How To Set Up Home Speaker System

Taking the first steps beyond a basic TV or stereo setup can exist intimidating. The options are about endless and the costs tin rapidly add together upward. Just whether you put in an elaborate abode theater or a more small-scale living room setup, a well-designed home entertainment organization can bring out the very all-time in your favorite music and movies.

And then...What's Your System?

Earlier you start shopping, consider how much sound you really need. If yous have a small flat or room, yous may be better off investing in a great soundbar like Sony'south HT-ST5000 or a 2.1 setup, which is just a unproblematic pair of speakers and a subwoofer. A dwelling theatre system probably likewise isn't the best option if you just want impeccable audio for your vinyl collection.

If you haven't considered it already, first enquire yourself: is your organisation primarily for audio, for movies and TV, or a combination of the two? Once you have an respond, you lot can then figure out what sort of setup you need.

💡A projector with a total environs sound system is a killer setup, but you demand a big room. Some discreet bookshelf speakers are meliorate for a small infinite.

Buying Not bad Speakers

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"Speakers are the best upgrade for any home theater arrangement," CNET's Ty Pendlebury says. "While audio and video standards change all the fourth dimension a good pair of speakers will still work in 10 or 20 or 30 years. They besides have the biggest outcome on the overall sound of your system."

For the simplest room setup, you lot can get by without a separate receiver by choosing powered speakers with inputs that tin can straight connect to a turntable or other devices. More likely, though, your speakers will need a receiver to power them, in which case you'll desire to make sure you get speakers and a receiver that pair well together. (It's a topic that plenty of people obsess over, so chances are y'all tin can find recommendations for any given speakers or receiver with a few searches.)

When speaker shopping, you might stumble across a disruptive jumble of specs. Before wading into this tech jargon, these are the important ones you need to know.

Equally industry group CEDIA explains ane of the most important specs is frequency response, which tells yous the range of frequencies the speakers can produce from low to high—the wider the range, the better—and the degree to which the sound deviates from a flat response, which is indicated by a number with a plus/minus symbol (lower is ameliorate).

Another number to know is sensitivity, which tin can tell you how efficient the speakers are. In this case the higher the number, the better. CEDIA suggests anything over 90 dB is "excellent."

If you're matching speakers to a receiver on your ain, you'll also want to pay particular attention to the speakers' impedance. In general, speakers with a lower rating similar 4 ohms will need a more powerful receiver to drive them, while 8-ohm speakers, which are the nigh common, will piece of work with most receivers.

Information technology's also important not to make the mutual fault of disruptive watts for loudness. You're better off getting more efficient speakers with lower wattage than less efficient speakers with a higher wattage. With that in listen, here are a few speakers that will fit a range of different setups to get you started in your search.

Best Powered Speakers

Klipsch R-15PM

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These powered speakers have a built-in phono preamp that makes them peachy for pairing with a turntable in a unproblematic, receiver-free setup. They're also streaming-friendly thanks to some built-in Bluetooth connectivity.

All-time Bookshelf Speakers

ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2

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An affordable pair of bookshelf speakers that will sound bully on their ain or as function of a full surround sound system with some boosted speakers from Elac'due south Debut 2.0 series.

Best Sound

KEF T205

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These speakers from KEF may exist every bit sparse as your 4K TV, but they'll easily fill up any home theater with bully sound—just be sure to factor in the toll of a decent receiver when because their already hefty price tag.

Best Value

Emotiva Airmotiv T1

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Audio will adapt anyone who prioritizes neat sound and won't (completely) intermission the depository financial institution. Use a pair for a stereo setup or add a few surrounds and a subwoofer for a habitation theater.

Choosing a Receiver

A receiver is more than merely a hub that connects your organisation. A adept receiver tin help ensure you get the best possible sound from your speakers, and get the nearly from the rest of your gear.

Again, the choice begins with knowing how you listen. A mod domicile theater receiver may exist able to handle 4K/UHD movies and accommodate a slew of HDMI devices, which is great for the TV and movie lover. But many new receivers don't have a phono input for turntables. A vinyl lover would need either need a turntable with a built-in preamp like the Sound Technica AT-LP-120, or else they'd accept to buy a standalone preamp like a Rolls VP29.

💡If your system is mostly for listening to music, you may desire to consider a simple stereo receiver or even a vintage amplifier. It will give that warmer sound, but at the expense of some mod conveniences.

Features like built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can add together streaming and internet connectivity to a receiver, but don't think of them equally bargain-breakers. Wireless capability is something that can exist easily (and inexpensively) added after the fact with a tool like Chromecast Audio, which also imparts some added functionality you won't get with a basic Bluetooth-capable receiver. A Chromecast Audio connected to a receiver can get part of a whole-home audio system linked to other Chromecast-enabled devices spread throughout your house.

Yous tin besides use a streaming-focused soundbar like the Sonos Playbar or Beam to get by without a receiver altogether, but that choice tin cause boosted issues (and expenses) if you're looking to connect a turntable and other audio gear. You can make it piece of work, but you're likely ameliorate off bringing Sonos streaming to your existing receiver or speakers with a Connect or Connect:Amp than trying to shoehorn a agglomeration of gear into an otherwise minimal setup.

Here are some potential upgrades to consider for a great audio organization:

Best Turntable

Music Hall MMF-2.iii

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If you're looking to step upwards a fleck from a more entry-level turntable, Music Hall'due south minimalist MMF-2.3 is a slap-up mode to dip your toes into audiophile territory while still sticking to a somewhat reasonable budget.

