If you haven’t read our first piece on this subject (which ends at the transition to a 3.1 system) we suggest you start with that article, because we’re about to jump into the most common multi-channel home theater system: the 5.1 system. This pre-supposes you own a multichannel AVR (Audio Video Receiver) of at least 5.1, and although you may have purchased a 7.2 or even more complex/advanced variant, it’s extremely useful to review what each group of channels is responsible for. Were it up to me, I would offer 5.3 as a legitimate option—but I’m getting ahead of myself. For now, let’s dive into the basics of a multi-channel home theater and how to use channels to make the best home theater experience possible.
Contents:
- The Left & Right Main Channels
- The Center Channel
- Most Common Multi-Channel Home Theater Set Up Mistakes
- Surrounded by Space
The Left & Right Main Channels
This is why in Part 1, I emphasized spending more on these and proportionally less on the electronics—especially since the front ends of many AVR models from the same maker are virtually identical. On top of that, the power supplies of these multi-channel wonders are, for the most part, necessarily mediocre—but hey, you try putting 7 channels (plus all the digital processing, wireless capabilities, Facebook, and Netflix) into one chassis and selling it for less than $1,000/£. Good luck.
To put it simply, Left/Right main speakers define the scale and drama a theater will reproduce, while the main subwoofer is a subset of these two speakers and the electronics that drive them. This is especially true for REL in that we specialize in a type of connection called “High Level,” wherein a completely self-sufficient subwoofer with its own powerful amplifier, along with the L-R main speakers plus the .1/LFE channel needed for the special effects bass in theater, are all connected up to those same terminals on the rear of the AVR. The only extra step that’s required is 30 seconds with your AVR’s remote control to set these two speakers to “Large” (or “Full Range” on some brands). After that, it’s simply a matter of plugging in the old standby, the RCA-RCA cable connected between the .1 output on your AVR and the REL .1/LFE input on its rear panel, and turning it up to stun your guests.
The Center Channel
The center channel is of critical importance as it ensures most of the dialogue, as well as the directionally significant special effects, remain constant and trackable. If set up correctly, for example, a jet flashing across the screen from right to left will be one continuous roaring whooosh from right to left, without a break or reduction in output as it passes through the center portion of your screen. Want an amazing improvement in this channel? Here’s our a unique REL solution:
RELTip: On the set-up menu, set these manually to “Full Range” and, on the distance portion, 0 feet—unless they come preset to 12 feet like Denon and Marantz, in which case leave them alone. By setting them to 0 feet—meaning milliseconds of delay—you will get the widest dynamics possible from your system.
For a REL 3D system, which places you in the center of the hologram, set everything as described and use the smallest REL subwoofer in the system here. For example, a main sub using an S/850 may only need a T/7x for the Center channel sub. This REL should be connected as “High Level” only, and you may connect directly to the rear of the center channel speaker to save time and create a cleaner install.
A REL subwoofer connected to a center channel speaker to create a REL 3D system
Most Common Multi-Channel Home Theater Set Up Mistakes:
Mistake #1: Setting our old friend, the speaker, to “Small.” Setting this to “Large” instead can make a huge improvement.
Mistake #2: Setting this channel’s level too high and not using any delay.
To Remedy: Use the pink noise (sounds like loud static) to set levels, bouncing back and forth a few times between the Left main speaker and the Center channel to get the level identical and no louder. Getting the level perfect ensures that you are able to hear the center channel’s information presented in context, as all the spatial setting is carried by the Left and Right main speakers. When the balance is perfect, all the dialogue and other center channel information sinks into this backdrop naturally, ensuring that you can still understand everything while it is surrounded by acoustic cues appropriate to the image seen on screen.
Next, set your delay to 3 feet as a starting point—15 feet if using a Denon or Marantz. This will set the center channel properly back within the stage as though it were (correctly) on an equal distance arc, placing details in the correct perspective within the larger stage defined by the L-R Mains. If voices sound too staccato, add an additional foot. If the voices in your media are too soft, yet the volume is just right, then remove a foot (to 2 feet) in the distance setting of your AVR to gain crispness.
How Surround Speakers Create Space
For a perfectly dialed-in system, actually, immersed in space would be more accurate. The rear surround speakers are responsible for adding in that ambient information needed to convince the ear that you, the movie goer, are placed within a 3-Dimensional hologram. All too often, these rear surrounds are set too low to produce the desired effect, and the distance settings are set too short to reliably add the dimensionality that great theater intends to recreate.
There are many myths that hurt home theater, and an especially harmful one maintains that “your surround speakers don’t need to be as good.” By this, they mean the surrounds don’t need to be as full range, especially in the bass region. However, since space is carried by deep bass to convey the sense of vastness needed—think of the echo walking into a cave—to convincingly carry this quality, we like to see speakers at least as good as decent 6-1'2" (170 mm) 2-way bookshelf speakers. They can also be high quality in-ceiling or in-wall speakers placed reasonably high on the rear walls facing forward.
RELTip: Again, set them to “Large.” Do the Level Set Pink Noise drill again ensuring they are the same levels as your front three channels. Set initial distance to 12 feet and adjust accordingly: for a smaller sounding space, reduce this number by a couple clicks, for a larger more spacious effect, increase it by a few feet and fine tune as needed.
For a REL 3D system, one that places you in the center of the hologram, set everything as described and use the second largest REL sub in your system for the rears. Whereas the Center channel used the smallest, these channels benefit from the second largest—and trust us, reproducing the vastness of deep space was not easy. Ensuring your levels are consistent and proportional to the size of your theater, in addition to using the corresponding systems, is vital to create that 3D effect in your home theater.
Hopefully, you have learned something about how Multi-Channel Home Theater actually works, what each section of a theater replay system is supposed to contribute, and how to get the best from it. Our purpose here is to empower those interested in home theater with the knowledge to yield the best possible results from their systems—and a huge part of that is by not resorting to using room correction. In close to 30 years of dialing in home theaters, not once have I heard a room-corrected system deliver magic. Yet, by following the guidelines I’ve outlined here, normal folks with a bit of patience now have a road map—a basic guide to the audio universe that will allow them to get more and better from their systems, allowing you all to enjoy the movie experience that much more.
To create the perfect home theater, you must ensure that your levels are set properly (according to the system you’re using), that your surrounds are high quality, and that your speakers are all tuned using REL’s instructions — all so you get that perfect surround sound experience.
We’re here to help you get much more out of your favorite movies at home, so don’t hesitate to reach out and visit our other home theater resources:
Getting the Most out of Your HT: Tips from the World's Pickiest Setup Artists
How To Tune A Subwoofer: Learn How To Optimize Your REL The Same Way The Pros Do It.
Be A Theater Pro: 5 Tips To Build Theater Sound The Way the Pro’s Do
share article
