Surround Sound Installations
If you want the perfect surround sound installation, you have many options.
We’d like to cover three of those options for you here today.
- Buy and install your own surround sound system
- Buy your own equipment and let someone else install it for you
- Let a professional company install surround sound for you
If, after reading this article, you decide we should help you with your installation please call or email.
Buying A Surround Sound System off the shelf (And Installing Yourself)
You can definitely look for something off the shelf do your own surround sound installation.
- Amazon has some great deals on systems.
- There are lots of YouTube videos where you can learn how to make your surround sound system perform well in your theater room.
- You can read lots of articles online.
If that’s what you’d like to do, we recommend checking out a bunch of online reviews before you buy your equipment.
One great article is Crutchfield’s article about surround sound and systems (at least is a great article as of September, 2017).
So, depending on the size and complexity of your project, as well as your background, you might be able to install your own surround sound system.
This is probably especially true if you’re just installing the sound in one room. In one room, you can get a good idea of how the sound will be laid out. It’s pretty straightforward to install surround sound if you are keeping it simple for yourself. (Where it gets more difficult is multiple inputs, wanting multiple sources of audio, etc.)
Here’s an example of a YouTube video you could watch to educate yourself on the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.
- Pro: Doing your own purchasing and installing lets you save some money by doing it yourself.
You save money on labor. - Con: If you want a good system, you will probably have to buy the equipment at full retail price.
Buying Surround Sound Gear Yourself (And Letting Someone Else Install It)
This is probably the most expensive way to go if you want a surround sound system.
You’ll probably pay full retail price (rather than getting wholesale discounts through a company like Lighthouse Technologies – which we often pass along to help save money on your projects).
And even if you didn’t, you might get hooked up with some great system somewhere (garage sale, ebay, found on the side of the road, etc.).
The problems with this are many, but might include:
- If you saved money on the equipment, it could be that there’s something wrong with it.
- The system may be a few years old (and as we know with almost all technology, even tech that is a few years old can mean much slower and lower quality).
And even if neither of those are true, when you bring a system to someone who is a professional installer, you might be bringing them gear that they’re not familiar with. You might end up paying more for them to take the time to learn about the off-brand system
- Pro: You might get hooked up with a great surround sound system.
- Con: You might get old gear, that no one understands how to install or use.
You could end up paying more to have someone try to understand it, and how to install it.
Inviting A Professional Company To Handle Your Surround Sound Installation
When you hire a professional company to install your surround sound system, you’re not only buying their service, you’re also buying their expertise.
Look for a company that is trained and licensed, with an excellent track record.
You’re not just buying their labor, you may also be getting their:
- testing equipment (they bring expensive testing gear along with them to be sure everything is working properly)
- wholesale discounts (sometimes installation companies will pass some or all of their wholesale discounts along to customers)
- years of experience
They should be able to provide you with:
- Pictures of previous surround sound installations
- Testimonials from previously satisfied clients
- Answers to your questions
- A reasonably priced quote (commensurate with their background and experience)
Our recommendation?
A good AV company can handle your installation. You may be surprised by how great the experience is!
(At least that’s been the experience of many of our previous customers.)
- Pro: You have a company handling your installation for you.
They should also become a partner you can call to help you understand how to use your surround sound system. - Con: You might spend a little more, but then again, you might not. They may pass their wholesale savings along to you.
We’re happy to help with anything related to surround sound installations!