Installing a surround sound system
Installing a home surround sound
system is not as difficult as it might first seem. The
most difficult part is deciding how to best run your speaker
wires from the back of your surround sound system to all your
surround speakers, especially those that will be placed to the
back of the room.
The first thing you will want to
do is un-box all of your components from their packaging
material. Be sure to save it all AT LEAST until you are
sure that everything is connected and works properly. It
is also a great idea to keep all your packing material for when
you decide to move or if you ever need your equipment serviced.
Setting up a surround sound system
Will your
component(s) be placed in an entertainment center or TV
stand? You will need easy access to the back of both your
equipment and your audio/video furniture. Be sure to
install speaker cable and component video cables that are long
enough to allow you to easily pull out your equipment with
enough slack to avoid having to remove them from the back.
Your center channel
speaker goes on top of or directly below your television.
(Most of the dialog on movie soundtracks comes from the center
speaker.) Your left and right speakers should be placed to
the left and right of your screen. (You might need to
invest in speaker stands or wall mounting brackets.) The
subwoofer usually sounds best near a corner on the floor.
Your rear surround speakers usually sound best to the left and
right sides of your seating area, preferably above ear level,
just like in your local movie theater.
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Because not every
room is the same, we highly recommend that you do some listening
to a few of your favorite movies BEFORE deciding where to
permanently locate all your speakers, especially if you will be
mounting some of them on your wall.
Don't forget to
invest in a surge protector power center with enough outlets to
plug in the A/C power on your surround sound receiver,
subwoofer, DVD player, television, and any other component that
will be in your home theater system.
What size speaker wire is
best for
wiring a surround sound system?
Let's start by
saying that almost ANY speaker wire is better quality than the
wire that the manufacturer included in the box. We
recommend 16 gauge speaker wire from Monster Cable for most
applications. In certain situations, flat speaker wire
will help you hide wires and avoid bulkiness. If your subwoofer is self-powered (it has
it's own AC power cord), don't forget to buy a good quality
subwoofer cable long enough to allow you to locate it where you
want to put it.
Once you've got your
speakers connected and your component video cables run from the
back of your DVD player/receiver to your television, power up
your system and run the test tone on your surround receiver to
properly balance the speaker volume levels.
Now is probably a
good time to have your spouse or kids begin popping the
popcorn.....
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