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Sonos is a leading American audio technology company that is best known for pioneering wireless multi-room audio systems, which make it easy for listeners to stream music and other content throughout their homes. The company continues to innovate, creating wireless speakers, home theatre systems, headphones, architectural components, and integrated home audio solutions that revolutionise how people listen and connect to sound.

, you may be wondering which type of speakers make the most sense for your listening style. There are lots of features to consider, from the speaker’s design and size to its connectivity options. But before you research any further, your first step should be deciding whether you want active speakers or passive speakers.

In this guide, we’ll clarify the difference between active speakers and passive speakers. We’ll also review some key factors to consider when deciding between the two. Whether you’re dreaming of a dedicated listening space or a 

 that plays music or podcasts throughout your home, we’ll help you figure out which speaker type is right for you.

, are speakers that contain a built-in amplifier, or ‘amp’ for short. Because the amp is already inside the enclosure, an active speaker doesn’t require an external amp as a source of power.

If your speakers plug into an electricity source, there’s a good chance that they come with a built-in amp. Most Sonos speakers fit this description, including Era 100 and Era 300.

Why is an amp necessary? Most audio sources send an electrical signal to speakers that tells them which sounds to produce. But this signal is usually too weak to actually produce sounds on its own. An amplifier boosts the signal’s power, which ultimately results in the sounds you hear from your speakers.

If you favour a streamlined setup with fewer components, an active speaker may be right for you. Not only are active speakers easier to install out of the box, but they also eliminate any concerns about finding an amp that works in harmony with your speaker.

This all-in-one approach to a speaker system is appealing to many listeners, but you may prefer to tinker and tweak your system’s individual components — from the speakers right down to the amp. If so, passive speakers could make more sense.

, lack a built-in amp, meaning they can’t 

 amplify the signal coming from an audio device. To use passive speakers as part of your sound system, you’ll need to rely on an 

 or AV receiver to power the audio signal.

Passive speakers come in all shapes and sizes. For example, in-ceiling and in-wall passive speakers are designed to be unobtrusive and to blend seamlessly with your home décor. Aside from their appearance, passive speakers may be engineered to reproduce specific frequencies of sound. For example, 

 specialise in low frequencies, while tweeters specialise in high frequencies.

So why use passive speakers if you’ll end up needing more components? Because for some listeners, this is precisely the point. A passive speaker system offers the flexibility to mix and match a range of specialised components, or to upgrade to a higher-quality amp in the future without also having to replace the speakers.

This flexibility comes at the cost of convenience though. Passive speakers typically require a wired connection and a more complex setup process. To also avoid damaging your speakers or external amp, passive speakers must be paired with an amp whose power output matches the speakers’ impedance. You shouldn’t have any issues finding an amp that falls within your speakers’ specified impedance range, but it’s another thing to worry about.

Family standing in kitchen with several in-ceiling speakers overhead

Key considerations between active and passive speakers

Now that we’ve defined our categories, we can tackle a central question: Should you buy active or passive speakers? Active speakers are probably a better solution for simple, everyday listening, but passive speakers could make more sense with certain audio setups. Let’s take a closer look.

Active speakers are usually considered easier to set up than passive speakers. For one, the built-in amp eliminates the need to connect an external amp. This isn’t just a matter of “one component is easier to keep track of than two components.” Because the built-in amp is already matched to the speaker’s drivers, you don’t need to deal with equalising or adjusting the settings on your amp to achieve a high-fidelity sound.

With that said, if you prefer an out-of-the-box solution that will sound good without much tinkering, an active speaker is probably the way to go.

If your speaker’s looks and location matter as much as its sound, passive speakers may offer more flexibility. Because these speakers don’t need to house a powered amp, they tend to come with slimmer and less obtrusive enclosures that can be installed discretely throughout the home.

 that are discreetly installed into a room’s walls or ceiling. These types of speakers are often passive to allow for more customisation in their placement. Of course, some active speakers, 

, also feature a sleek design that can seamlessly blend into most home cinema setups.

You can achieve high-fidelity sound with both active and passive speakers.

Yes, passive speakers allow for more customisation. Their enclosures also often have room for larger drivers, which are typically associated with better sound quality. But unless you’re an audio pro or have a good ear for balancing frequencies, you may find it more difficult to achieve a balanced, neutral sound with passive speakers.

Active speakers also have some design benefits that may enhance their sound quality. Aside from their matched amps and drivers, active speakers don’t require long speaker cables leading from the amp to the speaker. These cables are included inside the enclosure and are usually quite short. In general, the shorter the cable, the better the sound quality, so this is typically a good thing.

Whether you choose to go with active or passive speakers, Sonos has a solution for you.

 surround you with immersive sound, thanks to amplifiers that are precision-tuned to the speakers’ unique architecture.

If you’re also looking for a more discreet solution, our 

 are a passive option that blend in with your home’s design and pair perfectly with an amplifier like 

. Though they often require more work to set up, passive speakers don’t have to be intimidating. Sonos can even help you find a 

 for your passive speakers, should you choose to go that route.

