Every modern smart home needs a space where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your favorite entertainment — whether that’s an Oscar-winning film, a sporting event, a concert, or the latest album from your favorite band. Integrating a surround sound installation into your home can completely transform how you enjoy your favorite content. Here’s a quick guide to the must-have elements of a surround sound system.

High-End Speakers

This is probably the most obvious device you’ll need for a stellar surround sound system. To experience truly immersive entertainment, you’ll need at least five high-end speakers: one on the left, one on the right, one in the center, and two in the back. This layout lets you hear sound from every direction around you, making the experience more realistic and fully immersing you in whatever is happening on screen.

A World-Class Receiver

You should never underestimate the power of a good receiver. So what is this device, and why does your surround sound system need it? Receivers — also known as “amps” — take in signals from an audio source, such as a Blu-ray player, then process that sound to clean it up, amplify it, and send it to your speakers to deliver crisp, lifelike audio. Adding a quality receiver to your surround sound installation is one of the best ways to make sure you enjoy every detail of your audio content.

A Powerful Subwoofer

Subwoofers produce low frequencies that standard surround sound setups can’t deliver on their own. These frequencies range from 20 to 200 Hz, and they’re perfect for boosting your experience when listening to music that leans on kick drums or bass guitars. Subwoofers also add realism if you’re an avid action-movie fan, letting you hear effects like explosions far more clearly.

Bringing the Three Together

Speakers, receiver, and subwoofer only reach their potential when they’re matched to each other and tuned to the room they’re installed in. A professional calibration accounts for furniture, wall surfaces, and room shape — details that make the difference between a system that sounds loud and one that sounds genuinely immersive.

At PROJECT: automate, we want to help you enjoy your entertainment to the fullest. Ready to integrate a surround sound installation into your home? Contact us today to learn more.