Newbie speaker positioning questions

[markwoon]

I think I've read most of the speaker/subwoofer positioning articles on the site, but I still have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm looking to set up a 5.1 home theater.

1) The diagrams in the various articles seem to differ on this, but are the L/R speakers supposed to be aimed at the primary listening position?

2) Some articles mention that positioning the front speakers too low or high may cause some problems. How low is too low? Or should I be able to just tell what the right height is once I hear it?

3) Is the main difference between 5.1 and 7.1 the two extra surround back speakers behind the listening position? And I my sofa is against the back wall, then it won't make much sense to go for a 7.1 system?

4) If I mount the front L/R and surround L/R speakers on the wall, do I just angle them down towards the primary listening position?

5) What happens if I'd like to use in-wall speakers? They don't show up in any of the recommended systems. Are they not recommended?


Thanks!

 

[biguns]

I think I've read most of the speaker/subwoofer positioning articles on the site, but I still have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm looking to set up a 5.1 home theater.

1) The diagrams in the various articles seem to differ on this, but are the L/R speakers supposed to be aimed at the primary listening position?

2) Some articles mention that positioning the front speakers too low or high may cause some problems. How low is too low? Or should I be able to just tell what the right height is once I hear it?

3) Is the main difference between 5.1 and 7.1 the two extra surround back speakers behind the listening position? And I my sofa is against the back wall, then it won't make much sense to go for a 7.1 system?

4) If I mount the front L/R and surround L/R speakers on the wall, do I just angle them down towards the primary listening position?

5) What happens if I'd like to use in-wall speakers? They don't show up in any of the recommended systems. Are they not recommended?

Thanks!

1) generally yes, aim them at the primary listening position. Actual positioning will depend on the room layout and speaker characteristics. You may not want to completely compromise the secondary positions, so that is a possible compromise....

2) tweeter should be exactly at ear level when you are seated in primary listening position. This is VERY important for the front speakers and center channel. You can easily hear the difference.

3) yes this is mainly the difference. in a smaller room with seating at the back wall there will not be much difference between 5.1 and 7.1

4) well, ideally they would not be mounted ON the wall. usually they will sound best on stands a couple feet out from the wall. And again, it is best to have them aimed at the listening position and tweeters at ear level.
Surround speakers may be mounted on the wall.

5) in wall speakers will work well for surrounds. I would not recommend them for the front or center channels, although they can sound good if you do it right. Many in-wall speakers have tweeters that can be aimed at the listening position and this is a nice feature to have. In-ceiling speakers are also an option for the surrounds.

Good luck.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

1) The diagrams in the various articles seem to differ on this, but are the L/R speakers supposed to be aimed at the primary listening position? Yes they should criss-cross the listening position which may require toe-in.

2) Some articles mention that positioning the front speakers too low or high may cause some problems. How low is too low? Or should I be able to just tell what the right height is once I hear it? The tweeters should be at ear level when seated.

3) Is the main difference between 5.1 and 7.1 the two extra surround back speakers behind the listening position? And I my sofa is against the back wall, then it won't make much sense to go for a 7.1 system? Yes that is the difference between the 2. If sofa is against the wall, it will not work right.

4) If I mount the front L/R and surround L/R speakers on the wall, do I just angle them down towards the primary listening position? If you have to wall mount they should be angled down to the listening position.

5) What happens if I'd like to use in-wall speakers? They don't show up in any of the recommended systems. Are they not recommended? If you have to use them you can but they will not sound as good as a comparable priced enclosed speaker. SpeakerCraft and Sonance make some great inwall and inceiling speakers.

 

[markwoon]

1) The diagrams in the various articles seem to differ on this, but are the L/R speakers supposed to be aimed at the primary listening position? Yes they should criss-cross the listening position which may require toe-in.

Greg, what exactly do you mean by toe-in? I'm not familiar with that term.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Speaker Toe-in: Directly related with the positioning of the main front speakers is the issue of speaker toe-in or the 'set angle' towards the listening position. This means that independent of the speakers position each of the main front left and right speakers would normally be set at an angle such that it directs more sound towards the prime listening position. In general, some toe-in would yield better results but...

There is no 'general' home theater speaker placement rule in that this depends on a number of factors. In particular, it depends on the sound dispersion pattern of the speakers in question.

