5.3 -> 2.2?

[CB22]

Spent some hours tonight fooling with speaker placement. My room is ~11x18. I found that the soundstage/ imaging was the best with the speakers about ~2 feet from the wall on x-axis and ~5ft off the wall on the y-axis. However, this makes the need for a center channel useless as there is not enough space for it to be effective. For the 5 channel system to work well the L/R speakers are a just too damn close to the wall. They are a couple inches away. Going forward. I'm thinking of moving the speakers out in the room every time I'm listing to 2-channel and then cramming the BMRs up on the wall for tor the movies. Now all this got me thinking is all the fiddling of speaker placement even worth it? Would I be better off going with a 2.2.If I sell of the HSU, center channel, and surrounds I could probably afford a nice vinyl player and phono pre-amp.

I've got 8 speakers in a 11x18 room, would it be logical to strip down the system? What even more conflicting is that if I can sell the center channel BMR, I will never be able to replace it. Thoughts? What would you do?

 

[ryanosaur]

Buy your center channel BMR?!
Ha!
But maybe... if you decide to move it.

My room is 11x15... I think you saw my photos from that old B-M-Wow thread. I've got 7.2 right now. I'm pretty happy with my mains ~6' apart. I can't push out much further due to bad corner loading on my front right. But everything else sounds pretty flipping cool, especially when I go multi-channel audio with DTS 5.1 discs. Movies sound good, and I'm close to going after my .4 Atmos aspirations. (Though I may switch to 5.2.4... we'll see.)

Anyway, what percentage movie and music are you doing? I'm pushing more like 90-95% music, but I won't sacrifice the surrounds. When I want them... I know I have them.

 

[ryanosaur]

Coming back around to this, CB, gotta ask what your long term plans are. If this is your forever home, for example. Do you do a lot of entertaining? Do you still have that girlfriend that's jealous of you listening to your gear? Or is she the future Mrs22 and wants a proper parlor for receiving guests?

Likewise, in your room, how far back are you sitting?
Hell, I'd consider giving up a nut to have 3 more feet to work with! Maybe both for a 17x27x11' room!


Cheers, amigo!

 

[CB22]

Anyway, what percentage movie and music are you doing? I'm pushing more like 90-95% music, but I won't sacrifice the surrounds. When I want them... I know I have them.

Currently 75% music | 25% movies/ games. Believe it or not I actually enjoy the surrounds more for video games than for movies, unless its Overloard. That was an epic mix. I do like the surrounds and knowing there there is a nice thing. Things are starting to change in life though, no Ms. cb22 nagging about the speakers . yes, free at last! I'm 80% sure I'll be taking a job offer at a company up north, so things could be in flux very soon. So if there is a time to downsize it would probably be better to do it sooner rather than later.

Do you do a lot of entertaining?

I do, and the subs are are always the first things to get show off.

Likewise, in your room, how far back are you sitting?

about 8/9ft back.

@ryansaur, I'll tell you this though, the day I go house shopping I'm going to be so anal about finding a place with a good room for the HT/ music. I've got a friend with a 5.1 best buy Klipsch system and it sounds killer in his big ass room. The room really does play huge part of it. I'm kind of just trying to make due with the space I have but it is by no means perfect.

 

[ryanosaur]

Currently 75% music | 25% movies/ games. Believe it or not I actually enjoy the surrounds more for video games than for movies, unless its Overloard. That was an epic mix. I do like the surrounds and knowing there there is a nice thing. Things are starting to change in life though, no Ms. cb22 nagging about the speakers . yes, free at last! I'm 80% sure I'll be taking a job offer at a company up north, so things could be in flux very soon. So if there is a time to downsize it would probably be better to do it sooner rather than later.


I do, and the subs are are always the first things to get show off.



about 8/9ft back.

@ryansaur, I'll tell you this though, the day I go house shopping I'm going to be so anal about finding a place with a good room for the HT/ music. I've got a friend with a 5.1 best buy Klipsch system and it sounds killer in his big ass room. The room really does play huge part of it. I'm kind of just trying to make due with the space I have but it is by no means perfect.

You nailed it there at the end, CB... the room! Its all about the room.
But rooms are like pets... sometimes you don't get to choose them, rather they choose you! Believe me, turning my office into a 7.3.4 listening room was NOT my first choice! Mind I'm still x.1.4 away from that goal. Either way, though, part of our love has to include the willingness to quest for solutions, too. (Excluding jealous significant others, that is... in which case it is they who must succumb to the vibrational love-fest of our Audio-centric way of life!)

Ok, but more seriously:

As much as I would like to get my hands on your CenterBMR... you really should keep it. If anything, when you get to where you are going, unscrew that tweeter, rotate it 90degrees, and stand that bad boy up tall and proud! I know Dennis says it measures excellent in that orientation, but it will do better upright. I'll be doing it soon and will share my thoughts.
(But if you decide to part ways with it, I would like to be on the list for giving it a good home.)
I do think 7-9 feet apart might be great placement, but I have no complaints at 6' apart, on center, with my center channel in between. I just remeasured, and I sit about 7.5' from tweet to ear. I do have them toed in so that they are aiming past me slightly on both sides... they don't intersect until they basically hit the rear wall about 11' from the tweets.
I've also seen a lot of discussion about the Equilateral Triangle vs Isosceles Triangle. As a musician in my former life, I think the latter is better. I know engineers sit equidistant ideally, because it helps them isolate and fine tune the mix. It's a control position. But enjoyment comes when you step back a little bit... much like looking at a Monet painting: step back and it all blends together into a seamless whole, much the way it would if you were standing in front of a small jazz combo.

Anyway... moving all that stuff won't be fun, or cheap, but you've got the makings of a great system, there! You will, of course, make the right decision for you and your needs. but if you can avoid it... Don't break up the Band!

Cheers!