Creating a Hollywood-tier home theater requires many different elements and moving parts. There are viewing angles to consider, room lighting conditions, video quality, furniture, controls—and audio.  

Audio is half the movie viewing experience. Of course, you want your projector or TV to look as clear as possible, but sound is essential for the overall emotional experience. And if your theater’s audio system is improperly installed or designed, you may accidentally overpower the room with booming bass or be unable to hear dialogue.

Here’s how we approach home theater design to deliver professional-level sound in our customers’ home cinemas in Los Angeles.

SEE ALSO: Top 4 Features to Look for in a Whole-House Audio System 

3 Design Tips for Better Home Theater Audio 

Whether you want a simple five-speaker system or an expansive seven or nine-speaker setup, here are some key design tips that can help you achieve optimal sound: 

1. Room Acoustics

When designing a home theater, we first consider the acoustics of your theater room and how it will affect sound quality. Hard walls and floors can produce disruptive reflections, so we’ll treat the space with soft materials like curtains, carpets, and acoustic fiberglass or foam panels. Acoustic treatments help reduce echoes and reflections, producing a more balanced sound.

2. Speaker Placement

Proper speaker placement is crucial for achieving the best surround sound quality. All surround sound systems should include a center channel speaker, which primarily delivers movie dialogue. The center channel speaker should be installed as close to ear level as possible, below, above, or behind your projector screen/TV. 

Next, you’ll have front-left and front-right speakers. These should flank your video display and be angled towards audience seating. In the middle of the room, another pair of left/right speakers should also be positioned close to ear level. Want even more immersion? We can also install two left/right rear speakers and upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers that are positioned above ear height. 

Of course, no home theater is complete without a subwoofer! Subwoofers deliver those rich, rumbling bass sounds found in music and action scenes. Subwoofers are typically positioned on the floor at the front of the room, in a corner, or beside a wall. It’s important to ensure your subwoofer doesn’t touch the wall directly but stays at least six inches away for optimal sound output. 

3. Calibration and Equalization

Another step towards perfect sound is calibration and equalization, available through surround sound receivers. Once speakers are in the correct position around the room, we’ll fine-tune audio settings to match the characteristics of your room, ensuring the best possible sound quality. 

Beware of auto-setups that promise instant EQ and calibration. It’s much more effective to manually calibrate speakers with a decibel meter so speakers are tuned to your room’s unique characteristics. 

Start Your Home Theater Design in Century City, Los Angeles 

Designing and installing a home theater system can be complex, especially if you want to achieve optimal sound quality. Our expert technicians at Just One Touch™ in LA provide custom home theater design and installation services to homeowners nationwide. 

Contact our expert team today and let us transform your home theater into a truly immersive entertainment space! Call us at 424-438-2626 or send us a message in the chat box below!