How to Set Up Surround Sound Speakers

With a surround sound speaker setup, you’ll feel more immersed in music, audio, and action. There are several different ways you can set up a surround sound system in your home. This article highlights some of the best ways to create an immersive home theater experience.

A surround sound system uses multiple speakers in a room to create natural sound. The speakers are placed in a pattern so that the sound “surrounds” the listener. When the listener is watching a movie, they will hear the audio as if they are fully immersed in it.

For example, you’ll be able to hear footsteps walking up behind you or hear a voice calling off to the side. In contrast, with a regular stereo system, you’ll only hear the sounds coming from directly in front of you. Surround sound systems offer better quality sound and make movies, TV shows, and music feel more cinematic.

There are several different ways to set up a surround sound system depending on the number of speakers. We’ve created a quick guide to help you set up your system. All of the setups in this guide use one subwoofer located at the front of the room on the right or left side of the TV screen.

Here are the five best ways to create a home theater with two, three, five, seven, or nine speakers.

When setting up your system, it’s important to pay attention to the angles of the speakers. Starting with a two-speaker setup is an easy way to become familiar with the concepts of surround sound.

For this setup, you’ll need two speakers — one on the right side of the screen and the other on the left side. Instead of having the speakers face directly forward, position them at a 22-30-degree angle, so they point directly at the center of the sitting area. If possible, you should also elevate the speakers to be a few feet off the ground and a few feet from the wall.

For a three-speaker setup, you’ll build on the two-speaker setup by adding a central speaker. You should place the central speaker in the center of the TV (usually just below the TV), so the speaker sits directly in front of the sitting area.

The central speaker adds more depth to the sound and helps add subtle notes to dialogue. It also makes the music sound crisper.

Again, this next setup will build on the two-speaker and three-speaker setup. You’ll need to add two more speakers behind the sitting area on the right and left sides. Position the speakers at a 110-120-degree angle so that if you draw lines from all of your speakers, they will all meet in the center of the listening area.

Like the first two speakers, this works best if the speakers are slightly elevated (around ear height when sitting) and pull away from the wall.

The seven-speaker setup adds another two speakers to either side of the sitting area, so they face inward, directly pointing at the listener. The seven-speaker setup means that you’re entirely surrounded by speakers and isn’t practical for a living room setup. Instead, you should only use the seven-speaker setup if you have a space dedicated as a home theater.

Like the seven-speaker setup, the nine-speaker system will overwhelm any area that isn’t specifically designed as a home theater. You’ll need to add another two speakers halfway between the sitting area and the TV screen, facing the listening area at a 70-50-degree angle.

This setup will give you the best sound complexity; however, it’s an unrealistic setup for smaller rooms.

When you invest in a home theater setup, you won’t want to pay for repairs out of pocket if a speaker breaks down. Instead, by pairing your speakers with an Upsie speaker extended warranty, you can have comprehensive coverage with no deductibles.

Upsie’s speaker extended warranties also cost up to 70% less than in-store warranties. In addition, Upsie offers warranties for TVs and covers screen burn-in, dead pixels, and power supply issues.

Customers can make unlimited claims up to the device’s purchase price and contact claims representatives 24/7/365 to get the fastest repairs possible. Plus, if repairs don’t make sense on the first claim, Upsie will replace the device for you.

For the best warranty coverage for your home theater system, choose Upsie today.

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