Installing a surround sound system in your living room can drastically improve your overall television viewing experience. The built-in speakers that come with televisions are no match for the realistic bass and crisp audio of a speaker system – you’ll wonder how you ever watched movies without it!
While selecting a surround sound system, deciding between a 5.1 or 7.1 configuration can be difficult. It’s essential to understand precisely what these numbers mean. For example, 5.1 systems contain five speakers plus one subwoofer, and 7.1 configurations have seven plus one subwoofers. Once you decide which is more suitable for your needs, you can concentrate on how exactly you will install the same in your living room.
What Is Surround Sound?
A surround sound system has at least three speakers, these are placed around you in such a way that it creates a sense of immersive experience with traditional audio systems. It also enhances your visual entertainment experiences with robust surround sound systems.
It provides a more realistic emulation than traditional 2-channel stereo systems, allowing for the possibility of greater realism when it comes to spatial sound reproduction. The most popular surround sound system configurations are 5.1, 7.1, and 9.1. They have their own range of audio capabilities and effects. With a surround sound system, you’ll elevate your listening experience!
How To Setup Surround Sound System
2.1 Surround Sound System
This unique three-speaker system combines two main speakers, left and right side, and an added bass punch from a subwoofer placed at the front of the room. It helps bring true bass, all the low-pitched audio frequencies including the bass, sub-bass, and other related audio. With the addition of a subwoofer, you can feel the power of intense dialogue and powerful orchestral movements to life. In addition to creating an immersive experience in your home theater, it can also help you reduce ear fatigue.
3.1 Surround Sound
This setup is one step ahead of the 2.1 surround sound system. It uses three audio channels–one center and two side channels, and one subwoofer, allowing you to experience a high level of immersion in their media.
Adding a center speaker can give an additional dimension to the audio, particularly regarding dialogue. Placing the center channel speaker directly in front of you will help maximize thi added component’s clarity and depth.
5.1 Surround Sound
If you proceed to the next step, you will find a six-speaker setup, sometimes also known as a home theater setup in general. This setup stands out from other speaker systems because it combines a front setup, rear setup, and subwoofer, which offers an immersive listening experience.
The two front speakers are used for most of the action, center speaker helps in providing clarity and shaping the overall direction of sound in the room. It also handles vocals and dialogue, so you don’t have to struggle to hear during movies or shows with heavy accents.
The subwoofer adds plenty of low-end power and definition when needed while also anchoring the entire system with its thumping bass capabilities. And finally, two rear speakers reproduce the sound that helps set the scene and provide a complete audio experience.
7.1 Surround Sound
Another setup for any dedicated home theater is the 7.1 surround sound system. It provides five full-range front speakers for full bandwidth and two additional full-range rear speakers for a low-frequency realistic, immersive listening experience.
7.1 has got a mixture of all the above systems. The left, right, and center provide the traditional setup helping you understand basic audio. The two front channels deliver deep tones to complete an aural landscape, and the center channel helps to keep voices. On the other hand, the rear speaker system sets up the scene. The additional two speakers are set on the sides of the listeners so that the listener is able to enjoy the additional depth in the overall surround sound system. Incorporating two subwoofers enhances the bass response to accurately reproduce musical nuances and special effects from films with crystal clarity.
9.1 Surround Sound
Unlike other speaker setups limited to five or seven channels, this configuration has two extra wide speakers for optimal sound distribution. So in totality, a 9.1 surround system has nine speakers and a single subwoofer. You could feel close to being inside the theater with a 9.1 surround setup when playing a movie or listening to songs.
It also features two speakers that are placed on the front side and have a little height in their placement. The optimal height for a better sound experience is generally 3 feet above the sitting position.
If you are interested in this type of setup, you should take help from a professional consultant or professional who could help you set up the whole system for you, especially in the case of the 9.1 surround system.
Components Of A Surround Sound System
Central Channel Speaker
The main usage of the central speaker is to assist you in listening to crisp dialogue that can be easily understood. When it comes to the position of a central speaker, in most cases, it should be placed above the screen and in the center of the left and right speaker setup.
It will provide the individual with an authentic listening experience and thus capturing the heart of the overall sound experience. Its usage is pretty beneficial when there are multiple listeners so that they do not have to strain their hearing and can pick up all of the dialogue details, they can sit back and enjoy peace of mind.
Left And Right Speakers
Adding these two speakers – a left and a right side to the central one will create a stereo sound setup. This could be helpful to your ears in capturing the overall audio when it comes to songs or dialogues.
Having separate speakers for each side allows you to appreciate those nuances of sound fully. Additionally, depending on the scene or the type of media being played, the sound may only come from the right or left speaker to clarify what’s happening in real-time.
Rear Speaker
These are a set of speakers that are placed at your backside when you are facing the screen.
For small and medium-sized spaces, using a set of rear speakers could offer a great immersive experience in terms of sound effects and depth while watching a movie or when you are playing a song.
They are also used in larger areas, strategically arranged at the side or back of the room to increase the cinematic experience further. Due to their small size, rear speakers are easy to install yet provide tremendous amplification power, which makes them ideal for modern audio setups. Investing in a pair is necessary to get the most out of your audio system.
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is the part of the surround sound system that delivers bass, and other lower frequency sounds from 20Hz to 200Hz. A subwoofer is an absolute must-have when setting up a surround sound system because there are times when a regular speaker cannot produce low-frequency audio, and other audio sources usually miss the same as well, As a result, if you are someone who loves bass then you should actually use more than one subwoofer.
This will make you recognize the powerful thumps from hip-hop and EDM that wouldn’t have been possible without a subwoofer.
Things You Should Know
- Before you go ahead and purchase a surround sound system for yourself, you must know your setup options to get the best possible experience.
- Surround sound systems commonly come with a 2-speaker (2.1) setup, a 5-speaker (5.1) setup, or a 7-speaker (7.1) setup. Additionally, they can be connected using an audio receiver, soundbar, or surround sound Bluray/DVD player.
- Once you’ve chosen your setup option, disguise cords by running them underneath carpets or through walls if possible.
- You can also consider a surround sound system setup that uses a wireless Bluetooth receiver to connect the rear speakers for a clutter-free listening experience.
Conclusion
Watching movies or playing video games with surround sound can give you an immersive experience that has a decent depth of sound. You can feel the beat of the music, which comes from all directions. The faintest sounds become sharper and more precise, while movie explosions make you feel like they are happening right in your living room! All these things make a surround sound system worth investing in.
