How To Set Up The Perfect Home Theatre

6 mins read

Creating a perfect home theatre is a dream for many entertainment enthusiasts. Whether you're a movie buff, a sports fan, or a gamer, having a well-designed home theatre elevates your entertainment experience to new heights. This blog post will provide a comprehensive guide on how to set up the perfect home theatre throughout your home. From room acoustics to optimal viewing angles, we'll cover all the essential steps to create a cinematic experience within the comfort of your own home. Whether you have a dedicated home theatre room or you're working with limited space, these tips and tricks will help you maximise the potential of your home theatre setup.

Browse our Q Series Home Theatre bundles >

KEF Q750 mid floorstanding speaker with Kube 8b

Introducing our Q Series Home Theatre Bundles

What is included in our Home Theatre Bundles?

Whether you are looking to set up a dedicated home theatre room or a system that will easily integrate into your living room, our bundle options provide a choice of recommended paired KEF Q Series speakers

Each of our three KEF Home Theatre bundles includes a floorstanding or bookshelf model from the Q Series line-up as front left and right speakers to be positioned on either side of the screen.  Also included is a pair of bookshelf speakers that serve as rear speakers to be positioned just behind your listening position and, arguably the most important speaker of all, the Q250c or Q650c centre channel speaker for the crucial dialogue and centre effects.

With the choice of three bundles, you can choose the right package for your budget and room size. 

Q Series and Kube subwoofers – a perfect match


For those wanting to add extra detail and depth to their cinematic experience, each package can be upgraded to a 5.1 Home Theatre package with the addition of a Kube subwoofer. The Kube 12b, Kube 10b, and Kube 8b subs are paired with each of the Q Series home theatre bundles to ensure that our speaker packages are perfectly matched.

Subwoofers don’t just play low and loud - pairing a Kube subwoofer with your home theatre speakers will add detail and texture and will ‘fill out’ your listening experience.

Array of  subwoofer Kubes range

Optimising room acoustics

How do the room acoustics impact the audio quality in a home theatre system?

The acoustics of any home theatre space can greatly affect the enjoyment of watching a film. The key to perfecting the room acoustics is getting the right balance of sound absorption in your space. Sound can become unclear and details are indistinguishable in a room that has minimal sound-absorbing materials, whilst too many soft furnishings or material can deaden the sound and the audio becomes lifeless. 

How can I address any room acoustics issues in my home theatre space?

Whilst the subject of room acoustics for dedicated home theatre rooms can be highly complex and best dealt with by a specialist installer, there are a few simple steps you can take at home to improve the acoustic qualities of your space.

As sound waves reflect off flat, smooth surfaces like glass tables or large windows, one of the easiest fixes is to simply reduce the number of reflective surfaces – fabric curtains, upholstered furniture or carpeting can improve your room acoustics design significantly.

It is also wise to consider the positioning of the speakers in your room as this can also affect the entire sound image. Read our blog piece on speaker placement for more recommendations.

Kube 8b placed in a living room with a Q950 floorstanding speaker

Seating and Viewing Angles for Your Home Theatre

What is the ideal seating arrangement for a home theatre?

Your listening position in the room is just as important as the speaker placement so it is worth taking the time to get this right.  Generally, the optimum distance between the speakers and you, the listener, will depend on how far the Front Left and Front Right speakers are separated, or vice versa. Try to keep the same distance from the listener to form an equilateral triangle.  Of course, with KEF's Uni-Q technology, the prime 'sweet spot' for the best stereo image is broadened considerably, giving you more flexibility when setting up your system.

How do I determine the optimal viewing position for the screen?

By knowing how to calculate the ideal viewing position for your screen, you can easily set up your home theatre system and comfortably enjoy your next movie night at home. Everyone can enjoy the best seat in the house! Read our advice on positioning your screen for an immersive viewing experience.

Q150 Bookshelf speaker with subwoofer kube 10b

Creating an Immersive Experience at Home

What lighting options should I consider to set the right mood in my home theatre?

While lighting can create the right ambience for your cinematic experience, you will also need to consider the light source and aim to limit the unwanted reflections on the screen.  Blackout curtains or blinds are a simple solution to eliminate any unwanted distractions from the glare.

No matter whether your home theatre system is set in a dedicated cinema room or your living room, there are many lighting choices to consider. Options include simple dimmable lamps that are carefully positioned and adjusted as needed, wall-fitted sconces that shine up and downwards without casting light outwards into the room, or even the dramatic effect of fibre optic star ceilings.

Are there any additional accessories or enhancements that can further immerse viewers in the entertainment?

To further improve your Q Series Home Theatre system, you can add a number of KEF accessories for a neat set-up that will work well in your current living space. Why not consider the KW1 Wireless Subwoofer Adapter Kit for a clutter-free installation with maximum flexibility of placement of your subwoofer? Or add Q Series black cloth grilles to your speakers for a clean look and extra protection for the drivers? Take a look at our hi-fi speaker accessories or ask an expert at your nearest authorised KEF retailer about home theatre accessories.

How can I control my entire home theatre system with a single remote?

Many of us can understand the appeal of having just one remote to control everything in your home theatre system. You may be able to add a universal remote to solve this problem, but if you have a more complex Home Theatre setup and want to integrate lighting controls and other smart home equipment, it may be advisable to speak with an expert installer who can specify the best solution using control systems such as Crestron or Control4.

To learn more about KEF, the products we have available and any important news, visit our newsroom to keep updated. Additionally, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay in the loop.

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