How to Setup a Room for Surround Sound
More and more households today are investing in home theater systems, as the quality and prices of the necessary components have made them increasingly attractive to consumers. One of the features of a good home theater is the ability to have multichannel surround-sound audio. Before you set up the various pieces, take time to determine how and where to best place them to maximize the potential of the surround-sound experience.
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Instructions
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Choose a centralized location to place your TV and other audio/video components. The best spot is one that is close to the cable and electrical outlets, and will provide the best viewing angle for the majority of the room.
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Connect the cable/satellite receiver and DVD player to the TV using HDMI or component video cables. Connect those components to the surround-sound receiver using HDMI, coaxial or digital optical (TOSLINK) cables.
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3
Decide where you want to position the various speakers that make up the surround-sound system. Ideally, the center one should be on top of or below the TV, whichever is closer to ear level while seated. The two main speakers should be equal distance from the TV and from the main viewing area, at the same height, roughly 6 feet apart. The surround speakers should be parallel to or slightly behind the viewing area, a bit above seating level, with the subwoofer on the floor.
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Place the speakers in your selected locations. Simply set them on tables or shelves, or attach small stands or mounts to the wall if you choose.
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Connect the speaker wires to the correct inputs on the back of the surround-sound receiver and run them to the individual speakers. Use ample length of wire to keep it from being stretched tight, in obvious view and creating an obstacle.
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Connect the wires to the speakers and turn the receiver on.
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Tips & Warnings
Leave enough space when arranging and connecting the components to provide proper ventilation and give you room to see and reach the inputs for the cables and cords.
Many receivers have a feature that sends sound to the speakers one at a time to test the speaker connections---run this quick test if yours offers it when setup is complete.
