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You’re sitting in the cinema. There’s a high-speed car chase playing on the screen in front of you, and you can hear tyres screeching to your right and police sirens blaring from behind. But how? This is thanks to surround sound — with speakers placed strategically all around the cinema. Each speaker projects audio in different directions, angles and heights to deliver a more realistic and immersive sound experience. In this guide, we’re breaking down how you can create this same cinematic experience at home and feel like you’re in the middle of all the action.

In short, surround sound helps you feel like you’re in the middle of whatever is happening on screen. As its name suggests, this technique is used to create an immersive audio experience that feels like it’s completely surrounding you. When you visit the cinema, a number of speakers — in some cases, 

 — are strategically positioned around the room to project sound in every direction. While this experience is most familiar at the cinema, you can also achieve immersive surround sound at home with the right speakers and the 

Diagram illustrating a typical 5.1 home cinema setup

You can configure your surround sound system in a variety of ways based on the size of your room, the sound experience you want to achieve, and your budget. The two most common surround sound setups are 5.1 and 7.1.

First things first: What do these numbers mean? Essentially, these figures indicate how many points of audio — or ‘channels’ — are within a surround sound system. The first digit in each configuration denotes the number of channels in a system, while the second refers to the presence of a subwoofer. So, for example, in a typical 5.1 system, three front speakers (or a soundbar, which delivers the left, right, and centre channels), two rear speakers, and one subwoofer make up this setup. (For a comprehensive breakdown on channel configurations, take a look at our 

Generally speaking, the number of channels in a given setup is a strong indication of how immersive the surround sound experience will be. Let’s take a closer look at each.

A 5.1 system is considered a standard layout — with most films mixed for this surround sound experience. In this setup, the dialogue will sound crisper, effects and other ambient audio will appear to be coming from behind and in front of you, and you’ll feel like you’re enveloped in the action happening on-screen. This is thanks to five channels — or points of audio — and one subwoofer. Imagine the setup having three channels in front of you and two behind for all-around audio, plus a single subwoofer to deliver those low-frequency sounds such as big explosions or deep voices.

For most home cinema setups, this system is a solid choice. The three front channels and two rear channels will easily fill your room with sound.

Because surround sound is all about, well, surrounding you in sound, more channels will create a more immersive viewing experience. The two additional channels in a 7.1 setup will fill some of the gaps in your sound experience. However, it’s worth noting that some speakers can provide multiple points of audio without the need for additional speakers. For example, a soundbar covers your three front channels (left, right, and centre) despite being a single speaker. Some rear speakers can also cover multiple points of audio, eliminating the need for individual speakers and a whole lot of wiring.

Couple sitting on a sofa watching TV with a black Arc and an Era 300 pair

Does surround sound actually sound better?

Yes, surround sound does make a difference for those times you’re watching a film and want to be immersed in sound. Let’s take a look at why that is.

With a stereo system, all of your sound comes from two channels: the left and the right. This is great if you’re listening to music in the car or on a pair of headphones. But when you’re watching a film, you want to feel engulfed in the action, and surround sound does that for you. Surround sound is less directional and more dynamic than stereo sound, sending audio in front of you, above, and behind instead of just to the left and the right. This creates an overall more realistic sound — mimicking the way you experience action in real life.

Adding a soundbar to your TV will give you clearer dialogue, enhanced clarity, and deeper bass, but all the sound is only coming from the soundbar in front of you. Adding rear speakers for surround sound will give you that all-encompassing effect, thanks to audio coming from many different angles around the room and sound actually coming from behind you.

Picture yourself in the cinema again watching that car chase. At this point in the scene, a police helicopter is now hovering above the vehicles. It feels as if the propellers are whirring overhead, but how do you replicate this same feeling at home? This is where height channels and 

In a more advanced home cinema system, such as a 7.1.4 setup with Dolby Atmos, you'll notice the addition of a third digit, which represents the number of overhead speakers. These speakers are typically placed in each corner of the room and help add the feeling of height to your viewing experience.

