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.