Surround Sound Speaker System : What is it?
 A surround sound speaker system is a set of speakers designed to expand the spatial imaging of audio playback and heighten the listening experience to two- or three-dimensions. It is commonly used in home theater systems, realistic audio environments (virtual reality entertainment), cinema sound systems, computer gaming, and video arcades. It usually consists of five to seven speakers and one or two subwoofers for amplifying bass frequencies. The subwoofer is usually installed in the front of the room, around six inches from the wall.
A surround sound speaker system works together with a surround sound format such as Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound on DVD-Audio, ambisonics, quadrophonics, DTS, DVD-Video, and MP3 surround. Audio data should be recorded in the compatible formats for it to play in true surround sound that comes from all directions (left to right, front to center, vertically, horizontally, diagonally, outer to center). Also, it has to be set up in a certain way to get sound from all directions, as the positioning of the speakers is essential to the surround-sound experience. The room it is placed in should have good acoustics to control the bounce and direction of the sound. |
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Kinds of Surround Sound Speaker Systems include the following:
5.1-channel system
The 5.1-channel system consists of five satellite speakers and a subwoofer.
The five speakers are made up of a center speaker, a front-left speaker, a front-right speaker, a surround-left speaker, and a surround right speaker.
The center speaker is placed directly above or below the TV, while the two front speakers are positioned on each side of the center speaker.
The left and right front speakers are placed no more than two feet above or below the center speaker. The distance between them should be the same as the distance between the center speaker and the listening position.
The surround left and right speakers are mounted on the left and right sides respectively of the listening position, along the wall, or on stands. They should be installed up to two feet above the front speakers.
6.1-channel system
The 6.1-channel systems consists of six satellite speakers and a subwoofer.
It has all the five speakers in the 5.1 system and an additional back-center speaker.
The back-center speaker is mounted on the rear wall, centered behind the listening position. It should be about the same height as the surround-left and surround-right speakers.
7.1-channel system
The 7.1-channel system consists of seven satellite speakers and a subwoofer.
Instead of a back-center speaker used in the 6.1 system, it has a back-left speaker and a back-right speaker.
These back speakers are positioned on the rear wall of the room, aligned with the left and right edges of the listening position.
The back speakers should be about the same height as the surround-left and surround-right speakers.
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Compatibility: Choose a surround sound speaker system widely supported by video and audio formats. Right now, the 5.1 system is the most utilized in home entertainment systems. The 7.1 system is not yet widely used.
Space: Choose a surround sound speaker system appropriate for the size of room you intend to set it up. Get a cheaper surround sound system if you have a small living or entertainment room. Get a more expensive setup if you intend to use it in a larger room to maximize its performance.
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