How to determine best speaker placement for the room I'm in

P

Pubear

Enthusiast
I was wondering if there was a dvd available that helps you determine the best speaker placement for the room your in. I wasted 10 bucks on a setup dvd that doesn't help with much more than making sure your speakers are hooked up correctly to the receiver, i.e. phase and channel which is really no use to me at all.
 
just-some-guy

just-some-guy

Audioholic Field Marshall
post pics. by FAR the best way.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
I was wondering if there was a dvd available that helps you determine the best speaker placement for the room your in. I wasted 10 bucks on a setup dvd that doesn't help with much more than making sure your speakers are hooked up correctly to the receiver, i.e. phase and channel which is really no use to me at all.
Some manufacturers describe the best setup. Maybe contacting them would help, or at least be a good starting point. Small speakers can benefit from being near a boundary, like a wall or corner. This is how small bookshelf speakers can sound larger than they are.
 
A

audiohonic65

Audioholic
That's the perfect link to learn the best speaker placement for your room.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
The best way is to put the speakers in it and listen.
 
P

Pubear

Enthusiast
post pics. by FAR the best way.
Funny that you say that.

I had already created one and was ready to post it but apparently I had to have a total of at least 5 posts before I was allowed to post any images or hyperlinks.

But I have now passed that limit and here is the picture. Forgive the crudeness. I made it in mspaint at like 2 in the morning. I've tried to include all pertinent information including furniture placement and speaker placement and direction.

As a reference the room is approximately 10' (front to back) by 15' (side to side) and the speakers are mounted about 1.5' above seated ear level.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/27/l_337a2673640c419482dbb1638c3828e8.jpg

P.S.
I have recently moved the FL to the left side of the staircase, the Center and TV just to the right of where the FL speaker WAS, and angled both surround speakers slightly more toward the center of the room rather than pointed directly at the listener.

Also worth noting I generally sit on the left side of the couch.
 
lsiberian

lsiberian

Audioholic Overlord
Funny that you say that.

I had already created one and was ready to post it but apparently I had to have a total of at least 5 posts before I was allowed to post any images or hyperlinks.

But I have now passed that limit and here is the picture. Forgive the crudeness. I made it in mspaint at like 2 in the morning. I've tried to include all pertinent information including furniture placement and speaker placement and direction.

As a reference the room is approximately 10' (front to back) by 15' (side to side) and the speakers are mounted about 1.5' above seated ear level.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/27/l_337a2673640c419482dbb1638c3828e8.jpg

P.S.
I have recently moved the FL to the left side of the staircase, the Center and TV just to the right of where the FL speaker WAS, and angled both surround speakers slightly more toward the center of the room rather than pointed directly at the listener.

Also worth noting I generally sit on the left side of the couch.
The one to the right of the TV may be a problem. It looks like you are corner loading it.

I suggest you use trial and error to get the best results for you though.
 
P

Pubear

Enthusiast
The one to the right of the TV may be a problem. It looks like you are corner loading it.

I suggest you use trial and error to get the best results for you though.
I'm not sure what "corner loading" exactly refers to but I have extensive experience with aiming component speakers in car audio and understand that placing it so close to that wall is going to cause the sound waves to bounce off in "unintended" directions. To counteract this I have angled the speaker slightly inward and lowered the decibel level of that particular speaker by two.

If anyone can think of something that might work better than that please post.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Funny that you say that.

I had already created one and was ready to post it but apparently I had to have a total of at least 5 posts before I was allowed to post any images or hyperlinks.

But I have now passed that limit and here is the picture. Forgive the crudeness. I made it in mspaint at like 2 in the morning. I've tried to include all pertinent information including furniture placement and speaker placement and direction.

As a reference the room is approximately 10' (front to back) by 15' (side to side) and the speakers are mounted about 1.5' above seated ear level.

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/27/l_337a2673640c419482dbb1638c3828e8.jpg

P.S.
I have recently moved the FL to the left side of the staircase, the Center and TV just to the right of where the FL speaker WAS, and angled both surround speakers slightly more toward the center of the room rather than pointed directly at the listener.

Also worth noting I generally sit on the left side of the couch.
You wouldn't consider reversing the location of the couch/chair and the TV/stereo, would you? That way, you could center the TV and stereo on the long, undisturbed wall, put the couch at the stairway and the chair in the corner on the other side of the stairs. You wouldn't need to worry about the corner loading (that's the boundary issue I was referring to and it would generally be more even-sounding. Plus, the couch would be more centered, too and that means you won't need to look to the side to watch TV/the sound will be more in front of you and anyone sitting on it. Another option that would allow you to keep everything basically where is it, would be to put the left front to the left of the stairwell and shift the TV and center channel speaker to the left. That way, it would truly be centered and you would only need to move the one speaker and the L/R will both be in corners, which will make them sound more similar.
 
Last edited:
H

Highbar

Senior Audioholic
Any way you would consider rotating the room 90* to the left and putting the TV/stereo on the short wall to the left of that pic? Then you could center everything on that wall, the surrounds could be evenly spaced on each side of the room and from the looks of everything you would still be able to get around the couch. That would be what I would try.
 
H

HDPCsound

Audioholic
Try different speaker positions, presets, and post pictures like the guys said. You can get valious help on setting up your speakers here.
 
just-some-guy

just-some-guy

Audioholic Field Marshall
ummm, stick pics don't count. REAL pics, do. and not just 1. we need to see the whole room.

you want help ? help us help you.
 
P

Pubear

Enthusiast
You wouldn't consider reversing the location of the couch/chair and the TV/stereo, would you? That way, you could center the TV and stereo on the long, undisturbed wall, put the couch at the stairway and the chair in the corner on the other side of the stairs. You wouldn't need to worry about the corner loading (that's the boundary issue I was referring to and it would generally be more even-sounding. Plus, the couch would be more centered, too and that means you won't need to look to the side to watch TV/the sound will be more in front of you and anyone sitting on it. Another option that would allow you to keep everything basically where is it, would be to put the left front to the left of the stairwell and shift the TV and center channel speaker to the left. That way, it would truly be centered and you would only need to move the one speaker and the L/R will both be in corners, which will make them sound more similar.
I went with the second option because I don't have an outlet along the back wall. Huge improvement. Thank you.
 
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