest bang for your buck. With this kind of investment, it’s always helpful to consult with someone who knows the ins and outs.

Our audio professionals have decades of combined experience in all things audio, and we carry everything you need to set up your home theater audio setup in a way that’s sure to blow your next movie night out of the water and impress your friends and family. Whether you’re just learning the surround sound basics, you need Dolby Atmos explained, or you need help with surround sound troubleshooting, we’ve got the knowledge to get you where you want to be.