What standardized speaker configuration provided a template for speaker placement representing the 5.1 setup?
The 5.1 configuration (front three, two surrounds, and one low-frequency effects channel).
The refinement of surround sound included establishing a clear template for speaker deployment to ensure listeners achieved the intended psychoacoustic effect—sound perceived as emanating from all directions, not just the primary front wall. This template became the 5.1 configuration, which consists of five full-range channels (three across the front for main action and dialogue, and two 'surround' channels for ambient effects) plus the dedicated .1 Low-Frequency Effects (LFE) channel. This standardization provided engineers and consumers alike with a known framework that reliably replicated the intended spatial separation perfected in professional cinema settings.
