Don’t skip this crucial first step when building a home theater

A lot of people talk about their massive surround sound systems and like to show off all their speakers, but you don’t have to start there. In fact, I would argue the best place to start while building out your system is with a simple stereo system. This means two speakers without a subwoofer, though you could add one if you’d like. The nice thing is you can stick with just a pair of speakers for quite a while and notice a big upgrade over your regular TV speakers.

Home theaters can get expensive in a hurry, especially when upgrading, but you can greatly soften the blow by taking it a step at a time. This means spending the time to pick out a solid stereo setup. You can either go with a pair of bookshelf speakers or opt for floor-standing ones. Either one you pick, if you put a bigger budget toward that, you’ll be happier in the long run.

Your front two speakers matter the most

Don’t cheap out on these

When you’re watching something, have you ever thought about where most of the sound is coming from? I’ll give you a hint — it’s not behind you. Your left and right speakers are where you’ll be hearing most of the action, and that’s why you must get a quality pair. Even with a 5.1 setup, there are many times, primarily when I’m watching something on Hulu + Live TV, where I don’t get to use my surround sound. This means all the audio is coming from those two speakers, and it’s another reason why it’s important to get good ones.

This doesn’t mean you have to spend an arm and a leg, but you should do some research before pulling the trigger on something. A good start for me has been the home theater buying guide on Reddit, but it also helps to ask people you know in real life about their setup. The Reddit guide has different options for each price point, and I don’t think you’d be upset if you follow the recommendations there.

In fact, I’d say it’s worth it to skip that home theater in a box you might be looking for and use that entire budget on a set of stereo speakers. It’s nice to have a very solid base to build off, and the result, albeit after a few years, could be a very formidable setup instead of a budget one. When I first started my setup, I went with a pair of stereo speakers at first, and I now use those very same speakers as surrounds.

Whether you pick bookshelf or floor-standing speakers comes down to personal preference. I went for bookshelves, but the same advice applies either way. I like the look of bookshelf speakers more than the tower ones, so that’s why I made the decision I did.

Make sure you match your center speaker

A very important step in the process

When you decide to add more to your setup, you’ll need to make sure you get the matching center channel speaker that goes with your stereo setup. Most brands keep the same naming scheme, so it shouldn’t be too hard to track it down. That Reddit buying guide I mentioned earlier also shows you the matching center speaker.

This is an important step because you want to make sure your speakers all have the same soundstage, and the way to guarantee that is by sticking with the same set. Your surround speakers don’t necessarily have to be the same as your front ones, but I’d recommend it unless it’s impossible. Many people feel the center speaker is actually the most important part of your setup, since that’s where your dialogue will be coming from. I don’t necessarily disagree, but I’d give the edge to your stereo speakers.

It’s all really important, and there’s even an argument to be made that your subwoofer is the piece that brings your entire setup together. Strangely enough, your surrounds might be the least impactful part of a surround sound system.

Keep in mind that if you do spend a little bit extra on your initial stereo speakers, it’ll often mean you have to spend more on your center speaker since you want it to match. This means you might have to save up a little bit more cash and be stuck with a stereo setup for longer than you’d want.

Home theater builds are a journey, and everybody gets there differently. There’s quite a bit I wish I knew before putting mine together. Looking back at it, I definitely wouldn’t have pulled the trigger on some cheap Sony speakers, but you live, and you learn. Since that point, I’ve bought several speakers and several receivers, so it’s been a fun few years. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular TV audio, and soundbars aren’t something I’ll give consideration to in the future either — even if many people love them.