According to our poll "Do You Have a Surround Sound Setup?," 76% of the total respondents had either a HTIB or a system they compiled from separate components. That beats virtual surround respondents nearly 11 to 1.
So the bottom line is this—you guys are into the real deal. In fact you are so hardcore that you prefer to put together a system yourself as opposed to buying everything in a ready-made package. Bravo. On the other hand, 3% of respondents have a full system, but never hooked up the rear speakers. That handily beats the 35-50% average that experts have tossed around—but still...what the hell? There are ways to hook up a surround system yourself on the cheap that won't require a lot of cash or even tearing up walls. Using flat speaker cable is one soluton—and you can probably get the job done for under $60.