Individually Controlling Surround Sound System Speakers: A Guide
If you’re in the market for a new surround sound system, you may already know the basics of setting up a home theatre. You probably know how to place the individual speakers symmetrically around the room with the viewers in the center. However, controlling the volume for each of the individual speakers isn’t as simple.
At Speakers Daily, we’re the best-rated speaker reviews site that helps you make better choices. Here, we explain how to control the volume on each speaker of a surround sound system. This article assumes you know how to set up a surround sound system, but if you have a 7.1.4, we also recommend reading the following related article:
Related: How To Set Up a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Home Audio System
Things To Consider When Controlling Individual Speakers
The reason you arrange a 5.1 surround sound system symmetrically is that you want the same intensity of sound from each side. However, the sound intensity doesn’t just depend on the distance; it also depends on absorption.
Even if you have a fairly good system like the Klipsch Black Reference Theater Pack, you won’t get the ultimate sound quality till you consider sound absorption. Sound waves get easily reflected by solid surfaces, such as your walls and the ceiling. However, when sound waves strike soft surfaces such as cushions and curtains, they get absorbed and are converted to heat energy.
This means that if you have a curtain and a couch on one side of the room but not on the side, you’ll hear a sound less intensely on one side than on the other. You can fix this by increasing the volume on speakers placed on the side with more soft surfaces.
Home Theatre System With Automatic Channel Adjustments
The Yamaha YHT-4950U Home Theater System is our favorite surround sound system. Once you set it up, the system automatically analyzes the room acoustics and makes appropriate adjustments to give you the best sound quality.
Home Theatre System on A Budget
If you’re on a budget and want a home theatre system that allows you to control each speaker individually, we recommend the Rockville HTS56 Home Theater System. For more recommendations, check out our picks for the 5 Best Surround Sound Speakers in 2022.