Black Five next to a turntable on a console

Active vs. Passive Speakers: Which Is Best For Your Home?

Adding a subwoofer to your sound system can make all the difference in your listening experience, clarifying both low and high frequencies. (Need a bass refresher? Check out our 

 in your home, you may have come across the Phase Control setting in the Sonos app. If you’ve ever wondered, “What does phase mean for a subwoofer? Why would I want to adjust it?”, this article is for you.

Phase refers to the timing difference between low-frequency sound waves from your subwoofer and higher-frequency sound waves from your main 

. Adjusting the phase changes where a sound wave begins. This affects how the different frequencies merge and how you hear them.

Phase adjustments in a subwoofer are crucial for finding the sweet spot where the bass blends seamlessly into the overall sound experience. If you have your subwoofer bonded to a soundbar, it’s helpful to be attuned to the phase, as the precise timing and integration of sound effects can drastically change your home cinema viewing experience.

Why do I need to change the phase on my subwoofer?

Room acoustics play a significant role in how sound waves travel and interact with the environment. If your signal is in phase, the sound will feel very full. If the signal is out of phase, some frequencies are cancelled out, which could negatively impact the clarity and fullness of the sound.

You'd typically adjust the phase of your subwoofer in the following instances:

Rearranging the room where your speakers are placed

Adjusting the phase control for a traditional wired subwoofer can be like finding the right combination to a lock. You might need to try it a few times before it feels just right. Typically you’d slowly adjust the phase knob while playing a bass-heavy track. You’d want to also test the adjustments by listening where you’d usually be, as the effect might vary around the room.

Adjusting the phase control for Sonos Sub or Sub Mini is more like flipping a switch. Open the 

 and navigate to the product then select Settings > Advanced Audio > Sub Settings. Choose 0° or 180° and listen for the tone; it will help you gauge the adjustment.

If you use Trueplay™ to tune your setup, you don’t have to make any adjustments to the phase control and this setting will be disabled. Trueplay will optimise the phase of your subwoofer — and any bonded speakers — for the unique acoustics of your listening space.

, bringing greater depth and clarity to music, TV, films, and more. But for the best possible listening experience, you want to make sure every setting is just right. The Sonos app makes that easy, letting you fine-tune the phase control yourself or doing it for you with Trueplay.

White Sub 4 on the floor and Era 300 on top of a credenza

What is phase on a subwoofer? (And how to adjust it)

You want that cinema-quality sound experience at home. So, which speakers do you need? How many? And where exactly do you place them? Worry not. We’re here to help answer these and all your home cinema questions. In this blog, we’ll look at the two most popular surround sound setups — 5.1 and 7.1 — and explore the differences, which spaces they work best in, and how to create your own surround sound system at home for your next film night. Let’s get into it.

Picture yourself in a cinema, with an action scene playing out on-screen: fighter jets are weaving through the air and pilots are speaking into muffled headphones. In the cinema, the sound is astounding — the dialogue is crisp, the jet engines sound as if they’re passing overhead, and you can hear the enemy planes approaching from behind before they appear on the screen. This is surround sound, powered by speakers strategically placed around the room to create a truly immersive listening experience.

Even better, you can achieve something similar at home. You’ll just need a few speakers and a little bit of know-how. That’s where understanding 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound comes in. Knowing what these setups are and your options for creating them can help you build out your system at home.

“Our years selling at markets gave us a chance to slowly build our business and to figure out what worked,” says Bettina. “Selling at markets was up close and personal.”

The first number in each configuration (i.e. the ‘5’ in 5.1) refers to the number of ear-level channels — or points of audio, such as a speaker — in the system. The second number refers to the presence of a subwoofer. So, a 5.1 system includes three front channels (left, right, and center) and two rear channels (left surround and right surround). While a 7.1 system has an additional two channels (left side surround and right side surround). These are typically positioned between your ‘front stage’ (soundbar) and ‘rear stage’ (surround speakers). The image below should help visualise how a 5.1 comes together in your living space.

Diagram illustrating a typical 5.1 home cinema setup

Absolutely. As you’ve probably guessed, a 7.1 surround sound setup has the ability to really envelop listeners in audio, thanks to those two extra channels. Think of these setups like a LEGO® structure. A 5.1 system will deliver quality, immersive audio, but when you build on that system, you add additional depth and detail.

Both a 5.1 and 7.1 setup will surround you in sound with the help of front and rear speakers, but the 7.1 system’s additional two channels provide that extra bit of immersion. This gives you that feeling of being in the centre of whatever is playing out on the screen. It also makes the film or show feel more realistic. Because in real life, sound doesn’t just come at us from one direction.

Choosing between 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound

Let’s explore some important factors to consider when selecting your surround sound system.

