Home Theater: How to Get the Most Out of Your Home Sound System

by Ann Marie Damashek, GRI, CBR, SRES 04/03/2022

When you plan to include a home theater in your house, getting the ideal sound quality is highly important. Having the right size screen and setting up the best viewing distance help ensure excellent video quality. However, having poor audio quality can affect your viewing experience. The sound layout for your home theater involves more than just putting speakers around the room. You also need to know which sound system would work best and which positions are ideal for your speakers. Keep the following tips in mind to make sure your home theater ends up with the best sound layout possible.

7-Speaker System vs. 5-Speaker System

The speaker system you choose for your home theater can have a big impact on sound quality. A 7-speaker setup can offer the best sound quality overall, while a 5-speaker setup can offer high-quality sound at a better value in terms of cost. The speaker system you choose also depends on how much space you have in your home theater and its layout. Some systems provide enhanced sound quality when you’re able to place speakers in the ceiling, for example.

7-Speaker Placement

For a sound system with seven speakers, the ideal placement involves putting the primary right and left speakers at an angle between 45 and 60 degrees to your seating. The center speaker should be placed as close to the center of the screen as possible. You should put the center, right and left key speakers at ear level for the best sound experience. If needed, you can position the center speaker right under the screen if you’re using a large-screen TV in your home theater. The side surround speakers should be placed at ear level on either side of your seating, while the rear surround speakers should be positioned at a 45-degree angle on both sides of your seating.

5-Speaker Placement

For a sound system with five speakers, put the primary right, left and center speakers in the same positions as a 7-speaker system. However, the ideal surround speaker setup for these systems is slightly different, since you’re working with fewer speakers. Here, the surround speakers should be placed at ear level at angles of 110 degrees on each side. This puts these speakers behind your seating while providing excellent sound quality.

Seating Considerations

When setting up your sound system in a home theater, consider your seating layout. If you’re going to have multiple rows or a second row on a riser, you’ll need to be careful about where you put your surround speakers. Since those in the second or back rows will sit slightly higher, you’ll need to keep this in mind. Here, your speakers might work best being placed in a more central position overall in terms of height rather than aiming for ear level, since you’ll have different ear levels for each row. This placement helps ensure that everyone sitting in your home theater can experience outstanding sound quality while watching movies.

Acoustic Factors

Other acoustic factors to keep in mind include the shape of the room and windows. Ideally, your home theater should be in a rectangular room rather than a square one, which can distort sounds. You should also choose a room with few or no windows, since sound can bounce off of these. If you have windows, hang curtains to ensure better sound quality.

About the Author

Ann Marie Damashek, GRI, CBR, SRES

Ann Marie Damashek has always been a natural at helping people prepare their homes for sale. She started out with a successful business selling goods for people on eBay. "Nine times out of ten they were hiring me because they were down-sizing,” Ann Marie says. "So I decided to get my license. I said, ‘Might as well sell their house too.’” The transition was a smooth one and for nine years she’s had a thriving full-time real estate business that allows her to marry her entrepreneurial spirit with her passion for helping others. With an office in Larchmont, New York, she serves all of Lower Westchester County, with her primary market in the Sound Shore region. The majority of her business is "sphere of influence” with former clients referring her to friends and family. A gifted communicator, Ann Marie quickly builds trust and rapport with her clients by being both thoughtful and responsive; she understands that during the purchase or sale of a home, a quick response time is crucial. "I am very accessible,” Ann Marie says. "I always make time for my clients. They can call me, text me, email me up until 10 o’clock at night and I will respond. I’m available on weekends. I get back to people very promptly. I’m very customer service-oriented.” Her clients appreciate her professionalism, passion and enthusiasm and as a result her repeat and referral rate continues to grow each year. While selling real estate is serious business, Ann Marie knows that at times humor and a moment of levity can be a relief to clients. While she has a laidback and easygoing personality, she can be assertive when needed on her clients’ behalf. She loves being of service to them, and the continually changing nature of the work keeps her engaged and fulfilled. "It’s never boring,” Ann Marie enthuses. "Every day is different. That’s probably what I like most about it. But I also enjoy helping people sell or buy and educating them about the process. I love helping them achieve their goals.” This ethic of service has resulted in well-deserved recognition. Ann Marie has received the Westchester Magazine Five Star Real Estate Agent Rating four years running, in 2015 and 2016 she was the #1 agent in her office, and she’s a Zillow 5-Star Premier Agent. To keep in touch with former clients, Ann Marie sends cards to mark special occasions or reaches out via email. To market her listings, Ann Marie uses Multiple Listing Services (MLS), as well as Listingbook.com, a service that allows both agents and their clients access to MLS data. She also uses a Facebook business page and ads to boost new listings or promote upcoming open houses. "That drives a tremendous amount of traffic,” Ann Marie says. She also uses the most popular real estate websites such as Zillow and Trulia. A strong believer in giving back, Ann Marie sits on the Board of Trustees of her church and is involved in a variety of social justice projects. She’s affiliated with Furniture Sharehouse, a furniture bank for Westchester County, which collects and distributes gently used furniture free of charge to those in need. "I love it on so many levels because as a realtor, it’s helps my sellers downsize through charitable donations. I like the environmental aspect of it as well. And it helps people who truly need things.” She’s also involved in Impact 100, a women’s philanthropic giving organization. In her free time, Ann Marie enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. For the future, Ann Marie wants to continue expanding her business and developing her brand, and she someday hopes to grow a strong team. But her main goal is to stay in the real estate business, helping her clients to achieve their dreams.