If this sounds like a lot of speakers for one room, that’s because it is, but with the help of advanced technology and acoustic hardware, you can create this same experience with less speakers using 

 is a spatial audio technology that allows sound objects to be placed on a three-dimensional canvas and moved around in space. This adds a third overhead dimension to 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound setups. As a result, sound travels more naturally around the room as it would in real life, creating a more realistic sound experience for you as a listener.

Couple sitting on a sofa watching TV with a white Arc, Sub and a One pair

The benefits of a soundbar are plenty. For starters, it performs the work of a right, left, and centre speaker — saving you space and potentially money. It creates that immersive surround sound experience without the need for three individual speakers (with their accompanying wiring) in front of your TV. And soundbars won’t cramp your style. The understated design blends in with existing decor, and its thin construction means it will fit nicely under a TV or can be easily mounted on a wall.

Of course, not all soundbars produce the same experience. If you're planning to tuck your speaker into a media stand, you'll want to choose 

 so that furniture won’t block the soundwaves. But if you want to create that truly immersive cinema experience, go with a 

. These speakers are designed with upward-firing drivers to project sound all around the room.

A soundbar on its own can dramatically improve the clarity and quality of your audio, whether you’re streaming a film or listening to music. But if you want sound that comes from all directions, consider adding a couple of rear speakers. Rear speakers magnify all those ambient sounds that really bring you into the film — rustling wind, a leaking tap, or coffee-shop chatter. If you’re a fan of scary films, you know the importance of those details for creating suspense.

, you’ll need to position them on either side of your seating or behind you. Make sure that the side and upward-firing drivers are clear of anything that could block them. (Depending on the speaker, you can also mount them higher and position them toward wherever you’ll be sitting.) You can easily connect 

Subwoofers are great additions to your surround sound setup because they really help you feel the audio. Plus, a 

 enhances the sound of your other speakers by shouldering some of the work. That is, subwoofers produce some of the lower sound frequencies, so your other speakers can focus on delivering mid-range sounds. Absolutely brilliant, right? When choosing a subwoofer, be aware that they range from 

 to large with varying levels of power. What size works best for you will depend on the rest of your setup, the size of your room, and your budget.

Bring Surround Sound Into Your Home With Sonos

Now that you understand how to build out your surround system, it’s time for the fun part — actually building your home cinema. Sonos has everything you need to create cinematic sound at home. And the best part is you can start slow. Maybe you start with a soundbar for crisper dialogue in films. Over time, you can add a subwoofer to feel the sound. A couple of rear speakers will turn up the ambient noise and envelop you in your listening experience. If you feel overwhelmed by the options and need a little inspiration for your setup, we have that too. Our 

Couple sitting on a sofa watching TV with a white Beam and an Era 100 pair

The Beginner's Guide to Surround Sound

When HDMI first appeared more than 20 years ago, it set a new standard for high-definition home entertainment. Today, HDMI — which stands for ‘

’ — remains among the most popular digital interfaces used to transmit high-definition video and audio signals over a single cable.

HDMI cables connect the output from any number of HD sources (streaming devices, soundbars, games consoles, etc.) to the input of an HD display, such as a high-definition TV or projector. Since you probably use at least one of these devices on a daily basis, chances are that you’ve already plugged in an HDMI cable without even knowing it.

In this guide, we’ll give you a brief introduction to HDMI. We’ll also walk you through the basics of HDMI ARC and HDMI eARC, two audio-focused technologies that simplify your life by reducing the cables needed to connect your TV to a compatible 

To understand what HDMI is and what it does, it helps to simply break down the acronym:

The best new TVs support stunning crisp image and audio quality but higher quality means a huge amount of data. Not every cable or connection is capable of transferring all this data from an input source to your TV at the speed or bandwidth required for optimal performance. HDMI was created to solve this problem, and newer versions keep ratcheting up the bandwidth to keep pace with ever-increasing levels of video and audio quality.

