If you’re looking to elevate your home theater experience, you’re probably willing to delve into the seemingly complicated world of surround sound. The truth is that while some surround sound systems might be slightly challenging to set up, understanding how they work, for the most part, is not that complicated. And once you read this reasonably accessible guide, your buying options should become a lot clearer. With that in mind, let’s start with some of the basics.
What is Surround Sound?
Surround sound means precisely what the term implies. It’s an audio technology that surrounds the viewer or listener with sound elements to create an enveloping and more realistic audio experience.
Traditional Surround Sound vs. Object-Based Surround Sound
Traditional surround sound systems can offer a 180-degree sonic space, while more advanced versions can deliver audio from behind the head as well.
In contrast, object-based surround sound (with overhead effects), which is a newer technology, takes the immersive sound experience one step further by creating a complete sonic bubble, allowing all three dimensions of the space to be filled with sound parts. Furthermore, it allows you to hear singular sound elements, which are extracted from the mix, such as a bird chirping from a particular angle above the head. But we’ll delve into this more deeply below.
There are a couple object-based surround sound technologies that are offered to consumers, namely, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. But for the purposes of keeping things simple, we’ll stick to Dolby surround systems.
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the traditional standard of surround sound setups, and it’s the kind of system you most often find in movie theaters and well-equipped home theaters. Generally, Dolby Digital uses a 5.1 channel setup. With a 5.1 channel system, you have a left, right, and center speaker in the front and left and right surround speakers. This adds up to 5 speakers, hence, the number “5” in the 5.1 setup. Meanwhile, the number “1” represents a single subwoofer.
In the mixing process of creating a soundtrack, the sound engineer is responsible for assigning sound categories to each of these speakers. Usually, dialogue is sent to the center speaker. Meanwhile, the left and right speakers are responsible for music and associated sound effects. The left and right surround speakers handle ambient noises and more sweeping effects, while the lowest frequencies, including musical elements and effects are sent to the subwoofer.
It’s also common to have a 7.1 surround sound system in which there are 7 speakers that are set up much like the 5.1 system described above. Except now, two surround left and right speakers are added to the rear. Not all rooms can accommodate rear speakers, so 5.1 is often the best option for more limited spaces.
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos takes a different approach from Dolby Digital, creating a more all-encompassing and multidimensional audio experience. It has more of an object-based design that can place and move a sound element all over the room. In the case of Dolby Atmos, sound editors can extract a single sound and shift it around the entire 360-degree circle, as well as through the space and above the head. So as the listener, you are basically sitting in a dome of sound.
As complicated as this may sound, breaking down the numbers that represent these sound layouts is almost as simple as the Dolby Digital example explained above. Let’s use 5.2.4 as an example of a Dolby Atmos setup. The first digit represents the number of speakers except for the overhead ones. For example, if the first digit is “5”, then there is a left, center, right and 2 surround speakers. The second digit refers to the number of subwoofers. For simpler setups, one subwoofer is most common. But more advanced systems usually call for 2 subwoofers. Finally, the last digit represents the number of overhead speakers. In the case of 5.2.4, you’ll have 4 overhead speakers.
In theory, one could expand this layout even further, reaching arrangements like 11.1.6.
Wired vs. Wireless Dolby Atmos Systems
There are pros and cons to wired and wireless Dolby Atmos setups. Uncompromising sound enthusiasts might prefer the superior resolution and added creative control they have with wired setups given the more extensive wired speaker options available, as well as the freedom to choose speaker combinations and their positioning.
However, for more casual home theater lovers, wireless Dolby Atmos speaker systems are usually much easier to set up, requiring less equipment and, generally, fewer visible wires. They also tend to be more aesthetically pleasing and better accommodate an average living room space.
Wired Dolby Atmos Setups
Are Wired Dolby Atmos System Hard to Install?
In theory, there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to set up something like a 5.2.4 wired layout in your home. However, there are practical limitations that you might want to keep in mind, such as the size of your room and whether you can or are willing to install speakers on your ceiling. For those who aren’t particularly handy or can’t find a ceiling stud, you can alternatively get elevated speakers, called height speakers. But many audiophiles would argue that height speakers, even when optimally positioned, just don’t offer the same effect as ceiling speakers. A more effective alternative to ceiling speakers is reflective speakers or up-firing speakers, which are angled up to reflect sound off the ceiling, creating the effect of sound emanating from above you.
With respect to the more technical aspects of the layout, such as finding the optimal speaker placement and precise angles, as well as tweaking the volume of your speakers to get the sound just right, it’s strongly advised that you do thorough research on the best ways to arrange your speaker system. And there is plenty of information online on how to best untangle and organize your setup.
Do I Need a Dolby Atmos Receiver?
In the case of wired setups, yes, you will need to invest in a receiver that can accommodate and direct all the required channels. The Onkyo TX-NR696 7.2 Channel Network Receiver is a popular example of a receiver that can not only deliver a 7.2 channel traditional surround sound layout, but also 5.2.2 channel setup for use with Dolby Atmos.
Do I Need Dolby Atmos Speakers?
With respect to wired Dolby Atmos setups, for the most part, you can use regular speakers. The exception to that rule is reflective speakers, which we talked about previously. If you’re not planning to install ceiling speakers, then you’ll need up-firing speakers to reflect the sound off the ceiling. A popular example would be the Klipsch R-40-SA, which are sold as a pair and designed to project the sound upwards. But they also work as dedicated surround speakers.
Wireless Dolby Atmos Systems
As you can probably tell from examples like the Nakamichi DRAGON 11.4.6 Channel system, you can easily buy or put together a set of wireless Dolby Atmos speakers, though a top-of-the-line system will cost you. Still, I would recommend it. For most ears, the difference in sound quality is minimal or at least worth the ease of installation. In fact, given their simplicity, wireless speakers might now be more popular than wired setups.
Although some wireless surround systems employ a dedicated receiver, most wireless Dolby Atmos systems are usually referred to as “soundbar systems,” since the soundbar acts as the “centerpiece” of the surround system. The soundbar connects to the Dolby Atmos-compatible TV and sends a wireless signal to the other speakers. Just be sure that all your speakers are compatible with the soundbar. Often, you must buy the same brand of wireless speakers for the system to work seamlessly.
The good news is that if you don’t yet have the cash invest in a whole surround sound setup, you can build up your system gradually. Get your Dolby Atmos soundbar, then add a subwoofer, which will already elevate your sound. The rest can wait until your next paycheck. Also, if you already have great speakers around your house, like a pair of Sonos Era 300’s, you might just want to stick with that same brand so that you easily and more affordably add it to your setup. The Sonos Arc soundbar, for example, pairs with several speaker models in the Sonos lineup. But as a final reminder, just make sure your TV is Dolby Atmos compatible.
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