If your speakers are at different distances from your listening position, and invariably they will be, this will result in an unnatural or two-dimensional sound field. Fortunately, integrated AV amplifiers and receivers allow you to align your speakers so the sound hits your ears at the same time. You will need to measure the distance from your listening position to each speaker and input the number into your amplifier/receiver.

Balancing speaker levels is also a necessary step for accurate surround sound reproduction. To do this properly you will need a sound level meter to measure the loudness of each speaker from your listening positioning. Your receiver will have a test tone function for this purpose. Some receivers come with a sound level meter. If not, it is worth buying one for a few hundred dollars.