Getting your receiver setup properly can have a huge impact on the performance of your system. (Sony ES STR-DA4400ES shown)

Receivers are the jacks-of-all-trades in the audio/video world. They power your speakers, tune in radio stations, provide convenient switching for all of your audio and video components, and let you tailor the sound of your system to suit your room and personal preferences. Home theater receivers also provide the decoding that lets you enjoy movies, TV shows, music, and video games in enveloping surround sound. Simply put, your receiver supplies both the brains and the muscle for your system. That's why it's so important to get it hooked up right.

With so many options, features, and functions, setting up your receiver may seem intimidating at first. There are a lot of different approaches to take — and a lot of connectors on the back panel, period. But by choosing the right connections, along with the proper settings, you can get a great picture and superb sound quality — all the audio/video performance you paid for. This article will help you find the best path to take to optimize your audio/video system.

To make things easier, we're going to break the process down into four parts: speaker connections, audio connections, video connections, and receiver settings. Then we'll talk briefly about the care and cleaning of your receiver, as well as products designed to protect it and enhance its performance.

Here are a few other important tips that will help make your receiver setup go more smoothly:

• Have all of the materials you'll be using (cables, tools, owner's manuals for all of your gear, etc.) assembled together before you begin.
• Make sure your room is well-lit, and keep a flashlight handy so you can clearly see all of the markings on your receiver's input and output jacks.
• Make a plan beforehand. It helps to draw a diagram of your system before you start to ensure you have all of your connection bases covered. Labeling your audio/video and speaker cables at both ends also helps to keep things more organized when your installation is underway. Crutchfield offers some handy pre-printed labels for this very purpose. For more info on keeping your cables under control, check out Amanda's helpful techniques for cable management.
• Unless your receiver's manual specifically recommends otherwise, don't connect the AC power to your gear until all of your other connections are complete.

A quick word about cables

There are two basic kinds of cables you'll need to connect your system: audio/video patch cords designed to handle the low-level analog or digital music and picture signals, and speaker wire to carry the amplified sound from the receiver to your speakers. The first step is to identify the types of connections your receiver and the other components in your system offer, then determine which connections and cables to use to get the best possible performance. If you're not already familiar with the various types of A/V cables that you'll need to get your gear hooked up, check out Kristen's in depth cable article for more info on choosing the different connection types, as well as tips on choosing high-quality cables. You can also check out our connections glossary and photo gallery.

Keep in mind, there's usually more than one way to connect A/V gear to your receiver. If you're connecting a great many components, you may not be able to use the most recommended connection for all of them. We'll provide suggestions to help you choose a different connection type if you run into this situation.

So let's get started!

Speakers: the voice of your system

Most folks begin setting up their system by hooking up their speakers. Before you connect your speakers, you'll need to determine where you'd like to place them. This will help you find good routes for your speaker wire, and ensure that you've got enough wire to connect all your speakers. Keep in mind, where you position your speakers will impact sound quality a great deal. See our speaker placement video and Julie's home theater speaker placement article for more info on this important subject.

Take a little extra time to set up your speakers properly, and your ears will thank you.

Choosing speaker wire
The type of speaker wire you use can also make a difference. The right thickness, or gauge, of wire and the type of connectors attached to the ends will help ensure optimum sound quality and easier connections. If you have to use long runs of wire, choosing a heavier gauge will allow more power to reach your speakers for better sound. You may also want to consider using speaker wire terminated with banana plugs or pin connectors for simpler hookups. See our article on speaker wire and connections for more info.

Bi-amping your speakers
One other factor to consider when setting up your speakers is bi-amplification. If you've got a seven-channel receiver but you're only using five speakers and a powered subwoofer, you might be able to put those extra two channels to work. Most newer seven-channel receivers let you redirect their rear surround amp channels to send the power to a pair of bi-amp compatible front speakers (these are speakers that have two sets of binding post inputs instead of the usual single pair). You'll enjoy more dynamic, higher quality sound from your bi-amped front speakers — a great feature for anyone who listens to a lot of stereo music. For a better idea of what to expect, read our blog about bi-amping your speakers.

Dual sets of binding posts permit biamping or biwiring. These speakers come with jumpers that connect the two sets of binding posts for regular use (left photo). For biamping or biwiring, simply remove the jumpers (right photo).