When we say “multimedia”, all we mean is that HDMI can support more than one type of media. HDMI supports both uncompressed video and multi-channel audio; that’s why we call it a multimedia interface.

An interface is essentially just a connection between two devices. It’s the place where those two devices communicate and share data back and forth with each other. In this case, HDMI acts as an interface between an input device (the source of your entertainment) and an output device (the thing that plays or displays your entertainment).

Say you have a source of audio and video data that you want to connect to your TV. This source could be a streaming device such as a Roku or Apple TV, a modern games console such as a Playstation or Xbox, or a Blu-ray player.

 (in other words, a physical connection) that allows you to transfer all this 

 (i.e. audio and video) data. However, not just any interface will do. You need one that can transfer a huge amount of data at an incredibly fast rate to achieve the 

 quality that has become standard among modern TVs, projectors, and other entertainment devices.

You may notice that we italicised some words in the above description. When you combine these words together, you get 

, or HDMI. This interface is widely used to transmit digital audio and video signals across devices, and it eliminates the need for multiple cables by consolidating different signals into a single connection.

HDMI cables can be used to transmit uncompressed digital audio and video signals between compatible devices.

 14-millimetre HDMI cable (Type A) has 19 pins and two ‘male’ connector ends, both of which plug into ‘female’ sockets on the devices it connects. Standard HDMI cables come in varying lengths, but as a general rule, the shorter the cable, the faster the data is transferred. Once you get past 10 metres or so, you may start to see some noticeable signal degradation.

Newer versions of HDMI cables support higher data-transfer rates. These cables look like the Standard cable but are labelled 

. Both are an improvement over Standard, but if you want the best possible experience with the latest HDMI 2.1 components, you may want to stick to the Ultra High Speed cable.

The good news is that these newer cables are all backward-compatible, meaning you can use them with earlier-version devices that were released before the upgrade in cable technology. The bad news is that a cable alone will not upgrade the quality of those old devices.

: Other types of HDMI connectors — Type B, C, D, and E — also exist for different use cases, e.g. smartphones, cameras, and vehicle entertainment systems. We’re focusing on Type A here, as it’s the standard connector for home-entertainment devices.

Closeup of the HDMI and Ethernet ports on the back of Sonos Arc

The ARC in HDMI ARC stands for ‘Audio Return Channel’. If you use your TV with a soundbar or audio receiver, this feature helps you cut down on cables.

In a non-ARC setup, you would need a total of three cables:

An HDMI cable to connect your source device to the audio system

Another HDMI cable to connect your audio system to your TV

An optical/audio cable to connect your TV 

With HDMI ARC, you can eliminate this third cable. This is because the HDMI cable that connects your audio system to your TV can also send the TV audio 

 into your audio system. Instead of having two one-way roads, you’re essentially combining them into a single two-lane data highway.

ARC is not necessary if you only plan to use your TV’s speakers but if you want to use an external speaker, it not only eliminates the need for an extra cable, but also improves the sound quality of the signal by allowing the same signal to travel in both directions (to and from the speaker).

HDMI ARC is compatible with HDMI 1.4 cables and all later versions. If you’re planning to connect a Blu-ray player or any other content source with video resolutions of 1080p or higher, you should likely buy at least a High Speed HDMI cable. Before rushing out to buy a cable separately, though, note that most soundbars already come with an HDMI ARC cable in the box.

Just note that the devices you’re connecting also have to be HDMI ARC-enabled. You should see ‘ARC’ clearly marked on the HDMI port of your TV or source device if it’s compatible.

Black Arc with cables hanging underneath it

HDMI eARC stands for HDMI ‘Enhanced Audio Return Channel’.

The eARC standard was introduced in the latest version of HDMI (HDMI 2.1). It works in much the same way as HDMI ARC, though it boasts even higher audio bandwidth.

