Build your AV system from gear → wires → settings.
Pick your TV, your AVR or soundbar, every source device, and your speakers. Output: connection diagram, setting checklist, compatibility flags, and a one-click Amazon cart. Built by Rick Baron — 28 years of residential AV installs, father-and-son shop. I install this for clients every week.
Honest installer's take built into every recommendation — if it's better to walk away from a setup (or skip a soundbar entirely), this tool will tell you. The big AV firms brand-lock to one TV maker so they can hit a $50K-a-year distributor quota — that's why they fake-trash Sonos. I install Sonos because it works.
Step 1 of 7 · Pick your TV
Quick start — pick a pre-built scenario
Don't want to fill out 7 steps? Pick a scenario close to what you want and you can tweak from there. Or scroll past to start from scratch.
or build from scratch ↓
What TV do you have?
Pick the exact model so we can confirm HDMI ports, which port carries eARC (the audio-return channel that feeds sound back to your soundbar or receiver), and which HDR formats it supports. Rick: after 28 years, this single answer drives everything downstream — the model tells us how many sources we can wire in, what the right cable spec is, and whether your soundbar can take HDMI 2.1 passthrough. Don't know the model? Hit "I don't know" — we'll default to a safe profile and ask you a couple of follow-up questions instead.
I don't know my model →
How are you handling audio?
Three paths — an AVR (the most flexible, dedicated receiver), a soundbar (simpler, less channels), or just the TV's built-in speakers. Rick: after 28 years, my own rule of thumb is: soundbar for the family room (Sonos Beam or Arc is the recommended default — 30-minute install, sounds great), AVR for a dedicated media room or anyone who wants real Dolby Atmos (the modern surround standard with overhead/upfiring speakers for height effects like helicopters and rain), and TV-only just for guest rooms. If you're going AVR + a real surround layout, also check the Pre-Wire Planner for the cabling plan.
AVR (Receiver)Dedicated receiver + separate speakers. Best for Atmos and serious sound.
Soundbar — Rick's defaultAll-in-one bar under the TV. Simpler install. Sonos, Bose, Samsung, etc.
TV Speakers OnlyNo external audio. The TV's built-in drivers do everything. Fine for guest rooms.
Add a subwoofer
Pairs wirelessly with the bar you picked. Optional but recommended — most soundbar bass tops out around 60Hz; a sub fills the bottom octave for movies + music.
Add rear surrounds
Two speakers behind the listening position turns a 3.x bar into real 5.x surround. Discrete rear audio for movies and games.
Mount your rears
Surrounds need to be at seated ear level, behind and slightly to the sides of the couch. Floor stand or wall mount — pick one.
What sources do you have?
Every device that plugs into your TV or AVR: streamers, game consoles, cable boxes, Blu-ray, legacy gear. Add as many as you have. Rick: after 28 years, this is the future-proofing step — count what you have today PLUS one more for future expansion. The animated signal-flow diagram below shows how each source connects.
↓ How sources connect (animated signal flow)
Plain English: the AVR is the traffic cop — all your sources plug into it, it sends video to the TV, and it sends audio to the speakers. Soundbar setups skip the AVR entirely: sources plug into the TV, TV sends audio to the bar via eARC.
What's your speaker layout?
Pick the channel count. 5.1 = 5 main + sub. 5.1.2 = 5 main + sub + 2 height speakers for Atmos (Dolby Atmos = the modern surround standard that uses overhead/upfiring speakers for height effects). The "x.x.x" math: front + surround / subwoofer / height channels. Don't know? Rick's recommended default is 5.1.2 — it's the sweet spot for most family-room installs and gives you real Atmos without the cost of a 7.1.4 layout. Future-proof move: pre-wire for 5.1.4 even if you only buy 5.1.2 today — the back-2 height speakers are a $400 upgrade later. For the wire-running plan, also see the Pre-Wire Planner. Term: dipole/bipole = surround speakers that fire sound in two directions, common for side-wall placements.
↓ 5.1.2 speaker layout (Rick's default)
5.1.2 reads as: 5 main speakers (FL, C, FR, SL, SR) + 1 sub + 2 height/overhead. The dashed back-surround spots show the 5.1.4 / 7.1.4 future-proof upgrade path — pre-wire for them now even if you don't buy them today.
Front L/R speakers
Surround speakers
Atmos / height channels
Multi-zone audio?
Do you want this AVR to also feed audio to a second or third room? This affects channel availability — Zone 2/3 steals channels from your main listening room. Rick: after 28 years, my own call is: stay single-zone in the AVR and use Sonos / WiiM streamers for the other rooms instead. They're cheaper, sync better, and don't steal channels from your main listening room. Default below is "no additional zones" for that reason.
↓ What "stealing channels" looks like
No additional zones — Rick's defaultJust the main listening room. Most users. Use Sonos for other rooms.
+1 Zonee.g. kitchen or patio. Steals 2 channels from main.
Pick the 1-3 things that matter most. We'll weight the upgrade recommendations toward your priorities. Rick: after 28 years, "future-proof" is the goal nobody picks until they regret it 18 months later. If you're spending real money here, future-proof yourself — buy the HDMI 2.1 receiver, pre-wire for 4 sources you don't have yet, and plan now for the Atmos heights you'll add at Black Friday. We can do that. Default goal stack for most users: simplicity + future-proof.
If you're renovating, finishing a basement, or building new — give this section to the electrician BEFORE drywall goes up. Doing the runs at the rough-in stage costs ~10% of what it costs to retrofit later.
Note: All in-wall HDMI must be CL3-rated (fire code). All speaker wire 14 AWG minimum for runs over 30 ft. Network closet should be cool, ventilated, and central — not in a closet behind drywall with no airflow.
📧 Email me my full plan
Want a printable copy in your inbox? We'll send the full overview, compatibility flags, connection checklist, and pre-wire spec sheet — formatted for printing. Nothing stored on our end.
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