Build from a plan

System blueprints

GearLens is organised around systems, not product lines. Choose the room and the goal first, then follow the guides through channel layout, the signal chain, room treatment and calibration in the order that avoids rework.

01 Living room / 5.1.2 Film in 16 to 20 m2 A shared room where the sofa cannot move far and the ceiling stays near 2.4 m. Budget goes to the front three, two subwoofers and the cable runs you can only bury once. 3,000 EUR reference budgetSeat at 38 to 45 percent of room lengthTarget: under 6 dB bass variance 02 Two-channel / Hi-Fi Music without a processor Source, amplification, loudspeakers and the seat treated as one chain. Most of the audible change comes from geometry and the room, not from the most expensive box. 86 to 91 dB sensitivity band2.6 m listening triangleTarget: clean 102 dB peaks 03 Dedicated room / 7.1.4 A room you can treat When the ceiling, walls and seat are yours to move, height channels, acoustic treatment and multi-subwoofer integration become predictable instead of hopeful. 2.3 to 3.0 m ceiling for up-firing30 to 55 degree height elevationTarget: stable object pans

How to use these plans

Each plan is a reading order, not a shopping list. Start with the room measurement, then decide the channel layout, then choose hardware. Buying the receiver first is the most common way to end up with the wrong number of height channels and no cable to feed them.

  • Measure the room and fix the seat before comparing any equipment.
  • Budget a quarter of the total for bass management and measurement.
  • Verify each stage with a sweep before moving to the next one.

Brand-neutral by design

These plans name categories, layouts and measurable targets. They do not rank models or recommend a manufacturer. Where a product appears in a test, it is one sample measured under stated conditions, and the failure cases are published with the results.

Last reviewed by the GearLens editorial desk. Contact: editorial@gearlens.example.com