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- Simplicity: Keep wiring simple but optimized, using as few cables and wires as possible. Keep your lengths short and be sure to use the highest resolution settings - and cable options - that you can. This doesn't mean you have to pay a fortune, but if you just bought a new DVD player with HDMI upconversion, you don't want to use the yellow composite video cable it came with.
- Polarity: Double check speaker wire's polarity (the plus and minus/red and black) for consistency. If you choose the "striped" wire for negative, be sure to keep that consistent with every speaker connection. Typically this means red to red, black to black. Switch them and you're going to ruin your sound and lose your bass response.
- Interconnects: Make sure you have all of your short "interconnect" cabling correct. If you are using analogue cables, make sure you don't switch your left and rights. If you used digital cables, be sure to verify you have that selected in the AV receiver for that input.
- S/PDIF: Use a digital connection (optical or coax) whenever available (except for HDMI).
- HDMI: HDMI carries both audio and video signal in digital form and is the preferred method of connection for most uses. Try to use this type of cable whenever possible as it will deliver the highest audio and video quality in most cases.
- Simplicity: Keep wiring simple but optimized, using as few cables and wires as possible. Keep your lengths short and be sure to use the highest resolution settings - and cable options - that you can. This doesn't mean you have to pay a fortune, but if you just bought a new DVD player with HDMI upconversion, you don't want to use the yellow composite video cable it came with.
- Polarity: Double check speaker wire's polarity (the plus and minus/red and black) for consistency. If you choose the "striped" wire for negative, be sure to keep that consistent with every speaker connection. Typically this means red to red, black to black. Switch them and you're going to ruin your sound and lose your bass response.
- Interconnects: Make sure you have all of your short "interconnect" cabling correct. If you are using analogue cables, make sure you don't switch your left and rights. If you used digital cables, be sure to verify you have that selected in the AV receiver for that input.
- S/PDIF: Use a digital connection (optical or coax) whenever available (except for HDMI).
- HDMI: HDMI carries both audio and video signal in digital form and is the preferred method of connection for most uses. Try to use this type of cable whenever possible as it will deliver the highest audio and video quality in most cases.
- Speaker Positioning: Nothing affects the sound of your system like the positioning of your speakers. Experimenting with positioning offers near limitless possibilities for tweaking your sound. In general you want to place the main speakers evenly across the front of the room, with surround speakers slightly elevated and firing at the listening position from the sides (or from behind if you have no side walls.) The Surround Back channels are meant to be somewhat higher and directly behind the center listening position
