A Guide to Home Theatre System Installation

Have you ever wondered how easier life would be if all rooms were designed keeping surround sound in mind? Now since this is something that is practically not possible, you can abide by some good rules and best practices to ensure that you make the most out of your surround sound system. While installing a Home Theatre System in your house make sure that you are placing the speakers in locations that enable individuals sitting in any corner of the house to experience the best sound. Here is a guide to the different speakers in a home theatre system and where they should be placed.

Center channel speaker: The center channel speaker should either be placed above or below the display. Most of the sound is delivered through the center speaker so it is extremely important that you install this speaker at the right place. It is recommended to position the speaker as close to the display as possible while ensuring that they are angled towards your ears.

Front left and right speakers: These speakers offer off-screen effects besides carrying stereo soundtrack information and the background environments. If you place them too close, they will create a small sound stage making you lose out on separation between all the three front speakers. Too much of gap between the speakers will also create a gap in the sound stage between the speakers. Another thing to consider is that these speakers should be as close to the ear level as possible and avoid placing them in the corners of the room.

Surround speakers: The biggest mistake you can do with surround speakers is placing them behind you. These should be placed directly to your left and right, anywhere between a few inches to around two feet above the ear level.

Surround back speakers: In some cases, adding two more speakers (called the surround back or rear speakers) can be beneficial. Such speakers are particularly beneficial when there are many rows of seating. However, before you buy a 7.1 speaker system it is important that you have a careful look at your budget and your room because the placement of these speakers can depend largely on the size of the room and the seating arrangement.

Subwoofers: A subwoofer that is inappropriately placed can ruin your home theatre system. However, there is no ideal place for the subwoofer. You might have to place it in different places in the room before you decide on one place.