Home theater speakers’ height can make an enormous difference to how your surround sound system performs, from overpowering front speakers to creating the impression they’re hearing sounds from behind their head rather than from within the movie itself. To achieve optimal surround sound speaker height, we recommend placing them somewhere in-between: equaling the main left/right speaker’s height plus recommended rear speaker height – in this article we will cover what the ideal placement for surround speakers should be as well as any associated benefits.
What are the Key Roles of Surround Speakers?
First and foremost, it’s important to recognize that surround speakers serve both environmental and audio effects. They shouldn’t be the centerpiece of your soundstage but should instead create a sense of immersion within your viewing space. While not overpowering or loud enough for every situation or dialogue scene in a room, surround speakers must still be audible over ambient noise or dialogue from other rooms in your viewing space.
What is the Recommended Height for Surround Speakers?
For maximum impact from surround speakers, aim to place them one foot above audience members’ heads – this is known as “ear level” in the industry and serves as an industry standard recommended height. Since Dolby Atmos came into effect, some experts suggest having your surrounds slightly below this recommended level so as to provide clear differentiation between height audio from surrounds and Atmos height audio.
How does the Type of Audio Content Influence Surround Speaker Height?
How high your surround sound speakers should be depends on what kind of audio content they will be used for. For direct radiating surround or back speakers, it may be wise to keep them higher up so as not to get too close to your ears with sound projection.
What is the Best Height for Dipole or Tripole Surround Speakers?
However, dipole or tripole surround speakers can be placed lower since their sound will travel down into the side walls to create an immersive surround experience. Dipole and tripole speakers also make great back surround speakers when mounted at ear level for seating audiences.
Why is Frequency Handling Important for Rear Speakers?
Be mindful that your rear speakers must be capable of handling all frequencies ranging from deep bass to higher frequencies, including those below 10Hz and those above. A subwoofer may help your surround sound system maintain an ideal balance of low and high frequencies.
What are the Consequences of Incorrect Rear Speaker Placement?
One of the biggest errors people make when setting up their rear speakers is placing them too high, which degrades sound quality overall and leads to unbalanced and muddy sounds, even possibly leading to their surround sound system not functioning correctly.