Thinking of creating a sound system in your front room? In this mini-guide, we’ll look at the steps involved and what types of sound technology you might want to consider!
Key Steps Involved:
- Before anything else, you’ll need to set a budget based on how much you’re willing to spend on a sound system.
- Create a checklist of the sound technology you need.
- Consider what will work right in your particular living room.
- Think about what type of speakers would suit your living room.
- Consider anything else including extras.
- Make the necessary purchases.
- Install the sound technology to establish your new living room sound system.
Planning Out Your Sound System
The ideal living room sound system involves a square room with limited obstructions between the speakers and you. Thankfully, most sound systems are sufficiently flexible for a range of setups.
Mapping the general layout is key before planning out the specifics of where to put the different speakers. The front left and right speakers are a good point to focus on early in the planning stage. You’ll want to keep the speakers far enough away from each other so as to create a more 3D experience with different sounds coming from the left and right.
If you have an asymmetrical room, you may have to make the best of speakers that are placed unevenly. Adjusting the volume levels and channel panning should be able to deal with this.
Don’t forget to think about the centre channel! Where you place this speaker is critical to optimising your sound system given that it is the centrepiece and will be responsible for much of the dialogue in a movie or TV show. Ultimately, you want to equalize the channel while being aware of each of the front speakers. You want to avoid that ugly-sound left-to-right pan.
As for the surrounds, don’t go all out. Really, the surround channels should complement the primary front channels. It’s preferable to place the speakers to the left and right of where you’re located while facing in.
Last but not least, you need to think about where to situate the subwoofer. A good spot to consider is a suitable corner of the room as this ideal for carrying bass. However, you could place it elsewhere no problem if you’d prefer.
Choosing the Right Sound Tech
The most important question is what sound tech should you consider? As mentioned, this will depend on your room and budget. However, we’ll look at some noteworthy ideas.
There are various styles of sound system tech available such as:
- Traditional loudspeakers
- Soundbars
- In-wall speakers
With modern sound systems, you can purchase Wi-Fi enabled sound systems for better and more precise control at your fingertips. The quality and design of sound tech will come with a range of price tags, so find those right for you by shopping around online.
Ultimately, it’s important to get things right whether it be buying the best soundbar or arranging the layout of your system. By approaching things in the right way, you can get a brilliant sound system up and running and have a thrilling experience while watching your favorite movies, shows, or music!