In other words, not all speakers require toe-in; some speakers are designed to sound at their best facing straight forward, while others will have to be positioned angled slightly towards the listening position.

The best way is to consult the manufacturer literature accompanying your speakers for any recommendations on home theater speaker placement issues. If the accompanying manuals do not provide any guidance in this respect, simply listen to the speakers both when facing straight forward, and also when angled-in; then choice the position that sounds best to your ears!

Greg, what exactly do you mean by toe-in? I'm not familiar with that term.

 

[jcPanny]

Main speaker position

Greg, what exactly do you mean by toe-in? I'm not familiar with that term.

If the main speakers are pointed straight out from the wall, they have zereo "toe-in". If there are angled towards the listening position, that is toe-in.

 

[markwoon]

Thanks for the quick responses!

Went back and re-read some of the articles and now I've a couple more questions:

1) Regarding the height of the speakers, is there a major difference between having the tweeter actually at ear level, or can they be aimed towards ear level? Based on the "Speaker placement setup tips for upgraded home theater systems" article I'm hoping it'll be about the same? (Sorry, can't provide direct link till I've posted 5 times.)

2) If actually having the tweeter at ear level makes a big difference, which is more important, having the tweeter at ear level, or having the front L/R speakers at 22-30 degrees from the primary listening position per the "Home theater speaker layout - an essential guide" article? Based on my room setup, I can have one, but not both.

I'm currently remodeling the house, and am trying to make the family room more audio friendly while trying to hide all the wires at the same time. Thanks for the help!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Well, we all live in the real world and have to make compromises that work. What speakers are you going to use? Can you provide a diagram of your room?

 

[markwoon]

Well, we all live in the real world and have to make compromises that work. What speakers are you going to use? Can you provide a diagram of your room?

I'm still researching which speakers to get. Right now, I'm leaning towards the Definitive Technology Mythos speakers, with Axiom (M22 and VP150 for the fronts) as my second choice (I just wish I could hear them before purchasing). If anyone has any suggestions one way or another, I'd love to hear them.

I'm one post away from being able to link to pictures...

 

[markwoon]

Can you provide a diagram of your room?

The room is roughly 19' x 14'. Here's a plan of the room:

The furniture is not set, but the orientation is. My TV right now is a 42" Panasonic plasma. On either side of the TV is a french door that leads out to the back yard.

 

[3db]

Thanks for the quick responses!

Went back and re-read some of the articles and now I've a couple more questions:

1) Regarding the height of the speakers, is there a major difference between having the tweeter actually at ear level, or can they be aimed towards ear level? Based on the "Speaker placement setup tips for upgraded home theater systems" article I'm hoping it'll be about the same? (Sorry, can't provide direct link till I've posted 5 times.)

2) If actually having the tweeter at ear level makes a big difference, which is more important, having the tweeter at ear level, or having the front L/R speakers at 22-30 degrees from the primary listening position per the "Home theater speaker layout - an essential guide" article? Based on my room setup, I can have one, but not both.

Its great that you are doing your homework ahead of time. Good for you. Unfortunately, this question really can't be answered until you have the speakers. The speaker placement should be viewed as guideline, a starting point. It really is speaker dependent. Once you have your speakers, you should experiment with placement to achieve the best sound. For example, my speakers have their tweeters almost at ear height and I've used the adjustable carpet spikes that came with the speakers, to angle them back slightly. (pointing towards the ceiling).

 

[biguns]

Well, it is VERY important to have the tweeters at ear level or the high frequency response will not be optimal. For the M22 you will need a shorter stand to accomplish this. You can toe the speakers in or out however it sounds best to you. This should not be a problem. The tweeters can be aimed at ear level, but this would not be my preference.

As stated, you will have to try things out a little before you can decide for sure what is best. It will take a lot of money to get comparable performance from in-wall/ceiling speakers as to box speakers. But the surrounds are an area that (at least to me) can be compromised somewhat. Unless you listen to multi channel music a lot.

 

[markwoon]

Its great that you are doing your homework ahead of time. Good for you. Unfortunately, this question really can't be answered until you have the speakers.

That's what I was afraid of. I was hoping to be able to hide all the wires in the walls, but I guess that may not be the best idea. At least for the front speakers.

Thanks to everyone for answering my questions!