Question

Mono surround speaker?

  • 7 November 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 994 views

Have a cramped room for surround sound set up..

Is it possible to use 1 mono speaker in rear instead of two paired stereo speakers in rear?

Will sonos let me configure this way??

J

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2 replies

My suggestion for such places is to instead consider a stereo amp with 2 decent quality stand mounted speakers that afford some more width than that of the TV screen for sound effects across the screen and dialogue from the centre of the screen via the phantom centre channel effect that you will obtain from just these speakers.

With a Connect wired to the amp, it will also make for a very good stereo system for music.
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Surround sound rear channel speakers need some space between them and the listener for the sound to develop. Without it the speaker ends up sounding too distracting; it's basically shouting down your ear rather than creating a diffuse rear channel ambient effect.

Kumar's idea of a decent stereo system is good advice.

A basic stereo amp with remote control is your starting point. If space is limited then have a look at the Tangent Ampster BT at £149. It has an optical input built in which means you can connect the sound from most TVs. The Tangent amp has Bluetooth built in as well, so if you have it on your phone then you can stream music directly.

For speakers the Wharfedale Diamond 220 (£120) are a significant step up from the sub £99 speakers. They produce a decent amount of bass so won't need to be driven as hard as the lesser speakers to produce a really satisfying sound.

If space is very limited consider a soundbar or soundbase. These won't be anywhere near as good for music, but for TV viewing they'll do just fine. Cambridge Audio TV2 V2 (£199) and Yamaha SRT700 (£199) spring to mind as decent without breaking the bank but worth the extra over models at £150-£179