Three Ways to Get the Best Performance from Your Surround Sound System

You might think that great surround sound is easy. Just buy the system, set it up, and presto, incredible surround sound. Admittedly, there are some soundbars and system-in-a-box solutions that will give you decent surround sound from movies and shows. On the other hand, you’re not likely to get that visceral, blown away feeling from any of them. 

For truly stellar, immersive, “OMG, that's so incredible!” sound like you’ve only experienced at the best movie theaters, you need a real, full surround sound system with separate components and speakers. Even then, you still won't be blown away unless it's properly set up. Keep reading to learn more about three areas that merit special attention when setting up a surround sound system. 

SEE ALSO: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Upgrade Your Surround Sound System

Speaker Placement

Speaker placement and positioning are critical in any audio system. Even in stereo-only installations, many speakers are picky about placement. Some require a reasonable clearance from the wall to produce tight bass that doesn't boom or sound muddy. Many require toe-in, which is pointing the front left and right speakers into the "sweet spot" in the listening area. By the way, with freestanding speakers, these rules may apply in a multichannel surround setup too. 

What about surround and height speakers? Speaker placement is critical there too. In a full surround setup for Dolby Atmos, you'll have side surround and rear surround speakers. The best option for height speakers to get those 3D-like overhead effects are speakers built into the ceiling. Ceiling height also matters; a high ceiling over 10 feet will diminish those effects somewhat. Your speaker placement is very dependent on your seating arrangement. In fact, as professional home theater designers, we start with seating and build a theater around those requirements! If you go with built-in speakers for part or all of your theater, placement, height, and even wall thickness will affect your sound. 

Subwoofer Setup

Bass is a critical part of getting all the impact from today's movie soundtracks. Whether it's the impact of low-frequency effects from explosions and action or a powerful musical score, bass adds richness to it all. Subwoofer placement is one of the trickier parts of getting bass right in your theater. Multiple subwoofers are better, and you may also need acoustic treatment to make the most of bass in every seat. While there are recommended positionings for different sizes and shapes of rooms, some experimentation and listening may be necessary to get it right. 

System Calibration

Setting correct speaker levels and equalization is another key part of dialing in surround sound. While automated calibration methods exist within good multichannel receivers and processors, it is a rare day when they don't need manual adjustments to get the right sound at all the seating positions. Professional theater designers use software, sound level meters, and good quality microphones to correct the audio calibration. And even the best calibration can't overcome the physics of room layouts, so further sound refinement may necessitate acoustic treatment applications. 

While you can set up a surround sound system yourself, we recommend hiring a professional for the best results. If you’re looking to add, upgrade, or start over with a surround sound system, we’d love to help. Reach out to us here or click the chat below to connect with us to get started on your path to immersive sound!