The center channel speaker is generally considered the most important speaker in a surround sound system. MartinLogan +2
Center Channel Speaker
This is the most important surround sound speaker in your home theater system. The center speaker will usually go under or above your screen or if you are lucky enough to be doing an acoustically transparent projection screen, right in the middle of it at ear height.
The 83% rule for speaker placement is a guideline, popularized by audio expert Jim Smith, suggesting the distance from your ear to a speaker (Y) should be approximately 1.2 times the distance between the two speakers' tweeters (X), meaning X/Y is around 0.83 (or 83%). This helps create an immersive soundstage with a strong center image, balancing speaker separation and listening distance, and serves as a starting point for fine-tuning speaker placement in a stereo setup, often used with an equilateral triangle setup as a reference.
But if you want to create that truly immersive theater-experience, go with a Dolby-Atmos supported soundbar. These speakers are designed with upward-firing drivers to project sound all around the room.
Get your listening and monitor positions right
You may have heard of the “38% rule”, whereby you set your seating position 38% of the way into a rectangular room from the wall in front of you, so as to minimise standing waves.
When you put a speaker close to the wall, the bass frequencies become more exaggerated. This is because the bass frequencies are dispersed from the loudspeaker in all directions – including backwards – much like a sphere. The higher frequencies, however, only travel forward.
A kind of golden rule is the “rule of thirds”. This rule states that the distance from the speaker to the back wall is 1/3 of the length of the room. You yourself will sit at 2/3. You then exclude all standing waves.
However, 7.1 best suits slightly larger spaces over 20 feet deep. While it provides 360-degree sound horizontally, it lacks the vertical sound dimensions that Dolby Atmos offers. The environmental positioning in Dolby Atmos is more precise.
ohm is a measure of resistance, 2 ohm will pull more power from the amp than 4 ohm. Less resistance equals more power but the sound quality actually drops. 2 ohm is fine for subs if the amp can handle it, get 4 ohm speakers though.
The golden ratio for home theater design is widely considered to be H (Height) x 1.28H (Width) x 1.54H (Length/Depth). For example, if you have a room that has a 10ft ceiling height, the ideal width and height would be 12.8ft and 15.4ft respectively.
If you use speakers daily, 70 dB is fine. 70-75 dB is the maximum noise level you should be exposed to daily.
Space them apart the same distance as your front speakers (or a little wider), and face them toward you. If side placement isn't practical, place your surround speakers a few feet behind your listening position and angle them toward you.
The most basic way to run in your speakers is to set them up with your system and use them normally. Usually the speakers will be sufficiently run in after a total of 20-30 hours of normal use and they will often continue to develop and improve for the first hundred or so hours.
For a three-dimensional and enveloping audio experience, Dolby Atmos represents the best choice. For a classic and well-established surround system, Dolby 5.1 is excellent.
7.1 surround sound is the common name for an eight-channel surround audio system commonly used in home theatre configurations. It adds two additional speakers to the more conventional six-channel (5.1) audio configuration.
Four-ohm speakers are generally considered higher quality, but they must be paired with an amplifier that can handle the increased sound and volume capacity. This also applies to headphones and desktop computer speakers.
As to advantages, a 4-ohm speaker presents less resistance to the flow of current from an amplifier compared to an 8-ohm speaker, so the more current that flows, the more power is pulled out of the amplifier.
At 1 ohm, you will get more power output from your amplifier and your subwoofers will play louder than if you wired them to a 2-ohm load. There is no substitute for power if you are looking for maximum volume and at 1 ohm, the amplifier will put out more power.
Dolby Audio is a good place to start: it provides compatibility with most content and devices, with higher quality than basic stereo audio. Dolby Atmos is the next step for those seeking a fully immersive experience with dedicated home theater systems or state-of-the-art compatible devices.
You'll be able to choose either 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, depending on your home setup. (This will only work with an HDMI connection.)
Its Evolution: As technology evolves, Dolby 7.1 still constitutes an important format in surround sound, even with new technologies – such as Dolby Atmos– coming up.
The magic number, approximately 1:1.618, is a mathematical proportion that holds the key to aesthetic harmony. This ratio, sometimes represented by the Greek letter phi (Φ), is observed when certain conditions are met: A line is split into two parts. The ratio of the whole line to the longer segment must be 1.618.
1 x 1.60 x 2.56 – The classic “golden” acoustic ratio.
Speaker height.
Position your speakers so that the tweeters are at roughly the same height as your ears. (Tweeters are the small drivers on your speakers. They are responsible for handling the high-frequency treble range.)