Surround speakers give the auditory illusion of immersive sound. So, when some of my surround sound speakers are not working, your system will sound weird. In this article, we will discuss reasons why not all your surround sound speaker are not working and how to fix it.
Once you get your surround sound issue fixed, you can also check out our guide on how to ensure all surround sound speakers are working correctly.
Why Don’t All My Surround Sound Speakers Work?
You can troubleshoot no audio or low sound from your surround sound speakers with ease ad discover the underlying cause of this problem. Find the exact steps you can follow to identify the issue and fix it quickly below.
1. Check Whether Your Speakers Are Properly Connected to the Receiver
You can start by troubleshooting poor connections since it’s a common culprit. Ensure the cables are fixed firmly. If applicable, check whether your A/B speaker selector is set to the correct position.
Note: if your surround sound speakers are connected to the B speaker connection on the receiver’s rear, you should set the A/B speaker selector to the B position.
2. Perform Sound Operation
You can establish whether the speakers are in their perfect working order by performing a sound-test operation. Follow the guidelines in your user’s manual.
3. Consider Adjusting Your Surround Speaker Settings
Check whether your surround speaker settings are high enough. If not, increase the speaker settings to the maximum.
4. Ensure the Receiver is in the Surround Sound Mode
If you have the Dolby® ProLogic surround sound, ensure you set the center-channel model to WIDE or NORMAL.
At the same time, if you are using a DVD or Blu-ray Disc® player, check the menu and ensure the surround sound for the player is enabled.
5. Ensure the Audio You Are Receiving Is Multi-Channel
If the audio is stereo or is compatible with less than five channels, some of your speakers will remain quiet. The only remedy is to go for surround audio.
6. Try Adjusting the A/V Receiver Setting
Change the setting to a different surround mode
7. Reset to Factory Settings
Software issues can be challenging to fix using the above simple methods. Consult your operating instructions for model-specific steps to fix these errors in minutes
8. Replace your Speaker Wires
Faulty speaker wires can hinder some or all of your surround speakers from working. So, you may have to replace them.
9. Connect Different Speaker Pairs
If your speakers have hardware issues, they might not work until a professional technician repairs them. Connecting different pairs might help you to find out whether this is the problem.
Note: Please remember that each of the above steps represents a possible solution. In other words, you should check the sound after completing each step to identify why not all your surround sound speakers are working and fix the issue without spending extra effort or money.
Are Surround Speakers Worth It?
Yes, surround speakers are worth it because of the quality, and immersive sound they deliver. Surround sound is an advanced level of modern speaker system.
So, if you are building a home theater, you’ll likely need some of them. That’s why we’ve created this article to help you understand what you should do if not all of them are working correctly.
Remember, surround sound speakers give you much better sound quality than stereo. Moreover, it makes for a more immersive listening experience.
Should Surround Speakers Be Louder than Front?
No, surround speakers should never be louder than front speakers. So, if your front speakers are louder, that is not enough reason to start troubleshooting for issues.
As long as your surround speakers are helping you with background noises and improving other essential voices in your music and movies, you are good to go.
Can You Use Any Speakers For Surround Sound?
Fortunately, yes, you can use any speakers for your surround sound. That’s why we didn’t mention speaker type in the troubleshooting section, “Why Don’t All My Surround Sound Speakers Work?”
You can use any speaker and enjoy the entertainment provided you ensure a proper connection to your receiver. Your speaker impedance should also be slightly higher than the receiver’s impedance. What’s more, your speakers should fit behind the listening area.
You can also establish a wired or wireless connection and get the best results if you follow the equipment specs.
Should I Use Surround or Surround Back Speakers?
The correct answer depends on your preferred sound system configuration. It’s important to note that there is no technical difference between surround and surround back speakers.
If either of these speakers is not working, you should consider whether you need it before embarking on troubleshooting the error or fault. The difference between these speakers lies in how you position them in your room, a factor of your preferred surround system.
In a 5.1 system, you should place your surround speakers to the right and left of your listening position.
For the best sound, aim them directly toward you.
You can place them a few meters behind your listening position and then face them forward if side placement isn’t practical. The same applies if you prefer a configuration higher than 5.1.
In a 7.1 system, you should add surround-back speakers. As the name suggests, you position it at the back of your listening position.
All your surround speakers should be working. Otherwise, nothing will help you handle the surround music and effects.
It’s important to note that lower-quality speakers may not hurt the quality of your music in a system with many different speakers. However, if not all your surround sound speakers are working, you will likely get a bad experience.
Overall, you should use surround speakers in a 5.1 system. In addition, use surround and surround rear in higher audio system configurations to improve your entertainment experience.
If you need more detailed information, check out our article on surround sound vs surround back speakers.
Why is Only One Speaker Working on My Surround Sound?
If only one speaker is working, your speakers and the connected devices might be off. It’s also possible that the volume level of the speakers and the connected devices is too low. If that’s not the case, the audio cable could be connected to the AUDIO IN jack during playback in BLUETOOTH mode.
Sometimes, you can have the same experience if the audio cable is not firmly connected to the AUDIO IN jack during playback in AUDIO IN mode.
Alternatively, if you’re connecting a PC to the speakers that aren’t working, your computer’s audio output setting could be set for another device other than a BLUETOOTH device.
If that’s not the case, there could be a delay in establishing a BLUETOOTH connection with your devices.
At the same time, if the sound is only being output from the left loudspeaker, the device you’ve connected to the AUDIO IN jack could be monaural. Some of your speakers or speaker wires could also be defective.
Why is My Surround Sound So Quiet?
If your surround sound is so quiet, you might have connected a 5.1-channel speaker to a 7.1-channel receiver but haven’t paid close attention to speaker connections and menu options.
Suppose your receiver’s setup menu is configured for a 7.1 surround system instead of 5.1, and you’ve connected your speakers to the receiver’s Surround Back outputs. In this case, you’ll only be getting back surround information when playing movies with 7.1 channel soundtracks.
Summing Up
We’ve discussed the possible reasons not all your surround sound speakers are working, like connectivity problems, low-quality cables, and software bugs. If you want to know the specific reasons, follow the steps we shared at the beginning. You’ll likely fix the issue without difficulty before you finish implementing these tips.