Surround Sound Setup

The various flavors of PC surround sound can be confusing. All speaker configurations have similar labels that begin with a numeral denoting the number of regular speakers in the set, followed by a ".1" referring to the subwoofer that is almost always present these days. Some common speaker configurations include:

2.1--Standard stereo with a pair of front speakers.

4.1--Adds a pair of rear speakers to a 2.1 setup.

5.1--The most common surround setup: pairs of front and rear speakers, plus a front center "dialog" speaker. Look for Dolby Digital or DTS in games and DVDs.

6.1--All the speakers of 5.1, with the addition of a rear center speaker. Supported by Dolby Digital Surround EX.

7.1--All the speakers of 5.1, with an additional pair of side surround speakers.

Not all sound cards, game software, and DVD movies support the more advanced modes, although games using DirectSound 3D can send audio to however many speakers your sound card supports.

Speaker placement is both an art and a science. Spend some time experimenting with speaker positions to find a setup that offers the best compromise between sounds that are clearly located at specific points and audio that spans a wide area to either side. Rotate the front speakers inward toward the listener and try moving them farther apart, or position the rear speakers closer or farther away. Subwoofer placement isn't critical, though it should be on the floor. And the closer it is to a room corner, the stronger the bass will be.

Stan Miastkowski is a PC World contributing editor. Contact him at stan_miastkowski@pcworld.com. Click here for past Step-By-Step columns.