As you dive into the world of home theater, you’ll likely see a lot of numbers, like 5.1 or even 9.1.4. If you’re confused, don’t worry. You don’t need to get too caught up in these numbers (known as “channels”) when it comes to building your home theater, but they’re an important way of understanding the type of surround sound experience you’ll hear. Let us explain.

The term “channels” simply means “points of audio.” However, back when audio enthusiasts first started building their home theater systems (the ones with all the tangled wires and stacks of receivers), these numbers became synonymous with how many physical speakers needed to be present in the room.

For example, if you were looking to create a traditional 5.1 home theater system, you would need three front speakers (placed underneath and to the left and right of your TV) and two rear speakers (typically placed to the left and right of your couch). The .1 indicated the addition of a subwoofer. But with the emergence of the soundbar, this tried-and-true cheat sheet for building a home theater system began to fall apart. You now had one speaker doing the work of three.

This traditional way of thinking about channels is not as applicable to today’s technology. With the advancements of audio hardware and software, you no longer need to scatter your room with speakers to get an incredibly immersive sound experience. Premium soundbars like Arc Ultra have the ability to render 9.1.4 surround sound from the soundbar alone. (Yes, that means one soundbar doing the work of nine ear-level speakers, one subwoofer, and four overhead speakers.)

A better way of thinking about channels these days is in terms of levels of immersion instead of number of speakers. If you are someone who likes a good cheat sheet, a general rule to follow is that the higher the number, the more immersive the sound experience.

5.1 Classic surround sound
7.1.2 Immersive surround
9.1.4 Multidimensional sound

Choosing your surround sound speakers

Now you may be thinking, if a soundbar can produce incredible surround sound on it’s own, why should you add two more speakers? While adding rear speakers won’t always impact the channel configuration (such is the case for Arc Ultra), surround speakers will help disperse audio more evenly across your space, ensuring sound reaches every corner and angle of the room. This will add even greater depth and detail for truly lifelike sound that feels like the action is unfolding in your living room.

Sonos Era 100

Our most versatile and compact smart speaker delivers rich, impactful surround sound when paired with Arc Ultra, Beam, and Ray. With custom-built woofers and tweeters, Era 100 evenly disperses sound across the room to create a wider soundstage that allows you to hear more details and subtle nuances in your favorite music and movies. Its sleek, minimalist design blends seamlessly into your home and fits nicely on furniture or using custom Sonos stands.

Shop Sonos Era 100 here.

Sonos Era 300

If you want the ultimate Dolby Atmos experience at home, choose Era 300. You’ll feel the bass pound deep in your chest. You’ll hear the dialogue as if the characters are standing right in the room. And you’ll feel completely enveloped in the story. When paired with Arc Ultra and Sub 4, Era 300 offers a true multi-channel surround sound experience without the need for multiple overhead speakers or complex wiring. The upward and side-firing drivers project sound all around the room to create a soundstage that completely immerses you, with sound coming from forward, behind, and above.

Shop Sonos Era 300 here.

Recommended Sonos home theater setups

Now that you understand the basics of home theater sound, it’s time to find the right setup for you. To help take the guesswork out of building your system, we've put together this chart with our recommended speaker pairings based on the size of your space, the size of your TV, and level of immersion you’re hoping to achieve.

5.1 (Small room size, TV up to 55”)
Ray + Sub Mini + 2x Era 100

7.1.2* (Small to medium room size, TV up to 65”)
Beam + Sub Mini + 2x Era 100

7.1.4* (Medium to large room size, TV up to 65”)
Beam + Sub 4 + 2x Era 100

7.1.4* (Large room size, TV up to 65”)
Beam + Sub 4 + 2x Era 300

9.1.4 (Medium to large room size, TV 50” and over)
Arc Ultra + Sub 4 + 2x Era 100

9.1.4 (Large room size, TV 50” and over)
Arc Ultra + Sub 4 + 2x Era 300

*Some channels rendered using virtualization techniques. Requires compatible TV and Dolby Atmos-supported streaming service. Learn more about compatibility requirements here.

Once you’ve chosen the right setup for you, there’s no need to build it yourself. Save when you get it as a set.

Once you’ve set up your home theater, it’s easy to make sure it sounds its best in your unique space by fine-tuning it with Trueplay. It’s also easy to add additional speakers in other rooms of the house. That way, you won’t miss any of the action when you head to the kitchen for more popcorn. In fact, the most difficult thing to do will be deciding what you want to watch or listen to next.