Layout

• Before you even start ripping open boxes, decide how your system is going to be laid out. Refer to the owner's manual of your speakers for recommended layouts. When planning your layout, you'll also need to carefully consider the shape of your room, position of doors, walls and furniture in the room. It may not be possible to establish the ideal layout according to your manual, but make it as functional as you can. When in doubt, cut your speaker wire a bit longer and test out different placement and angling later.
  
  

Wiring

• The next step of your home theater installation is determining how you'll run your wire. The wire to all your front speakers should be relatively easy: You can conceal it behind your entertainment center and simply run it directly to each speaker without much work or impact on your room. The rear speakers are always more challenging since they involve greater lengths of wire running directly across the room. The cleanest way to accomplish rear speaker wiring is to run the wire in the walls; however, this is also the most difficult and may be the one aspect that will require professional help. If you attempt to run in-wall wiring, be sure that you know exactly what you're getting into and work everything up to local electrical code. Easier options for running wire include running it under the carpet and running it along the corner molding (with or without raceway). Carefully consider the options and choose the method that works best for your space.
  
  

Preparation

• Place your speakers as you intend to set them up. Use a tape measure to record the distance to each speaker from your receiver or amp. It's important to measure along the path that you decided to lay the wiring in in the last section, otherwise you'll come up short. Record each measurement so that you don't get your numbers mixed up. Cut your speaker cable to size. Cut the wire a few inches longer to allow for some wiggle room when you fine-tune your placement. Cut each wire and strip about three-fourths inch of wire off each strand of cable.
  
  

Wiring

• Keep all home theater components off. Connect each speaker to the amplifier or receiver with your precut speaker cables. Locate the output terminal on the receiver for the given speaker. Check the wire, which should be marked for polarity, and line up the corresponding strands to the positive and negative terminal on the amp/receiver. Roll the wire out along the path that you decided to use and connect the positive end to the positive input terminal of the speaker and then negative to negative. Make sure wires of the opposite polarity are not able to touch in any way, and fully tighten down each terminal. Connect all your speakers in this way. Connect a subwoofer by running an RCA cable from the LFE or suboutput to the subwoofer. Secure your wiring so that it's concealed and out of the way.
  
  

Testing/Adjusting

• Refer to your receiver manual to find out how to adjust speaker settings. Put your favorite video or CD in (make sure that it uses a format representative of your new system such as 5.1 or 7.1). Turn up the volume to a desired level, sit down in your home theater seat between the speakers and listen closely. Adjust the speaker settings and placement as necessary to provide better sound. Adjustment can be done on a continual basis, if you're determined at getting perfection, or it can be done once and left as is.