Surrounds position - couch against back wall [Archive]

frkuhn

02-06-2004, 04:00 PM

Hi, everyone!

Advice needed:

My couch is directly againts the back wall. I intend to use monopole surrounds (B&W 602). Does anyone have a opinion on what would be the best placement for them (music wise)? I've heard that putting them on the back wall firing down would be a good choice, but I dont want to make holes in my (brick) wall before being sure.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks!

pepar

02-14-2004, 05:53 PM

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>frkuhn : Hi, everyone!

Advice needed:

My couch is directly againts the back wall. I intend to use monopole surrounds (B&W 602). Does anyone have a opinion on what would be the best placement for them (music wise)? I've heard that putting them on the back wall firing down would be a good choice, but I dont want to make holes in my (brick) wall before being sure.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks!
While your situation is not ideal, you still have some options.  Check out Dolby's recommendations here - http://www.dolby.com/ht/Guide.HomeTheater.0110.html#chapter3

My bedroom is set up as in Fig 12 - B and works quite well.

RLA

03-10-2004, 10:57 AM

Hi
Another option for you may be to install inceiling speakers with a pivoting tweeter  above the listening position  This option is far from perfect but may give you a better result if you cant place  Bi Polar/Di-Polar speakers on the side wall

av_phile

03-11-2004, 11:44 PM

Since your couch is smack against the back wall, try locating the surround monopoles on the sides but closer to the back wall angled to face you.  Multi-channel DVD-As actually sound better for me with the rear speakers slightly located where I still can see them at my vision's periphery from my listening position, giving a 180 degree soundstage sweep.  More realistic than getting discreet sounds from the back.

RLA

03-16-2004, 12:48 AM

Hi
Be very careful with placing monopole speakers facing you (eachother) up against the back wall
most often  small book shelf  speakers  tweeters will have a broad dispersion pattern
placing the speaker in proximity to a hard reflective surface will give you a close proximity reflection
If you end up doing it this way you may want to toe the speakers out  and experiment with
running one of the tweeters out of phase   You also have to realize that if they are going to be up high you
have just added one more reflective surface into the mix  the ceiling

frkuhn

03-16-2004, 08:21 AM

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">If you end up doing it this way you may want to toe the speakers out *and experiment with
running one of the tweeters out of phase</td></tr></table>

Just the tweeter or the speaker itself?

RLA

03-16-2004, 10:46 AM

i,
  Toe out both speakers .
If your decor will permit you may want to try some absorptive material
on the back wall next to the speaker    to try and tame that first reflection
Try running just the tweeter out of phase   This may help or it may
sound worse at your listening position  but is  something you can try
There are also a couple of companies that sell speakers that can  mount into the corners of a room
depending on your room layout this may be a possibility  Another option  may be something like the
in ceiling speakers made by Speaker Craft  called the AIM series  half the speaker is mounted in the ceiling
the other half  is below the ceiling and can be aimed at the listening position   They look like a Turret
some may find that attractive others may not

allengarman

03-25-2004, 04:26 PM

I have a similar setup in my A/V room, with my couch placed against the back wall that is approximately 14 wide.  I placed my speakers about 1 foot away from the corner, at a height of approximately 1 foot above my seated head position.  This is the setup recommend by Dolby.
 
My head position is slightly in front of the speakers due to the depth of the couch back.

My rear speakers are Sapphire dipoles, with angled tweeters.  www.sapphireaudio.com

I recommend drilling into the mortar rather than the brick.  It is cosmetically much easier to fill in a little mortar than to attempt to plug a hole in a brick.  Use a proper masonry drill bit.

Expert

05-29-2004, 02:46 AM

Hi, everyone!

Advice needed:

My couch is directly againts the back wall. I intend to use monopole surrounds (B&W 602). Does anyone have a opinion on what would be the best placement for them (music wise)? I've heard that putting them on the back wall firing down would be a good choice, but I dont want to make holes in my (brick) wall before being sure.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks!

So what on earth is your problem? .... just move the couch forward.

This is an audio forum not a couch positioning forum and the primary objective is to get the best sound out of your system, not to make your room look nice!

gees......... some people!

jeffsg4mac

05-29-2004, 10:19 AM

This is a similar situation that I have. Mount you speakers like this (http://homepage.mac.com/jeffrey8mm/System/System-Pages/Image3.html) and then for music leave them pointed into the listening area and for movies lay them on their backs pointed up at the ceiling, this will give you a diffuse sound field recommended for movies. This is the best compromise for direct firing speakers.

av_phile

05-31-2004, 04:01 AM

So what on earth is your problem? .... just move the couch forward.

This is an audio forum not a couch positioning forum and the primary objective is to get the best sound out of your system, not to make your room look nice!

gees......... some people!

Very true. :D

But sometimes, if not all the time, one has to consider the aesthetics of the room as well that would be acceptable to the spouse. Some of the things we do for this hobby can end up having to pass what they call WAF (wife acceptance factor) :D

Unregistered

05-31-2004, 11:49 AM

if you lie them on their backs should the tweets be closer to you or should the mid ??

jeffsg4mac

06-01-2004, 10:09 AM

if you lie them on their backs should the tweets be closer to you or should the mid ??

I dont think you would be able to tell the difference, Just remember that when you point them at the ceiling for movies you will need to check the sound level again, mine drops a few db's when they are pointed at the ceiling. The effect is very good though, as I once owned a set of mirage bipolars and this seems to work just about as good. Only thing is the bipolar speakers did not sound good with music. This way you can have the best of both worlds with just a minor inconvenience of changing the position and levels when you go back and forth between music and movies.

dtb300

06-01-2004, 12:22 PM

I am in the same dilema with my room. Couch at the back wall of an 16' long room. I have a 7.1 setup with surrounds on the side wall slightly back from the middle, and pointed toward listening position - couch. Back Surrounds are to the sides of us pointing towards each other. Let me see if I can draw something here..

------------- O --------------- Center

------- O ----TV---- O -------- Fronts

O-----------------------------O Surrounds

O--------- COUCH ------------O Read Surrounds

Is there anything better I can do with this type of setup. NO, the couch cannot be moved as per the wife, so I have to make do with this.

Later....Dan

Unregistered

06-01-2004, 01:04 PM

now should they be placed

-- couch -- or II couch II
length or width

av_phile

06-03-2004, 03:03 AM

So you can move the couch forward, can you get rid of the wife? :D (he, he, joke only)

frkuhn

06-03-2004, 03:54 PM

So you can move the couch forward, can you get rid of the wife? :D (he, he, joke only)

And keep all my gear? I don't think so... :D

av_phile

06-04-2004, 01:15 AM

Ah, OK. I guess you'll just have to live with both. I mean the surrounds and rear surround speaker positions. :D