Your advice for surround speaker types in my living room.

[ckett]

I am trying to decide on speaker types for the surrounds in my living room. Enclosed is a floorplan and design idea. I am unable to move or change the furniture for this setup.

Right now I have bipole surrounds along the back wall about 3 feet above ear level. I am wondering if I should change them to monopole bookshelf speakers aimed at the listening position instead. Or I could go with directional in ceiling speakers (like the Revel C763L) on each side directed down towards the sweet spot. I sometimes feel that the dipoles since they are not on a wall behind me are not really doing as effective of a job of creating the surround field. Maybe having more point source would sound more interesting.

I am unable to setup any side surrounds at ear level. My idea was to install directional surrounds ( revel C763L) slightly ahead of the listening position on each side directed at the sweet spot.

Then later I would add a pair of in ceiling directly over the seated position and maybe another pair along the front walls for a Dolby Atmos experience.

Let me know what you would do given this arrangement!

 

[mazersteven]

What Mains are you using?

 

[ckett]

The mains are Dynaudio Evoke 50s with the matching center.

 

[mazersteven]

The mains are Dynaudio Evoke 50s with the matching center.

Really Nice!!!

Why not go with Dynaudio

In-ceiling speaker - All Dynaudio in-ceiling speakers

In this category, you will find all in-ceiling speakers. Learn about the full range of high-end Dynaudio in-ceiling speakers and find a dealer near you.

www.dynaudio.com

 

[NINaudio]

OK, there's a lot to process here, but if you're looking to go atmos in the future, here's what I suggest:

-monopole bookshelves for the surrounds, that will give you a solid 5.1 layer. You don't want to have in ceiling speakers as part of your bed layer if you're doing in ceiling atmos speakers.
-Nix the pair you have labeled as in ceiling front presence speakers
-move the pair labeled as "in-ceiling surrounds" closer together (in line with your mains and the rear atmos pair) and use them as part of your atmos layer.

 

[ckett]

Really Nice!!!

Why not go with Dynaudio

In-ceiling speaker - All Dynaudio in-ceiling speakers

In this category, you will find all in-ceiling speakers. Learn about the full range of high-end Dynaudio in-ceiling speakers and find a dealer near you.

www.dynaudio.com

Yes, certainly would consider that.

As NINaudio suggested maybe just go with a pair of Dynaudio Evoke 10 bookshelves for the surrounds. Then Dynaudio In-Ceiling for the rest.

Other people on other forums have also encouraged doing a 5.1.4 setup instead of a 7.1.2 with the side surrounds being in-ceilling as depicted in my floor plan. I just thought maybe it would be nice to have a more active full range speaker projecting sound out form the front sides even though they would be in ceiling.

 

[mazersteven]

Dynaudio Evoke 10 bookshelves

Evoke 10's would be great.

If your sitting on the couch the wall to the Left. Is that a full wall?

 

[ckett]

Evoke 10's would be great.

If your sitting on the couch the wall to the Left. Is that a full wall?

No it isn't. It is a decorative see through wall. Here is a picture.

 

[ckett]

I was thinking maybe use these mounts for the bookshelf surrounds and angle them almost 90 degrees to the listeining position. This way I don't have to worry about stands taking up space on the floor.

 

[mazersteven]

Something like those mounts was what I was thinking. I would mount them lower than your existing Rears. That was you could bring them closer to ear level

 

[ckett]

Something like those mounts was what I was thinking. I would mount them lower than your existing Rears. That was you could bring them closer to ear level

Right! That is what i was thinking too. Maybe have them about a foot above ear level angled almost 90 degrees and slightly down.

 

[NINaudio]

Right! That is what i was thinking too. Maybe have them about a foot above ear level angled almost 90 degrees and slightly down.

Yes, it would be much better if you had them pointed at the listening position

 

[ckett]

The bipoles are kind of nice but I think don't work well given my wall and couch position. I know they are meant to create a diffused sound field if they were either behind or to the sides. Since I do not have any side walls for the sound to really bounce off of, monopoles might create a more satisfying sound field.

 

[mazersteven]

And you have such nice Mains. Maybe an Area Rug. I see alot of Hard Surfaces

 

[NINaudio]

The dipoles are kind of nice but I think don't work well given my wall and couch position. I know they are meant to create a diffused sound field if they were either behind or to the sides. Since I do not have any side walls for the sound to really bounce off of, monopoles might create a more satisfying sound field.

Most of todays movies have discrete surround channel mixes. Dipoles were much more popular when the surround channels were matrixed (mono).

 

[ckett]

And you have such nice Mains. Maybe an Area Rug. I see alot of Hard Surfaces

It actually sounds quite good even though we have hard wood floors. The couch and the wide space really seems to help with early reflection issues.

 

[mazersteven]

And you have such nice Mains. Maybe an Area Rug. I see alot of Hard Surfaces.

No Kids? Light Couch LOL.
And what Subs? I see the Cats. Most Cats Bolt when Good Subs are used. LOL

 

[ckett]

Haha, the cats have adapted. I currently have a pair of Rythmik Audio subs on each side of the couch against the back wall. They weren't in my picture above.

 

[mazersteven]

When you get those Surrounds installed let us know. NINaudio and myself will be over. He'll bring the Belgium Ale and I'll bring the Whisky.

 

[ckett]

Here is a more current picture of the space.