This extra bandwidth allows eARC to support higher-quality surround sound technologies. For example, though most 

you’ll need HDMI eARC to play lossless Dolby Atmos audio

You typically don’t have to do anything special to enable HDMI eARC; simply connect the HDMI cable as you normally would. If your TV or projector supports eARC, you may see an ‘eARC/ARC’ or similar label on its HDMI port. If you don’t see this label, check the user guide to confirm if eARC is supported.

You don’t necessarily need a special cable for HDMI eARC, though a High Speed HDMI cable or an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable is probably a good bet. The latter option is sure to work, as the Ultra High Speed specifications support all HDMI 2.1 features.

As is the case with all newer HDMI cables, the Ultra High Speed cable is backwards-compatible with devices that don’t support HDMI 2.1.

If you’re using external speakers with your 

 and you’re concerned with maximising the quality of your audio output, HDMI eARC is the way to go. Just note that all of the components in your mix — your TV as well as your soundbar or audio system — must be eARC-compatible to ensure optimal bandwidth. Otherwise, your bandwidth may be limited by the weakest link in your system, i.e. the device that’s only compatible with ARC.

 that will help you get the most out of your home cinema experience? Take a look at an eARC-compatible soundbar such as the 

Couple sitting on a sofa watching TV with a white Arc, Sub, and Era 100 pair

The Beginner's Guide to HDMI, HDMI ARC, and eARC

Whether you're a film buff, sports fanatic, gamer, music lover, or all of the above, a surround sound system allows you to experience your home entertainment in the most immersive way, right from the comfort of your living room. And when it comes to creating a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system, no one makes it as easy to achieve — or gives you as many options — as Sonos.

Not sure where to start? This comprehensive guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to choose speakers, set them up, and make sure you’re getting the best 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound experience possible.

Before we dive into the specifics, let's establish what 5.1 and 7.1 mean. These different figures refer to the number of audio channels involved in a 

 system. The number before the decimal represents the main ear-level audio channels, while the number after the decimal refers to the presence of a subwoofer, which produces low-frequency effects.

A 5.1 system traditionally consists of five speakers and one subwoofer, while a 7.1 system includes seven speakers and one subwoofer. The more channels you have, the more directions the sound can come from, creating a more immersive sound experience. You can learn more about these configurations in our 

How Sonos does 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound differently

While 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound systems usually require as many speakers placed around the room as channels, Sonos innovation delivers the same immersive surround sound experience with less hardware. For example, a Sonos 

 does the work of three speakers by reproducing the centre, front left, and front right channels. This means a Sonos home cinema system is not only easier to set up, but also fits and looks better in your space.

Another standout feature for Sonos is the ability of select speakers to render additional height channels for spatial audio. In the past, height channels could only be achieved by placing speakers overhead, usually by installing them in the ceiling. Speakers such as 

, however, feature upward-firing drivers that create a similar effect for spatial audio content, such as films and music mixed in 

. When you see a figure such as 5.1.2, the third number, or the number after the second decimal, indicates the height channels.

Couple sitting on a sofa watching TV with a white Beam, Sub Mini, and Era 100 pair

To achieve 5.1 surround sound with Sonos, you’ll need the following products:

A soundbar for the centre, front left, and front right channels.

Two rear speakers, one for the rear left channel and another for the rear right.

A subwoofer for the low-frequency effects channel.

This configuration will deliver crisp dialogue from the centre, deep bass from the subwoofer, and a three-dimensional sound experience all around you.

Here are some possible product combinations:

Beam (Gen 2) + Era 100 rear speakers + Sub Mini

 (With Dolby Atmos content, this setup simulates 7.1.4 surround sound. Read more on that below.)

learn more about possible surround sound pairings

From left to right: Beam (Gen 2), Ray, Era 100 Stereo Pair, Sub Mini black

For even more immersive Sonos surround sound, you don’t actually need more speakers. You just need the right speakers that support spatial audio. Speakers such as 

, for example, have the acoustic architecture to create a wider soundstage and the processing power to precisely render individual sounds all around the room. When you play Dolby Atmos content through these speakers, you’ll feel as though you have two additional side speakers — one to your left and another to your right — as well as four speakers overhead. It’s not just 7.1 surround sound. It’s 7.1.4.

