The most common in-home surround systems are 5.1 and 7.1/7.2 systems.  What do all these numbers mean?

5.1 Surround Sound

5.1 refers to *FIVE speakers placed around you (Front Left/Right, Front Center, Surround Left/Right) with the addition of *ONE subwoofer for low frequencies.  The 5 full range speakers can be a combination of in-ceiling speakers, in-wall speakers or tower / bookshelf speakers.  The subwoofer is typically self-powered and come in compact options to take up a small footprint in your home theater room.

7.1 Surround Sound

A 7.1 system simply adds two more surround speakers on your sides, giving you THREE speakers in front of you, TWO on either side and TWO behind you, combined with either ONE or TWO powered subwoofers in a 7.1 or 7.2 setup respectively.

Subwoofers provide dedicated low frequency amplification putting the “boom” in your room.

Typical Pre-Wires

Many homebuilders are including pre-wiring for surround sound and additional audio with their new homes.  Typically, builders wire homes for a 5.1 configuration using in-ceiling speakers. If your home is pre-wired, you will see “blank” plates on your ceilings in the room that is wired along with wires coming out of a wall nearby.

In some cases, builders pre-wire TWO speakers on the outdoor patio that can be utilized with a multi-zone surround receiver.   This allows you to watch a movie in surround sound in one room, and stream music to another room in your house as a separate “zone.”

Can I Add More Speakers?

YES! We can easily add two more wires to your current home wiring to allow for a 7.1 system and additional subwoofer wiring to achieve a 7.2 system.  In most single story homes with attic access speakers can be added to just about any part of the home.

Surround sound prices vary depending on a number of factors.  The most important if these is how large of system you are wanting to purchase.

Surround Sound Costs

A typical 5.1 Surround Sound System with gear & installation from scratch using in-wall or in-ceiling speakers is approximately $3695 with a bit of a discount if your home is already pre-wired.

A higher end 7.2 system installed from scratch can range from $4500 to $6500 depending on equipment that you choose.

What if I have all of my own equipment already?

Just installation of a surround sound setup ranges from $199 to $1400, depending on the type of speakers, wiring & other equipment that you are hooking up.

Once your gear is ordered & has arrived, most surround sound installs take about ONE FULL day to complete when they involve cutting in-ceiling or in-wall speakers, wiring and setup/calibration.  We will need the following to complete your surround sound installation:

• Attic Access
• WiFi Network + Password
• Access to structured wiring panel & breaker box