A surround sound speaker system typically uses five, six, or seven speakers plus a subwoofer. In addition to selecting the number of speakers (or channels) you want for a surround sound system, you may also want to select the type of surround sound speakers. There are three types to choose from, direct-radiating, bipole, and dipole speakers, and each type produces different surround sound effects.
How to choose the right surround speakers: monopole, bipole or dipole?
When setting up a home theater, you should base your decision primarily on the size of the room, the acoustics, the number of listeners, and your listening preferences.
A direct-radiating speaker (sometimes called a monopole) is a forward-firing speaker that sends sound directly into the room to the listeners. Surround sound effects in movies, music, and games are most noticeable with direct speakers.
In general, most people prefer direct-firing speakers when listening primarily to multichannel music. The speakers that most people have in a basic stereo setup are usually direct-firing speakers. When used in a surround sound setup, direct-firing speakers are sometimes placed on the sides or back of the listening room behind the listeners.