Arc + Era 100 rear speakers + Sub (Gen 3)

Arc + Era 300 rear speakers + Sub (Gen 3)

Note that Beam (Gen 2) and Era 100 use advanced psychoacoustics-based algorithms to simulate additional height and rear side channels for virtualised 7.1.4 surround sound. Arc and Era 300, however, both have upward-firing drivers and side-firing drivers that support a truer 7.1.4 experience.

From left to right: Arc, Era 300 Stereo Pair, Era 100 Stereo Pair, Sub black

Setting up surround sound in the Sonos app

Once you have your speakers positioned, you can set up surround sound in the Sonos app:

Start by plugging in your soundbar and following the instructions in the app for connecting your TV and syncing your remote. Then plug in your subwoofer and add it to the same room as your soundbar.

Add your rear speakers to your system one at a time, giving them each their own name, such as Left Surround and Right Surround. Ideally these should be placed at ear level behind your listening position and angled inward.

Choose the room where you have your soundbar and subwoofer set up, then select 

. The app will detect your rear speakers. All you have to do is select them, and in minutes your system is ready.

To make sure you’re getting the best experience, you’ll want to use 

™ to fine-tune the sound for your space. You can also 

 from within the app by choosing the room where your home cinema is set up and selecting 

. From there, you can adjust the TV level and music playback according to your preference.

For music playback, you can set your surround speakers to Full or Ambient mode. These are set to Ambient mode by default, which means the rear speakers will perform as they do for home cinema, producing low-volume audio within a limited frequency range optimised for the seated position you’d have when watching TV. If you select Full, the rear speakers will act as a stereo pair for more powerful and immersive sound that fills more of the room.

Your Sonos surround sound experience depends on your TV connection and content. Most shows and films are mixed for 5.1 surround sound, so you can expect to get a 5.1 experience from any Sonos surround sound system.

For 7.1.4 surround sound, you need two things. First, your TV should support HDMI eARC (you should be able to verify this from the manual or a quick Google search). Second, your streaming service will need to have Dolby Atmos content, which is available from services such as Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. You can 

 from the Now Playing screen in the Sonos app.

Some content, especially music, will default to stereo playback through your surround sound system, so you’ll experience stereo sound from both the front and back of the room. If you have Beam (Gen 2) or Arc, you can enjoy a more immersive spatial audio experience on your system by listening to Dolby Atmos Music from Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. Just look for the Dolby Atmos badge next to the track or on the Now Playing screen. You also have the option to 

turn off spatial audio for music playback in the app

Investing in a surround sound system with Sonos allows you to bring the cinema experience to the comfort of your home with fewer components and hassle-free installation. If you’re ready to create your Sonos home cinema system and feel fully immersed in your home entertainment, explore

 our ready-made speaker sets for 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound

Couple sitting on a sofa watching TV with a black Arc, Sub, and Era 300 pair

How to get 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound with your Sonos system

, is an essential part of any modern audio-listening system, but how does it work? And do you really need to shell out a ton of money for a new or upgraded DAC that promises to deliver better sound from your 

Before we answer those questions, we need to clarify what a DAC actually does. In this guide, we’ll discuss how a DAC converts audio from CDs, MP3s, and streaming services into an analogue signal that your speakers can use to produce incredibly detailed sound.

. It’s that simple — but only if you understand the difference between digital and analogue signals in the first place.

When you listen to a live performance, your ears are picking up an 

 signal. This signal is smooth and constantly variable, with no sharp edges that separate one part of the sound from the next. When you listen to a speaker, you’re also hearing an analogue signal — one that’s produced by a constantly fluctuating stream of electricity.

Some physical mediums use analogue signals, too. Vinyl records have a tiny groove that moves back and forth in a wave-like fashion, never fully stopping at one fixed location. A record player picks up the vibrations made when a needle moves through this groove and sends it through an amplifier and into a speaker. No conversion is necessary here, because you’re starting with an analogue signal and ending with an analogue signal.

