Surround speaker placement recommendation for LARGE room (w/Pictures)

[Hellion]

Hey guys,
I've been wanting to do some surround sound for quite some time now but cannot figure out the best way to do surround sound speakers. Putting some speakers on the sides of the couch would kind of be a pain since the one on the right side would just kinda sit out in a wide open space, the other side has a couch and walkway space in the way. I've thought about mounting some up on the beam on the ceiling but it would be in front of our seating. Would back wall placement (above the adjacent ceiling height) be an option for 5.1? I will be getting new front towers and a center eventually as well so am also looking for recommendations on what type of speaker (Dipole/Bipile) to place. Loking to spend a max of about $1200 on a set of the surrounds if they will make a big difference, or a little less on the surrounds if they don't make a big difference so I can spend more on the fronts and center. Already have a new 15" Elemental Designs Sub. I'm still way confused on which brand I should get for the rest. The room is about 25X32, its actually bigger if you count the dining room that jogs off of it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Hellion]

So far I am leaning towards a set of bipole speakers mounted on the back wall just above the lower adjacent ceilings. This system will be for movies only. We never have any music going. I see that there are 2 way and 3 way/directional speakers as well... more confusion on which to get there.

 

[Adam]

That's a really nice looking room that you have there. I love the large windows off to the side and the sliding glass.

I would also put speakers on the wall behind the couch. It's tough for me to tell from your photos if the wall behind the couch extends all the way to the end of the side chair. I'm wondering if bookshelf speakers on stands would work for you? You mention speakers on the sides of the couch, but I was thinking up against that back wall. That might be something easy to try out before deciding to mount something on the wall, anyway.

I have no experience with bipole/dipole speakers in my house. I use direct-radiating speakers on my back wall. My ignorance would make me think that direct radiating might be better in your case so that you aren't diffusing sound into that side hallway, but I only mention that idea so that someone here with more knowledge can chime in and school me.

 

[Beatmatcher247]

How much couch cushion do you have blocking sound behind your ears? I found my high-back couches to impede my bookshelves sound so much that I couldn't hear much from behind me, and when I did it sounded garbled. I put them directly to the sides of my ears and it made a world of difference. You may want to borrow a friend's cheap stands and do some comparing with behind vs. the sides.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

How much couch cushion do you have blocking sound behind your ears? I found my high-back couches to impede my bookshelves sound so much that I couldn't hear much from behind me, and when I did it sounded garbled. I put them directly to the sides of my ears and it made a world of difference. You may want to borrow a friend's cheap stands and do some comparing with behind vs. the sides.

surround speakers should be placed 1ft above your ear level - which should definitely be above couch height
Since you have such large room, you might be beneficial to have 7.1 system - two rear surrounds (on the wall behind couch) and two side surrounds on opposite sides of couch (the one in front of media center)

 

[Beatmatcher247]

I'm not knowledgeable about dipole vs. bipole but there is some information in this thread that may be helpful to you.

Best way to hear difference between bipole/dipole

 

[j_garcia]

With that much room behind the couch, which is definitely the best situation you could have, you could even do monopole surrounds. Yes, whatever you go with, mounted on the wall or stand mounted at that wall would be the way I would go. I personally prefer monopole surrounds to bi/dipole.

Your mains are too close to the entertainment center.

 

[Hellion]

WOW!! That was some amaizing information that I would have not of thought of.
1. I didn't think about "diffusing sound into that side hallway" I'm glad you saw that. Monopole it is!!

2. Couch cushion...Oh my oh my oh my...I wouldn't have thought of that either. I'm a tall guy so picked a couch with a high back as my head rolls back on most couches, and my wife is usually laying down on the couch while watching...It's actually only about 2 inches above my head but looks like the speaker sound won't be blocked if the speakers are on that back wall with the bottom of the speaker at about 8'-feet off the floor. My wife sits lower but it looks like it will be good as well.

3. I can't put the speakers too much lower because I will probably be taking out some of that wall to link the kithcen with the living room. I like the idea of upgrading to 7.1 after I have all my other speakers so it would be nice to have some speakers already connected to that back wall as I have already ran speaker wire through the wall and ceiling when I put in that living room addition seen between the beam (old wall) and Sliding glass door.

4. When I built that wall I didnt take into consideration of how wide everything was going to be (entertainment center, speakers, sub) when I decided to go with the 16-feet wide sliding glass door there so there is no room left to move the speakers out further. I did however run some wire to the other side of that slider if I ever wanted another subwoofer.

Amaizing info guys. Thank you so much!!!

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[Hellion]

but I only mention that idea so that someone here with more knowledge can chime in and school me.

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Yeah, c'mon guys I was hoping I could get some information from someone with a little more experience.
Thanks for the room compliments, my wife and I are doing ALL the work ourselves, design, concrete, framing, windows, ect. We even put that 32'-foot Steel I-beam in with the help of 3 jacks. It's wearing me out.

 

[Adam]

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Thanks! But, don't be fooled by those numbers. Posts and thanks don't equal knowledge...just fast typing skills and, most of the time, a sense of humor that people here like.

There are some true geniuses here, a lot of whom don't post a lot.

 

[Hellion]

OK, I have my eyballs fixed on the Verus Grand Bookshelf Speaker so far.
http://www.aperionaudio.com/product/Verus-Grand-Bookshelf-Speaker,268,89,804.aspx

 

[Hellion]

Hmm, the rear air port on those won't be good for a right up against the wall mount.

 

[ahblaza]

With that much room behind the couch, which is definitely the best situation you could have, you could even do monopole surrounds. Yes, whatever you go with, mounted on the wall or stand mounted at that wall would be the way I would go. I personally prefer monopole surrounds to bi/dipole.

Your mains are too close to the entertainment center.

Yeah and the front baffles don't extend beyond the front of ET center either.

 

[ahblaza]

Hmm, the rear air port on those won't be good for a right up against the wall mount.

Find a mount that puts them at least 3" from wall and cross them over at 80 Hz, you will be fine with the Verus.

 

[Hellion]

Find a mount that puts them at least 3" from wall and cross them over at 80 Hz, you will be fine with the Verus.

Sweet!! Thank you...

 

[Hellion]

Does anyone have bipolar speakers on their back wall for surrounds that prefer them to monopole?

 

[ahblaza]

Sweet!! Thank you...

You are welcome, as far as di-bi pole surrounds I'm sure many here use them, I have tried both and my room does not have the open to another area like yours and I personally preferred a direct radiating surround, I like Adam think that anything other than a monopole would be a compromise in your situation, there have been many good suggestions here, but in the end it's your decision, with Aperion you have the option of free shipping both ways and thirty day trial.
Jeff