How to Mount Rear Surround Sound Speakers

Mounting surround-sound speakers can improve speaker quality.

Surround sound, or home theater, systems are designed to replicate the experience of watching a movie in a theater in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Most home theater systems use smaller rear speakers placed on a stand or mounted on the wall. Wall mounting provides greater control over the height of the speaker, which can substantially improve audio quality. Wall mounting is also more aesthetically pleasing to many people than using speaker stands.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wall-mountable rear speakers
• Drywall screws
• Manual or power screwdriver
• Tape measure
• Pen or marker
• Speaker wire
• Wire strippers or scissors
• Stud finder

1. Remove the plastic coverings from both ends of the speaker wire with wire strippers or scissors if the bare wire is not already exposed. To remove the plastic covering, place the speaker wire in the correctly sized slot of the wire strippers and pull gently, or lightly cut through the plastic with scissors.

2. Connect one end of the speaker wire to the speaker-wire terminals on the back of one of the rear speakers. Leave the other end of the speaker wire disconnected for now.

3. Measure the height from the ground to your ear when you are seated in the primary listening position of your home theater. Use a tape measure and make certain to keep the measure straight. Make note of this measurement; mounting your speakers at or near ear level will improve the audio quality of your home theater system.

4. Locate wall studs using a stud finder on the wall upon which you wish to mount the speakers. Locate a stud as close as possible to the ear-level measurement you recorded in step three. For maximum audio quality try to space your rear speakers in a pattern that mimics the spacing of your front speakers. Mark the desired mounting position on the wall with a pen or marker.

5. Screw one or more drywall screws into the marked spot on the wall. The number of screws you use will depend on the speaker mount you are using. Speakers with a built-in mount typically require only one screw per speaker. If you are using an external speaker mount that the speaker itself connects to, screw the speaker mount into the wall during this step.

6. Attach the rear speaker to the speaker mount or drywall screw. If the speaker has a built-in mount, simply slide the speaker over the screw as if you were hanging a painting. If you are using an external speaker mount, follow the included directions on how to attach your speaker to the mount.

7. Connect the other end of the speaker wire to your receiver or power source. Ensure that the positive and negative terminal connections are consistent between the speakers and the power source.

8. Repeat steps one through seven for the other surround sound speaker.

References

• Crutchfield: Speaker Placement for Home Theater
• Do It Yourself: How to Mount Surround Sound Speakers in your Entertainment Room