How to Design a 2 Channel Home Theater

Ensure that the theater space allows for viewers to be centered between the two main speakers as much as possible. Design the seating area to ensure that the distance from the main seating positions to the speakers is the same as the distance in between the speakers. This is necessary for convincing phantom surround and imaging, just as in any conventional stereo configuration.

Use a surround-sound receiver. Although only two speakers are used, surround receivers still allow for expansion with additional speakers, should desires change. Also, modern surround receivers offer plenty in terms of video switching, HDMI decoding, and other convenience features not present on basic stereo components.

Spend as much money as possible on the speakers. Speakers affect the sound more than the receiver or individual source components and do not become obsolete as formats evolve. Measurements of modern solid-state components tend to not deviate from one another nearly as much as frequency-response measurements from one brand of speaker to the next.

Select home theater components as you would when using a surround-sound array. Remember that all sources, whether satellite, Blu-Ray, or DVD, can be played in stereo. All surround receivers can be programmed in their setup menus to know whether certain speakers are present or not. If the only speakers connected are the left and right mains, all sound formats will default to stereo. Additional modes can be selected, such as "Direct" and "Pure" from various manufacturers, all optimized for stereo operation.