Now that you’ve spent money on that 5.1 surround sound, you want to find the perfect place to put those speakers, and because you don’t want to take up any precious floor space, you have chosen to also buy In Wall Speakers. Taking the following five tips into consideration when placing a 5.1 channel speaker system can help you get a great-sounding home theater system experience.
1. Since your In Wall speakers come without being enclosed in a back box, choose hi-fidelity speakers. Many audio companies make awesome sounding speakers that are enclosed in their own back boxes, which allow the designers to create a consistent high-end performance.
2. Once you figure out where the display is going to be placed, then anchor the speakers near the display to create a convincing illusion of sound. If possible, create an equilateral triangle between the left and right speakers, and the location of the chair you will sitting in most of the time. If creating such a geometrical shape with your speakers isn’t possible, then try and keep the speakers as close to the display in order to keep the sound realistic.
3. Be sure to place the speakers the height of the ear while sitting. Place the center channel below the display in order to place the dialog closest to the source. Since you cannot point sound down with In Wall speakers, do not place the speakers above the source, since the sound will then go over the seated viewers head, and ear. Since the ear is sensitive to sound coming from in front of us, be sure and try to get this speaker placed properly to ensure a great overall experience.
4. Even though our ears are sensitive to sound coming from in front of us, they are much more forgiving to sound coming from behind us. Place the surround sound speakers behind you, and make sure to keep them at the same ear height as the others for the best experience. If possible, try and place the back speakers about 8 feet apart. Of course, they can be further apart, or closer together, depending on the size of the room and the length of your power cord.
5. Now let’s talk about the subwoofer. The experience of using an in wall subwoofer can vary depending on the room. If you can swing it, try installing two subwoofers to help compensate for any variance in the sound due to furniture and room size shape. If you can only go with one subwoofer, consider moving it out of the corner, and place it along the front or back wall. Be considerate on which room the wall shares, since sound will travel through the wall and could be noisy if an occupied bedroom shares that wall.