The Best TV Sound Settings for Movies, Shows, Sports, and More

When you think of television, the first thing you likely think of is the picture and how whatever show, movie, or sport you are watching looks in an aesthetic or visual way. However, the audio experience should not be neglected. When you are as immersed in a show or movie as you can be, it is probably due to — not taking the comfiness of your couch and blanket situation into consideration — both audio and visual elements. 

What’s the deal, however, with people who have a surround sound system? Is it that much better than a sound bar or simply changing the tv settings on your television? We look into that here. 

Best Sound Setup for Your TV

We’ve all been there: you’re watching a quiet — or quieter — show and then BAM! You’re hit with the advertisement sound, or maybe it’s classified as noise, and you’re taken out of your tv watching or movie watching-induced trance that you had been in. Even when that happens, you’ll want the best tv sound setup, so despite the loud blasting sound that occasionally happens with ads, at least it’ll be a pleasing noise.

We’ll lay out some of the best tv sound settings — including understanding what the best equalizer settings for movies or television might be — but here is a list of accessories that might just enhance the sound quality for your tv so you have the best picture quality and sound setup. Enhancing sound on your television can be costly or cost-effective; no decision is the best so you might want to ask yourself: what is the best kind of media experience I want out of my tv viewing?

Surround Sound System

Installing a surround sound system is far and away the most costly method to make your tv or movie watching experience more of a rounded experience. However, it can be a popular approach because once the system is installed, it’s easy enough to simply have a “set it and forget it” mentality.

A surround sound system is likened to having a movie theater audio system setup in a residential home. With having multiple speakers create a surround sound effect, it usually costs at least $1,000 and sometimes closer to $2,000 if a proven system is wanted or needed. A surround sound system enhances the audio/visual experience by creating a more immersive experience for the viewer. 

When it comes to placement of the speakers for your surround sound system, keep in mind the seating locations of you and your friends and family. Although you will undoubtedly want a centralized speaker placed near the screen, the fun part is next as you’ll be able to situate speakers to enhance the audio clarity and quality. Don’t have an open concept room where speakers can be placed in a semi-circle behind a couch or futon? Keep in mind about the placement of the speakers, the look of what the surround sound system will look — aesthetically — within the room, and take into consideration how the sound will bounce off furniture and the walls. 

With regard to placement and the angles, speakers sometimes come with speaker placement recommendations, however, there’s usually a rule of thumb for the number of speakers (whether it’s 4, 6, or more) and the enhancement of the audio.

Sound Bar Attachments

Is a surround sound system too expensive or too complicated? A sound bar is an ideal way to enhance your tv’s audio and for you to experience an ideal tv sound setup in your home without shelling out more money than you’d want. 

An advantage of purchasing a sound bar attachment is that they sound much better than the audio that emanates from the television on its own. Some sound bars even have features such as a compatibility with Dolby Atmos — and anyone who has seen a big-budget action film in a Dolby theater knows the experience is fulfilling. 

If a sound bar attachment is high on your priority list, think about the MantelMount SBXL Sound Bar Adapter XL, which is compatible with our tv mounts like the MM540 Enhanced Mount and MM700 Premier Pulldown Mount. Although the MM340 Standard Mount does not include a sound bar attachment like the other MantelMount pulldown tv mounts, it also is compatible with the sound bar attachment. 

What’s special about the MantelMount Sound Bar Adapter is that it is universal, fitting most flat and curved screen televisions, able to be placed below or above the tv, and accommodates larger sound bars that have wider spacing between the mounting holes. 

TV Sound Settings

Even if you’re unsure about investing in a surround sound system or utilizing a sound bar system, the next best bet is to ensure that your television’s sound settings are to your liking. Whether it’s figuring out the best equalizer settings for movies or enhancing the bass settings for the hard-hitting action in any sports match or game you might enjoy, making sure the correct tv sound setup is working for you is of utmost importance. We’ll look into figuring out the best tv sound settings for your tv’s audio next.

Best TV Sound Settings

Even if you do have a surround sound system or have your sound bar and its sound bar attachment set up to have a more theater-like experience at home, you’ll still want the best sound setup for your tv. 

Your tv’s sound settings are simple enough to change, but so often they’re neglected. One of the more fun things about a tv’s sound settings is playing around with them. Want a more crisp sound with dialogue in a drama so clear that it’s like the actors are speaking to you in your living room? The settings is where you can customize your tv’s audio.

Find the “Audio” section on your television (sometimes it can be called “Sound”) and that’s where you’ll want to pay most attention as within the selection there are further elements. If you’d like programmed audio solutions, then it’s more of a set and forget approach: standard, theater (this is likely the best equalizer setting for movies and television shows), music, and news (this option is good for news shows and tv shows with the bulk of the show that has crisp dialogue) are the most likely options with which you’ll be encountered.

If you’d like a customized version of your tv sound setup, take into consideration what you usually watch: movies, comedy shows, dramas, or sports? Think about the treble and the bass of the in-show or in-game audio and the advertisements that might blow out the show or movie’s sound. Once you have that in mind, play around with the bass and the treble, if you want the sound to come through one or multiple stereos, or even if you want the audio to be in a digital format.