If you have a small space, consider a 5.1 setup. This system will easily fill your room with sound and, depending on which speakers you choose (more powerful speakers create more powerful sound), you can still render a similar sound quality to a 7.1 setup. If your space is larger, however, you may want a 7.1 system to really fill the area with sound.

It goes without saying that the more complex the surround sound system, the more money you’re likely to end up investing. Generally speaking, a 5.1 setup will be more affordable than a 7.1 setup. There are naturally exceptions to this. For instance, if you were to opt for a more powerful soundbar or rear speakers, a 5.1 system could cost more. Speakers and subwoofers range in price depending on their size, power, and features, among other things.

How much you’re looking to spend may also help you decide where at home to set up your system. For instance, if you have a smaller budget, consider creating your film space in a smaller family room versus a more spacious basement.

You’re spending time and money building out your surround system, so it makes sense to consider the variety of listening experiences it will provide. Are you planning to listen to music from these speakers in spatial audio? If so, consider Dolby Atmos-supported speakers as part of your setup. These speakers will make your system more versatile for the times you switch from films to music.

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

Create your perfect home cinema with Sonos

Now that you understand the differences between 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, let’s look at a few different ways you can create your own setup using Sonos speakers. Each of these setups includes a soundbar, rear speakers, and a subwoofer.

Our most compact 5.1 system delivers blockbuster surround experience without blowing your budget. With this setup, you can hear sound in front of and behind you. It all sounds real — from coffee shop chatter in a rom-com to footsteps approaching from behind in a scary film. The dialogue is clear, the sound is balanced, and you can feel the rich, bold bass.

For a next-level experience, our best-selling soundbar, compact rear speakers, and premium subwoofer give you 7.1.4 surround sound using virtualisation techniques (you can learn all about virtualised surround sound in our 

). Distortion-free and powerful bass deliver a panoramic soundstage that mimics the way you’d hear action in real life — that is to say, all around you.

To completely bring the cinema experience home, look no further than this surround sound setup. Our most premium soundbar, rear speakers, and subwoofer make it feel like the story is unfolding right in your living room with cinema-quality 7.1.4 surround sound. You’ll feel the powerful rumbles of a jet engine in an action film. You’ll hear the overhead groan of an attic floorboard in a horror film. You’ll get crisp dialogue without having to cup your ear or turn on subtitles. This setup puts you in the centre of it all with life-like, spatial sound with Dolby Atmos and hair-raising bass.

Now that you have the basics, it’s time to build your system — and dream of the fun you’ll have with it. Whether you’re hosting a film night or bingeing on a weeknight show, surround sound turns up the emotion on whatever’s on-screen to bring you into the action. Let’s be honest, sometimes we need that little extra something to pull us in and help us unplug from our day. So, whether you prefer action films or psychological thrillers, sound from all angles of your room will add that extra bit of adrenaline. Visit sonos.com to discover Sonos 

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

5.1 vs 7.1 Surround Sound: What's the Difference?

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 

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 

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 greater breakdown on channel configurations, check out 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.

Family sitting on a couch watching TV with a black Arc Ultra, Sub 4, 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 

. 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 

, 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 

, 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, like a 7.1.4 setup with Dolby Atmos, you'll notice the addition of a third digit, which represents the number of overhead speakers or 

. 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 couch watching TV with a white Arc Ultra and Sub 4

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. A 

 also 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 out your 

. 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 

The Beginner's Guide to Surround Sound

Whether you're a film buff, sports fanatic, gamer, music lover, or all of the above, a 

 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 

. The number before the decimal represents the main ear-level audio channels, while the number after the decimal refers to the presence of a 

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 

. In the past, height channels could only be achieved by placing speakers overhead, usually by installing them in the ceiling. However Speakers like 

 feature upward-firing drivers that create a similar effect for 

 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.

If you're looking to take your surround sound setup to the next level, you can go beyond 7.1 with a 9.1.4 configuration. This setup adds even more rear and height channels, creating an incredibly immersive experience that wraps you in sound from every direction. With 

, Sub, and a pair of Era 300 speakers, you can unlock this next tier of home cinema and hear your favourite content in stunning, multi-dimensional detail.

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 

 (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 like 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 Ultra, 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.

Active vs. Passive Speakers: Which Is Best For Your Home?

What is phase on a subwoofer? (And how to adjust it)

5.1 vs 7.1 Surround Sound: What's the Difference?

The Beginner's Guide to Surround Sound

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)?

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

Commercially Licensed Music: How to Select Sound for your Business

How to Create a Multi-Room Audio Setup in Your Home

The Beginner’s Guide to Spatial Audio

Mono vs. Stereo Sound: What's the Difference?

What Is HiFi Audio? A Beginner’s Guide

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Active vs. Passive Speakers: Which Is Best For Your Home?

.css-4c3m2r{color:#ffffff;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}5.1 vs 7.1 Surround Sound: What's the Difference?

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5.1 vs 7.1 Surround Sound: What's the Difference?

The Beginner's Guide to Surround Sound