That’s great if you only listen to vinyl, but most people these days listen to music from laptops and smartphones, which store songs in MP3 files and other digital audio formats. These formats are 

, which means that they store audio information in discrete increments rather than as a continuous signal. These increments are essentially tiny snapshots (or samples) of the original analogue signal captured by the microphones during the recording process.

Digital audio formats help us store audio in a conveniently tidy package, but they emit digital signals that can’t be interpreted into sound by an electrical speaker. The signal must be converted 

into an analogue electrical signal that the speaker can use — and this conversion is exactly what a DAC does.

Port placed on top of some books on a bookshelf

 takes a digital signal from a stored audio file and transforms it into a curvy, continuous analogue signal, but how?

DACs work by taking tiny snapshots, or samples, of the digital signal and stitching these snapshots together into an analogue waveform. A DAC might take thousands of samples from a single second of an audio file (the exact number of samples it takes per second is referred to as the 

). It then plots these samples on a graph and creates a curved analogue wave that intersects all of the individual sample points.

Ideally, a DAC should follow a consistent timing sequence when it converts a digital signal to an analogue signal. To accomplish this, a typical DAC relies on a master clock that is precisely tuned to the sample rate.

However, in some DACs this clock can be more prone to errors. If a 

 occurs, you may be able to detect a slight degradation in sound quality. This is because the individual samples aren’t being converted at consistent times, and the sound is thus distorted when played back.

This generally isn’t a problem with modern DACs, as many of them decode digital files at a rate higher than the human ear can detect. However, it may be something you run into if you’re relying on the built-in DAC in your phone or laptop, which may not be as good at handling clocking errors as a high-quality DAC (such as the 

So, do you actually need to upgrade your sound system with an external DAC? In most cases, 

your sound system likely has a great DAC already built into it

. This is the case with Sonos Port and our other 

, all of which come with a high-quality DAC.

However, if you’re relying on the DAC built into your smartphone or laptop, then yes, many external DACs are superior at limiting clocking errors. Whether you’re able to actually detect those clocking errors, in any case, depends on how well you can hear; it’s not a given that you’ll be able to tell the difference.

If you’re streaming music from a digital device into a DAC-less sound system, you might want to experiment with a USB DAC that connects to the USB port of your computer (it can also connect to your phone via a USB adapter).

Can I get better sound by using two DACs instead of one?

No. You only need one DAC to do the job. So, if you stream music from your phone to a Sonos speaker, you’ll only need the speaker’s built-in DAC to convert the digital signal from your phone into an analogue signal the speaker can interpret.

This makes intuitive sense — since a DAC’s job is to convert a digital signal to an analogue signal, it doesn’t make sense to stack two DACs on top of each other. Once the digital signal has been converted to analogue, it isn’t digital anymore. Simply put, an analogue signal can’t be converted to analogue 

With that said, you can bypass the internal DAC of your phone or laptop by connecting to an external DAC with better components. Your device will send a direct digital signal to the DAC of your choice, which will convert it into an analogue signal and send it through to your speakers or headphones.

Sonos takes care of the DAC question for you.

 seamlessly converts the signal from your favourite streaming service or digital media player into a smooth analogue wave, ensuring that your audio is as crisp and clear as possible.

For a wired setup, you can connect one end of a digital coax cable to the digital coax input on your receiver. The built-in DAC will convert this digital signal before sending it onward to the speaker.

Though a weak DAC can be a limiting factor for your system, your overall sound quality depends on a lot more than just your DAC. Your speakers and other components also matter — a lot! We’ve taken any possible weak links out of the equation with our 

, which include options with powered all-in-one speakers, subwoofers, and more.

What is a DAC (and do you need it for home audio)?

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The Beginner's Guide to Surround Sound

The Beginner's Guide to HDMI, HDMI ARC, and eARC

How to get 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound with your Sonos system

What is a DAC (and do you need it for home audio)?

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