Hello Acoustat, you have already received some good suggestions here but I would add a few more points.
1) Read the FAQ section on the Audyssey website. Or if you have more time, I posted many links here
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/room-eq-systems-for-avp-avr-users-thread.91544/ that could save you time searching.
2) Follow their (Audyssey's) instructions to the letter, I ran Audyssey numerous times before I was able to see the room response graphs that I wanted to see and I can assure you following their instructions is indeed the best starting point.
3) After you have done the best you can following instructions, you may have the flattest possible room response in your particular setup, but you may not actually like the way your system sounds to you. I like mine mainly because I convinced myself I wanted it closest to what I experienced in live unamplified concert.
In the end you may have to go back and do some tweaking to your own liking but that is a totally different story. Getting the flattest room response should still be a good starting/reference point regardless but that's just my opinion.
Hey thanks for the response PENG. I actually was just checking out the 1st page before I stopped by here.
You started a great thread there.
I think my main problem is going to be placement issues, as I am not prepared to suspend my speakers from the ceiling.
Other than true rears, my placement is exceedingly limited for these to be surrounds.
My previous question has been overlooked on 2 different threads or occasions which was a placement question
and is directly pertinent to the rear/surround error in placement. Allow me to ask again, probably worded very similar,
wouldn't rears be more advantageous than side surrounds?
What I've tried to accomplish with this "Texas Headphone" combo of rear and side placement with one channel
is to broaden the rear stage without side surrounds. Side surrounds do not fit my rooms layout.
Either side will create a blocked doorway unless the speaker is right in the ear of the main 2 seats.
Both doorways are used quite frequently. The doorway near the fireplace creates a 3 sided box too.
That's the R channel. The L channel is freestanding in an 15 x 28 room both close to a back wall with rear firing ports.
So before I get fully involved in following all the great advice provided, I really need to nail position down
to a tighter ball park location. Would it be decent, to move these poorly placed side surrounds to the rear,
elevate them, and run them from the AVR as side surrounds? Unfortunately, this is not a dedicated theatre
rather a living room/great room that is also a passageway from kitchen to bedroom/bathroom.
It gets a LOT of traffic, all of the traffic, and getting ahead of myself, I'm going to have a subwoofer
placement issue too. I really shot for the sky as far as my budget would allow, either for "rears" or a sub.
So a sub will have to wait for now. Really trying to build a great uncluttered HT. I know I know, I need 4 walls.