Amazing Home Theater Audio

Your home theater audio system should envelope you in sound. That doesn't mean making your eardrums hurt — though most systems can, if you like. Instead, you should feel as if the sound is coming from all around you. If your sound system isn’t giving you the ambiance you want, here's how to improve it.

How Surround Sound Works

Most surround sound systems use 6 speakers:

Left and right front speakers carry the majority of the soundtrack and create the traditional stereo effect.
Center speaker, usually placed directly above or below the television, carries the dialogue so the actors’ voices come from the screen.
Subwoofer carries bass tones and is usually beside the television.
Surround speakers — sometimes called "rear" speakers — are located to the side and behind the audience. They carry the soundtrack and create the "envelope" effect.

Speaker Setup

The placement of your speakers, more than anything else, make the surround sound experience effective. Here's what to do:

Seating area: Center your seating area in the middle of the surround sound speakers, directly facing the television. Pick a "sweet spot" — the center of the seating area is usually best — where you want the best quality sound in the room.
Central speaker: Center this speaker on top of your TV or just below it, aimed to ear height at the sweet spot of the seating area. If it is on top of the television, set it flush with the front edge to prevent sound from bouncing off the cabinets.
Left and right front speakers: Place them 25 to 30 degrees to the left and right of the television, at least 6 feet apart. Aim them to ear height at the sweet spot. For best sound, put them the same distance from the sweet spot as the central speaker.
Surround speakers: Place them 2 to 3 feet above sitting ear height, slightly behind and to the left and right sides of the sitting area. Each speaker should be the same distance from the seating area. Ideally, hang them on the wall. If this is not possible, use speaker stands of the appropriate height to get the full effect.
Subwoofer: Place the subwoofer on the floor beside the television or anywhere out of the way. Bass sound is non-directional so there are few other restrictions. The amount of bass you get varies with the placement of the subwoofer, so experiment. Moving the subwoofer as little as a few inches in any direction can change the quality of the sound. Put it against a wall to increase bass or in a corner to increase bass even more.

Acoustics

The sound you get from your home theater is only as good as the acoustics your room. If your room has a lot of hard surfaces, the sound bounces around, creating an echo. Here are some tips:

Install softer surfaces — carpeting, upholstered furniture, thick curtains or acoustic paneling — to improve the sound quality.
Ideally, put your home theater in its own room. If you have a large, multi-purpose room, you might be unable to place the speakers in the ideal location.
Too much furniture in a home theater reduces the sound quality. High frequency sounds are lost first, because they're more easily absorbed.
If possible, don’t set up your home theater in a room that's perfectly square or that's exactly twice as long as it is wide. These shapes create resonance that adversely affects the quality of the sound.

Tweaking

Because every room’s acoustics are different, every home theater audio system requires some tweaking.

First, go through your home theater’s audio controls. Use the speaker set-up menu to get the best possible sound, going through the whole menu. Set the same sound level for all speakers and use a time delay to make the sound from all the speakers reach your ears at the same time.

Next, try moving your speakers. Moving them a few inches in any direction can change the quality of the sound that you hear. Be sure to move both speakers in a pair of speakers — stereo speakers in front, or surround speakers in back — the same distance at the same time.

With a little experimentation, you should be able to optimize your sound system and get great sound from your home theater.