Setting up a Soundbar With Rear Speakers is very straightforward, but as with any hi-tech audio setup there is a lot to consider if you want to get the most out of your investment. (Sure, you can just sling it in and hope for the best, but lets face it, having shelled out some money you want your new system to ROCK!) All Soundbars have slightly different setup requirements so do make sure to read the manual that comes with yours when you buy it.
The following article should provide you sufficient general Soundbar information to help make sure that your room is suitable for a Soundbar. Before we get into the details let’s have a quick refresher on how a Soundbar actually works. That sleek wide box that you want sat underneath or above your TV is full of small speakers which beam the sound at different angles. The number of speakers depends on whether you have a 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1 system and the make and model that you have.
The effect is finished by all the high-tech trickery like SRS WOW, DTS, and Dolby etc. If you imagine those sounds coming out of the Soundbar at fixed angles you soon realize that you need to make sure that they all intersect at the same place – you! You now need to make sure that all the lines have an uninterrupted path and that the length of each type of line is about the same.
That’s not as complicated as it sounds, just make sure there are no lumps of furniture getting in the sounds path! Now as you have probably read in our technical guide some Soundbars do have onboard calibration systems. This means they can throw out a sound and then configure itself based on what it receives from the onboard microphone. These systems are fantastic. Other systems allow you to manually control the output which again is a huge advantage. However, even if you have a system with these fantastic tuning features you will improve sound quality by trying to follow these guidelines;
- The distance between the Soundbar and you should be greater than 6ft. (1.8m)
- Items of furniture should not block the travel of sound
- Install the unit in the centre of the left and right wall
- Listening position needs to be in front of the unit
- Listening position should not be too close to the walls
- Walls should be solid enough to reflect sound beams
- Measure the width of your TV stand and make sure the Soundbar will fit without obstructions
When you get your Soundbar read the manual carefully to get advice specific to your model before commencing the setup process!