The Art of Positioning Speakers for Your Home Sound System

Positioning your own sound system requires a great deal of knowledge, patience, and a willingness to try something new. Though you may think you can throw your new sound system in any location in the room, there is more to think about than you may realize. If you're going to invest in a sound system, make sure you can invest your time into the proper positioning as well. If you don't follow speaker positioning best practices, you may find that even the best speakers don't sound as good as they could. However, all you need is a little professional help. Here's what you need to know about the art of positing speakers in your home.

This system is the easiest of the three systems as it only has 2 channels you need to worry about. For optimal results, place the speakers across from each other, but angled towards the listener. The listener and two speakers should ultimately result in a unilateral triangle. As you position the speakers, make sure they are at ear-level height and are at least 2 inches from the wall to allow for direct sound instead of reflective sound. 

5.1 Speaker Placement 

With the 5.1 system having 6 channels, a lot more strategy comes into play. The center speaker is one of the most important speakers to place as it is where most of the dialogue comes from. This center speaker is usually placed above or below the tv and directly towards the listener. Next come the front left and right speakers, which are positioned in the same fashion as mentioned above. The surround speakers should be placed angled towards you (the same as the front speakers) but should be behind you to create the surround sound effect. Lastly, the subwoofer is special because it doesn't have to follow the same rules as the other speakers. It can go virtually anywhere, though the corners of a room should be avoided.

7.1 Speaker Placement

With this 8-channel system, all of the same speakers and rules apply the same way as they do for the 5.1 sound system. However, this system has two additional channels – a speaker that goes to the left and right of the listener. If the listener resides on the couch, these two speakers should be on either end of the couch, angled directly towards the listener.

What's next?

Though we can give you all the tips in the world, it ultimately depends on what sounds good to you. We know that you want to get the most out of your sound system, but if you just can't quite get to the sound quality you're looking for, contact the H&H team! We would be happy to recommend, install, or position your sound system. For more information on services we offer regarding sound systems, click here.