By Don Labriola
(July 6, 2005)

Your average 5.1-channel audio setup may sound great, but today's 7.1 technology pushes immersive sound even further. The two additional channels better produce sounds that travel from front to rear or pan from side to side behind your head.

For the full effect, you'll need a 7.1-channel sound card and a game that supports a 7.1-audio API. Setting it all up can be challenging, but with proper planning and attention to detail, you can achieve great results.

Upgrade your PC to 7.1 sound

Before you get started with this project, we recommend that you have the following:

Upgrade your PC to 7.1 sound

The market for 7.1 sound cards is dominated by Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy 4 and Audigy 2 ZS product lines, which include Platinum and Pro versions that ship with advanced breakout boxes. We chose the Audigy 4 Pro solution, which, in addition to the breakout box, has a wireless remote.

If you're planning a relatively simple setup, save a few bucks by selecting a less robust 7.1 board from another vendor, such as M-Audio's Revolution 7 or the Catalina from Voyetra Turtle Beach.

Your choice of 7.1 computer speakers will be limited. Two popular models are Creative's top-of-the-line 700-watt GigaWorks S750, which we chose, and the more affordable Inspire P7800. Both offer auxiliary input jacks, wall-mounting options, and the ability to automatically upmix 5.1 and 6.1 sources to 7.1.

Although no match for the best sound cards, some motherboards now offer cost-effective integrated 7.1-channel audio.

Upgrade your PC to 7.1 sound

Installing a 7.1 sound card isn't much different from setting up any other plug-and-play PCI card, except it does require a connection to your power supply.

If your system uses integrated sound rather than a separate sound card, you'll need to disable it in the BIOS before you proceed. You can usually enter your PC's BIOS by pressing Delete or a specific function key during the preboot power-on self-test (POST) process; the necessary keystroke is often displayed at the bottom of the screen during the POST.

Next, power down your PC, unplug it from the AC outlet, and pop open the case. Now you're ready to install the card.

1. Before you touch the motherboard or any components, touch a metal section of the case to discharge any static electricity on your body.
2. Find a free PCI slot on your motherboard, remove the adjacent slot bracket that exits the rear of the case, and insert the Audigy 4 card into the slot.
3. Attach the card's power cable to your power supply and connect the external breakout box.
4. Close the case, reconnect the PC to its AC outlet, and power up.
   
   

Windows XP should detect the new hardware and prompt you to install new drivers. Exit the wizard and run the Creative Audigy 4 install application from the included CD-ROM. Once you reboot, your new, powerful card should be up and running.

Don't force the sound card into its PCI slot. Gently but firmly guide it into place to avoid damage to your components and your fingers.

Upgrade your PC to 7.1 sound

While installing a sound card is straightforward, configuring a 7.1-speaker system is practically an art form. Ideally, all seven satellites should be at the same height, which often means mounting the rear and side satellites on stands or on the wall.

With this many speakers, you'll need to choose a room large enough to position all seven satellites (center, front left, front right, middle left, middle right, rear left, and rear right) to be roughly equidistant from your seating position without creating a tripping hazard.

Picture yourself sitting in the center of a circle of sound, with each pair of satellites placed symmetrically on that circle at about ear height (see diagram). Place the front-left and front-right speakers on top of your desk on either side of your monitor and, if possible, the center speaker atop the display.

If you do this, it may be impossible to match the center's height to that of your other satellites, but you'll still get acceptable results simply by tilting it to point directly at your ears. You may have to mount the rear and side satellites on stands or on a wall to place them at ear level.

The circumference of your circle of sound is a matter of taste, but it's also constrained by the size of the room. All else being equal, a larger circle will yield more room-filling sound. Closer positioning will result in higher volume levels and more precise imaging but a more cramped soundstage.

If you'll also be watching DVDs, keep in mind that the surround channels in a DVD's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack are mixed to have a diffuse, directionless quality. Dolby recommends facing surround satellites away from listeners--just the opposite of what you'd want for pinpoint-accurate 3D-audio gaming. Unless you want to reposition two of the satellites every time you want to watch a movie, you'll have to resign yourself to a less-than-optimal cinema sound experience.

Once you've positioned all your speakers, connect them to the rear of the subwoofer using the four color-coded mini headphone-size plugs. Then attach the subwoofer to the Audigy 4 card's rear panel via the included 7.1 audio cable.

Positional 3D audio works best with a minimum of room reflections, so your listening area should be as acoustically dead as possible; carpets, drapes, and upholstered furniture help achieve this.

Upgrade your PC to 7.1 sound

Positional audio requires that you balance the volume of all seven satellites at your normal listening position. Most 7.1 sound cards provide a speaker-calibration utility that cycles pink noise (white noise that's been filtered to reduce the volume at each octave) through each channel. You can use this tool or any other pink-noise source to set volume levels by ear.

An even better option is RadioShack's $49.99 Sound Level Meter, held at your normal head position. For increased accuracy, mount the meter on a tripod. Then set the meter to C Weighting and Fast Response and adjust each satellite's volume level until all produce identical readings when playing the noise signal.

You can follow a similar procedure to set the volume of your bass unit, but not all listeners want a truly accurate bass/satellite balance. We suggest adjusting the bass-level control manually while playing your favorite source material until you find a bass response that doesn't muddy up the rest of the output.

If maxing out your bass level still doesn't give you enough bottom, try repositioning the subwoofer cabinet. Placing it closer to large, flat surfaces reinforces low-frequency output, so moving it into a corner should provide maximum bass boost.