Place the surround sound speakers for home theater 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1

Whether you are talking about computer audio speakers or home theater speakers to watch movies on TV or listen to music, to have optimal sound it is crucial to position the speakers correctly, otherwise we will not be able to fully enjoy the quality of the various satellites and subwoofer just purchased.
It is useless to buy a 5.1 or 7.1 surround system if the speakers are not or cannot be positioned well and the sound is not perfectly uniform and optimized for movies or music.
After some research we can here make a nice summary with the instructions on how to put the speakers of any type of surround sound system, to have perfect sound from the TV, computer or stereo.
READ ALSO: Best Home Theater: guide to buy the audio system
1) Types of plant
First of all you need to understand what Stereo, Surround means and what is meant by audio channels .
When listening to music from an iPod with headphones or when watching television without attaching any external equipment or even when listening to the radio, the audio is stereo.
Stereo audio is simply what comes out of two audio channels, that is, to be put on the right side and one on the left side.
This simple two-channel configuration is referred to as a 2.0 system (or 2 channels without a subwoofer).
Adding a subwoofer that transmits low frequency audio (bass) results in a 2.1 system .
Unlike simple 2-channel systems, where sound is generated by the main device (e.g. TV or iPad), multi-channel surround sound systems generally require a separate component that acts as a receiver or amplifier, which distributes the signals. source audio (like the Blu-ray player or the decoder) to the various speakers which can be 5 or 7 or even more.
The vast majority of receivers currently support 5.1 and 7.1 surround-sound channels (with the .1 always indicating the subwoofer).
Having more would not be of much use because only a few Blu-ray films are the ones that can broadcast audio across multiple channels.
Below, without going into technicalities but going very practical, let's see how to position the speakers with 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 implants.
2) Positioning the audio speakers 2.1
If in a two-speaker system all the sound effects, music and dialogues from the speakers will be transmitted to you from the front and it is obvious to say that one must be on the listener's right and the other on his left.
The two speakers should ideally be positioned approximately 3-4 meters from the center of the screen.
The height should be more or less equivalent to that of the listener's ears, therefore 3.5 or 4 meters above the ground (otherwise it will seem that the voices come from above or below).
The angle of the speakers should then be inwards and towards the listener, with an ideal angle between 22/30 degrees, creating a perfect listening cone towards the center (for example the central seat in the sofa).
It remains to be seen where to put the subwoofer.
The low frequency sound generated by the subwoofer is omnidirectional so there are not many rules and you can put it wherever you want, maybe so that it is easy to connect.
The only precaution to observe is not to place the subwoofer in a corner or inside a piece of furniture, because near the walls and in half-closed spaces the audio, which should be omnidirectional, would find an impediment to its diffusion with the consequence of a louder, booming sound.
If such positioning cannot be avoided, the bass volume should then be lowered to compensate.
3) Setting up a 5.1 surround sound system
5.1-channel audio is the most popular and the minimum required to create an enveloping surround sound.
The 5.1-channel configuration starts from the layout explained for the 2.1 speakers, with the addition of a center channel and a surround left and right audio channel.
Therefore the same applies as for the positioning of the subwoofer and the front left and right channels.
The central speaker of a 5.1 system plays a very important role because it is the one from which the audio of the dialogues of the film is heard, so as to perceive that the speaker's voice comes directly from the actor on the screen.
The central channel must be positioned as close as possible to the TV or monitor, above or below the screen, centered and without inclination, possibly at the same height as the listener's ear.
If it is not possible to position the speaker at the ideal height, you can tilt it up or down to direct the sound towards the listener's head.
The other two surround left and right channels, as well as the center channel, lighten the work of the left and right speakers of setup 2.1.
The surround sound channels transmit ambient and background sounds, for example, in a concert, the audience's applause can be heard from these speakers creating the auditory illusion of being in the front row.
The position of the surround speakers is lateral to the listening position, left and right, or slightly behind, inclined 90-110 degrees from the listening position, standing practically next to each of the ears and slightly above the spectator's head.
If the ideal configuration cannot be respected, keep in mind that it is better to keep the surround channels farther back and higher rather than forward and down (it becomes confusing to have background noises as if they came from the front, instead of from the sides and from behind).
4) Position the seven speakers of the 7.1 home theater system
If you like to watch movies on DVD or blu-ray discs in HD quality then it is worth buying a 7.1 surround system which is true home theater, with two additional surround sound channels for an even more immersive and realistic experience from the auditory point of view .
The two extra speakers that are obtained with 7.1 must be positioned behind the spectator, oriented towards them at about 135-150 degrees, just above the level of the head.
5) Additional tricks
- The pairs of speakers that go left and right must always be positioned at the same distance from the center, in a balanced way, without keeping them one further away and one closer.
- Use the automatic calibration function to test the sound.
This is always available in the computer's audio management program or even in home theater systems should there be in the settings.
In some more advanced systems you can find included a small microphone that must be positioned in place of the listener so that the system adjusts the sound in an optimized and automatic way.
- Adjust the volume of the central channel so that you can hear the dialogue clearly, perhaps lowering the overall volume, so as not to jump from the chair in case of explosions or loud noises.
Finally, those who want to test the surround sound system, you can use the free files available on the demo world site, with trailers for some films.
6) Buying guide
After seeing how to position the various types of implant, let's see together the best models that can be purchased online, so as to save money.
- Trust Tytan Set (81 €): 2.1 speakers with subwoofer, digital input, 60 W RMS power and remote control to manage volume, bass, audio input and power.
- Samsung HT-J4200 (179 €): 2.1 speakers with subwoofer, total output power (RMS) 250 Watt, audio output: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS Digital Surround, DTS 96/24, DTS- HD Master Audio, USB, HDMI output, digital audio input (optical), Ethernet (LAN)
- LG LHB625 (€ 220): 3D Blu-ray 3D Home Cinema System with 5.1 channels of 1000W RMS, Smart TV and Bluetooth functionality, compatible with LG Multiroom (automatic sound adjustment via pointer).
- Yamaha YHT-1840 (€ 297): 5.1 Home Cinema Kit with 100 W x 5 channel receiver, HDMI 4 inputs, 1 output with HDR video and BT.2020 pass-Through, 4K video upscaling, Virtual cinema front, speakers consisting of NS-B40 Surround Speakers / NS-C40 Center Speaker / NS-SWP40 Passive Subwoofer.
- Sony BDV-N7200W (583 €): 5.1 system with output power (RMS): 1200 W, supported file systems: FAT32, NTFS, radio tuner bands: AM, FM, integrated audio format: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby TrueHD, DSD, DTS, DTS 96/24, DTS-ES, DTS-ES (Discrete 6.1), DTS-HD HR and 3D compatibility.
- Sony BDV-N9200W (853 €): Home Theater System with high resolution audio and advanced functions for optimized movies and music. 5.1-channel audio and 1200 W total output power, Magnetic Fluid Speaker floor standing system and wireless amplifier.
READ ALSO: Configure your computer speakers for surround sound

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