Home theater enthusiasts often find themselves wondering where exactly they should place their speakers. What height should surround sound speakers be? While speaker locations are quite standardized, things may change if you want to add overhead speakers or known as immersive audio.
The first step to identify the right speaker placement is to establish the MLP or main listening position. For home theaters, the MLP should be centered on the short wall and placed at least 18 inches behind the centerline.
The MLP is important because it determines the location of the speaker according to certain angles. Remember that the center channel and the right and left channels are constant and don’t change on immersive audio formats like 7.1 and 5.1.
The speaker should be centered on the wall horizontally when placing the center channel. The tweeter must be perpendicular to the middle of the room and must be close to ear height as much as possible. However, there is more to placement than the height alone.
Continue reading on to know more about the right placement of surround sound speakers.
Importance of Speaker Placement
It may be very tempting to just put your speakers anywhere in your room where they look best. Sometimes, you may also be limited with the amount of redecorating you can do. However, if you are flexible enough with where you can place your speakers, you will almost definitely enhance how they sound.
Placement of Front Right and Left Speaker
The front speakers serve as the foundation of a surround sound system, so you might want to focus your efforts on this area. Your goal here is to create an immersive and wide soundstage with outstanding separation between every channel.
The secret to creating a good soundstage is to have sufficient distance between the front right and left speakers. These are ideally spaced out as far apart from one another as they are from you. It is fine if this is not possible, though, because even the smallest increase in the separation between these two front channels can already improve the overall performance of your system.
Judge the Placement with Your Ears
Try to experiment with the distance of the front speakers from the wall. The bass will be more reinforced if they get closer. This can be a good thing to some extent. However, you can improve the overall sonic performance if you pull away your speakers from the wall. You might want to try several different positions to check which will produce the best sounds.
You can play a familiar move clip or song as this is a great way for you to dial in your new speakers. Listening to the exact same adjustment after every adjustment can help you gauge the amount of difference made by a certain change in placement or positioning.
Find a Listening Sweet Spot
After you have placed your front right and left speakers, it is now time for you to have the sound focused at your MLP or main listening position, which is usually the center seat right in front of your television. It is often known as the listening sweet spot since it provides the finest sound in the entire room.
Certain speakers produce the best sound if they face straight forward while others are better off when angled inward toward you. You might want to refer to your speakers’ owner’s manual for the toe-in instructions. Most companies state the ideal angle to achieve the best sound.
No matter what the angle of the speakers may be, you can expect the clearest sound from your tweeters if they are located at a similar height to your ears when you are seated.
Placement of Center Channel
Your center channel should be placed right below or above your TV and then line this up with the screen’s midpoint. If possible, try tilting the tweeter’s direct angle to your ears.
Based on the size of your center channel, you can go on a lower shelf, on top of the A/V cabinet, or even mount it to the wall.
Placement of Surround Sound Speakers
A well-placed surround sound system can make your home theater experience more fun, bringing your imagination to life. The secret to making this possible is to place your surround speakers in the right spots. Your speakers can be mounted on the wall or placed on speaker stands.
Symmetry
You need to pay attention to a couple of points when it comes to the placement of your surround speakers. The first one is symmetry. As much as possible, your side speakers can be placed in the exact position on the other side. Meanwhile, the rear speakers must be equidistant from every sidewall.
Height
The height of the surround sound speakers is the next point to consider. Through the years, the height placement of surround sound speakers was standardized and only became contentious when immersive audio formats were introduced.
If you don’t plan to install immersive audio speakers, surround speakers should be placed about 2 feet above the sitting ear height, which is typically 6 feet. The correct height when you use immersive formats is somewhat contentious, with some stating that surround speakers should be placed at ear height with a maximum of 2 feet tolerances above ear height.
It makes sense to elevate the surrounds because the majority of the content today no longer plays in an immersive format. To get more information on the height of your surround sound speakers, it is best to refer to the official website of the specific format you plan to use.
Aim
The final point to consider is aiming the surround sound speakers. Many people often make the mistake of aiming their surround sound speakers at the main listening position, something that is not common for commercial studios or theaters.
Surround sound is meant to offer ambient sounds which are not localizable. This means that both the rear and side surround speakers must face the opposite wall. When you do so, it will create some sense of spaciousness more similar to the way humans hear sounds behind them. Pointing your surround sound speakers at the opposite wall offers a more exciting and fun movie-watching experience.