Best Cartridge

Shure M97xE Phono Cartridge

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If yous already take a turntable that yous're happy with, one of the all-time upgrades you lot tin can make is installing a new cartridge. Shure'south M97xE is a longtime favorite that's known for its great tracking ability and neutral sound.

Best Receiver

Marantz PM5005 Integrated Amplifier

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For a music-focused system, a dedicated stereo amplifier tin can be a better choice than a multi-purpose receiver. This one from Marantz has a phono input for a turntable and will also piece of work with more demanding 4-ohm speakers.

Best Accessory

Chromecast Audio

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An like shooting fish in a barrel and affordable way to add together streaming capabilities to an existing sound organisation. Information technology uses Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth so you don't accept to worry nigh constantly pairing, and it will work with iOS and Android devices alike.

Everything In the Correct Place

Once you've got your gear, information technology's fourth dimension to put everything together. If you want to get the accented best audio, yous'll want to take some fourth dimension to become the speaker placement just right, which could mean rearranging some furniture.

As audio retailer Crutchfield explains in its helpful guide, you'll desire to brand sure y'all don't place your speakers correct against a wall. Angle them towards the main spot yous'll be sitting (as opposed to having them face straight forward, a common mistake). Depending on the type of speakers, you may desire to raise them off the floor with stands or angle them upwards slightly.

Speaker placement tin can also determine the type of speaker wire you'll need. Unlike an HDMI cable that's transmitting digital data, analog speaker wire can accept an effect on the audio. You don't need to splurge on super-heavy-gauge wire, but don't cut corners. A good rule of thumb: the longer your runs of speaker wire are, the thicker they need to exist. Crutchfield recommends 12- or 14-gauge (or AWG) for runs in excess of 50 feet, but you can get abroad with thinner (and cheaper) 16AWG wire for shorter distances.

Depression-impedance speakers put more stress on speaker wire, and not all speaker wire is intended for in-wall installations (though information technology should exist clearly labeled either style). Running speaker wire and other cables through your walls can as well open up up a host of other problems like running into studs and insulation, and shouldn't be attempted without a solid plan first. Crutchfield has another helpful guide that takes you through the whole process.

Don't overlook how you connect your speaker wire. If your receiver can accommodate them, banana plugs can make connecting (and reconnecting) your speakers a considerably easier job and ensure you get a skilful connection. There are variety of different banana plugs available, but most are easy to install.

Strip the plastic off the end of your speaker wire, thread it through the base of operations of the banana plug (sometimes spreading out the blank wire depending on the type of plug), and then tighten the banana plug to create a finished-looking cablevision.

You lot might also employ assistant plugs to connect your speaker wire to your speakers if they have binding posts. Otherwise, you'll probably simply take to strip off a bit of the plastic and insert the blank wire into spring clips on the back of your speakers.

When you lot're wiring upward your receiver and speakers, information technology'south very of import to connect the positive wire to the positive last and the negative wire to the negative concluding. All speaker wire will be color-coded for positive and negative, but information technology's a good idea to too add your own labels with a flake of tape—not but for positive/negative, but for left/right or other surround speakers. It's bound to save you some headaches when you inevitably have to disconnect everything from your receiver.

Getting Things Perfect

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Now that you lot've figured out your home amusement system, figure out how to hide the unsightliness of its many wires. If you aren't willing or able to run speaker wire through you walls, there are plenty of readymade kits and DIY options for hiding any unsightly tangles.

💡Yous tin tuck your components away in a cabinet or entertainment eye, but brand sure you don't stack the elements too tightly. The receiver especially should have ample ventilation to forestall overheating.

If yous have a turntable, it should be isolated from both your receiver and speakers to forbid your cartridge from picking upward whatsoever electrical interference or unwanted vibrations. Special isolation anxiety and pads—or even something as elementary equally hockey pucks—can further help reduce vibrations from your floor.

After your wires are tucked away, It's tempting to just sit back and enjoy your new system one time y'all've got information technology all hooked up, merely before you put your feet up, make sure that you've properly calibrated the audio and video. If yous bought a new receiver, it likely came with a calibration microphone that can be used to automatically fine-tune your speakers to suit your setup. It's of import to place the microphone at the spot (or spots) you lot'll about often be sitting, and at ear-height.

If you're a bit more adventurous, CNET has a good guide to manually fine-tune your system.

You'll need to calibrate your display, too, whether it'due south a Television or a projector. This can't be done automatically, just there are plenty of tools to guide you through the process. Use a setup disc like Digital Video Essentials or Disney WOW: Earth of Wonder (the latter being a chip more beginner-friendly) to conform settings such every bit black levels, brightness, and contrast, or the focus for a projector.

There are too pieces that don't affect sound or flick quality but definitely shouldn't exist overlooked. A proficient surge protector—or, improve notwithstanding, an uninterruptible ability supply (or UPS)—tin can protect your gear from power fluctuations or sudden outages, something particularly important for a projector since a sudden shutdown could potentially impairment the seedling.

A programmable remote similar the Logitech Harmony 650 that can easily handle lots of devices is also a almost-must for a dwelling theater. More avant-garde models like the Harmony Aristocracy can fifty-fifty allow you control your entire system with your smartphone.

Never forget almost the "system" role of a dwelling house entertainment organisation. A weak link can reduce the performance of the entire organization, while upgrading 1 component can bring out improve functioning from the rest of your setup. The play a trick on is finding the right residuum, and getting the system as a whole to a level that lets you lot get the most out of each component—at least until you get the upgrade issues again decide to have your system the next level.

Don Melanson Don is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in Engadget, Motherboard, The Globe & Mail and other publications.