Tools · Planner

Where every speaker should go.

Great surround sound is mostly geometry. Set your room and your format, and we'll lay out every speaker at the angles Dolby and THX actually recommend — drawn to scale around your seat.

Wondering which format to choose? Read the surround guide →

SCREEN SEAT
Ear-level Ceiling / height Subwoofer
Configuration 5.1 5 speakers · 1 sub
Front L/R angle ±28° from center
Surround angle ±100° to the sides

The angles that matter

A surround system creates a believable soundstage only when each speaker hits your ears from the right direction. The front three anchor dialogue and the screen; the side surrounds wrap the room around you; rears and overhead channels place effects precisely in space. Get the angles right and a helicopter genuinely flies overhead — get them wrong and it all collapses into "loud."

This planner uses Dolby and THX reference angles, but the real world has doorways, windows, and furniture. That's where in-room measurement and calibration earn their keep — we tune each speaker to your actual room, not a diagram.

Lutron-lit living space by Firebird AV in Santa Barbara

Begin

Let's tune it to your room, not a diagram.

Visit the showroom by appointment, or tell us about your project and we'll be in touch within one business day.

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