Help with B&W in-wall speakers 7.2.4 setup

[kmit]

Hi audioholics forum,

I am new to the forum and actually new to home theater setup as well. I hope that I could get some advice with my 7.2.4 setup in my living room. After doing a lot of homework, I have the following setup illustration as follows:

I have the TOP VIEW from top to flooring. The left part is the living room, which is 240in X 183in. Behind the living room, it is a dining room, which is 120in X 183in. I plan to set a 77in OLED TV (or maybe 85in non-OLED TV) flush mounted on the wall, and I would sit 132in (11ft) away from the TV.

I use C/L/R to indicate center/left/right speaker, LS/RS for left/right surround speaker, RSL/RSR for left/right rear surround speaker. And I use AFL/AFR for Atmos left/right top front overhead speaker (in ceiling), and ARL/ARR for Atmos left/right top rear overhead speaker (in ceiling). SW1/SW2 are the subwoofers.

I marked these stars at the center of the speakers. I plan to use B&W CWM7.3 S2 in-wall for L/C/R, use B&W CWM7.5 S2 in-wall for LS/RS/RSL/RSR, use B&W CCM684 in-ceiling for AFL/AFR/ARL/ARR, and B&W ISW4 for in-wall subwoofer SW1/SW2. Only L/R will be placed vertically. C/LS/RS/RSL/RSR will be placed horizontally.

I was told that the center of the TV should be 42in high. In that case, the center speaker C will be placed 15in high, which is below 42in ear-level height.

Due to the room structural limitation, LS/RS/RSL/RSR will be placed 89in high, way above ear level.

On the back (look at BACK VIEW), there are some space near floor allowing me to put RSL/RSR (All the gray area is not applicable for mounting a speaker). Should I put RSL/RSR near floor or I just keep RSL/RSR 89in high as specified on the diagram?

Also, how about the speakers I choose in my case? Any suggestion on which speaker I should choose (rather than ones I choose)? I definitely want to stick with B&W for speakers. Fine to use other brand and even not-in-wall subwoofers.

And how does my placement look like? I am strictly following Dolby 7.1.4's rules. But I have to put LS/RS/RSL/RSR way higher than ear level. Also putting C below ear level. Would it be a problem?

There is a 2nd floor right above living room. Would it help to add some sound-proof insulation too? Because I have kids' bedroom above. If I am going to put sound-proof insulation on the whole ceiling of the living room, do I still need B&W BB6C enclosure (https://www.crutchfield.com/S-IsM2VKaexDN/p_749BB6C/Bowers-Wilkins-BB-6C.html) for CCM684 in-ceiling speakers?

I know I have a lot of questions. I did some studies, and I still have above confusions. Your help and suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks a lot!

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi audioholics forum,

I am new to the forum and actually new to home theater setup as well. I hope that I could get some advice with my 7.2.4 setup in my living room. After doing a lot of homework, I have the following setup illustration as follows:

I have the TOP VIEW from top to flooring. The left part is the living room, which is 240in X 183in. Behind the living room, it is a dining room, which is 120in X 183in. I plan to set a 77in OLED TV (or maybe 85in non-OLED TV) flush mounted on the wall, and I would sit 132in (11ft) away from the TV.

View attachment 45114

I use C/L/R to indicate center/left/right speaker, LS/RS for left/right surround speaker, RSL/RSR for left/right rear surround speaker. And I use AFL/AFR for Atmos left/right top front overhead speaker (in ceiling), and ARL/ARR for Atmos left/right top rear overhead speaker (in ceiling). SW1/SW2 are the subwoofers.

I marked these stars at the center of the speakers. I plan to use B&W CWM7.3 S2 in-wall for L/C/R, use B&W CWM7.5 S2 in-wall for LS/RS/RSL/RSR, use B&W CCM684 in-ceiling for AFL/AFR/ARL/ARR, and B&W ISW4 for in-wall subwoofer SW1/SW2. Only L/R will be placed vertically. C/LS/RS/RSL/RSR will be placed horizontally.

I was told that the center of the TV should be 42in high. In that case, the center speaker C will be placed 15in high, which is below 42in ear-level height.

View attachment 45115

Due to the room structural limitation, LS/RS/RSL/RSR will be placed 89in high, way above ear level.

View attachment 45116

On the back (look at BACK VIEW), there are some space near floor allowing me to put RSL/RSR (All the gray area is not applicable for mounting a speaker). Should I put RSL/RSR near floor or I just keep RSL/RSR 89in high as specified on the diagram?

View attachment 45117

Also, how about the speakers I choose in my case? Any suggestion on which speaker I should choose (rather than ones I choose)? I definitely want to stick with B&W for speakers. Fine to use other brand and even not-in-wall subwoofers.

And how does my placement look like? I am strictly following Dolby 7.1.4's rules. But I have to put LS/RS/RSL/RSR way higher than ear level. Also putting C below ear level. Would it be a problem?

There is a 2nd floor right above living room. Would it help to add some sound-proof insulation too? Because I have kids' bedroom above. If I am going to put sound-proof insulation on the whole ceiling of the living room, do I still need B&W BB6C enclosure (https://www.crutchfield.com/S-IsM2VKaexDN/p_749BB6C/Bowers-Wilkins-BB-6C.html) for CCM684 in-ceiling speakers?

I know I have a lot of questions. I did some studies, and I still have above confusions. Your help and suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks a lot!

I think you are on the right lines. An in wall system does present some limitations. If I were doing an in wall system with off the shelf speakers, I would select the B & W speakers. Most in wall systems are not properly designed and poor. The B & W speakers are enclosed, as they should be. The ceiling speakers are not, but you could build a back box. The in wall sub looks interesting and has reasonable specs. I designed a 3.1 in wall system for our great room. An in wall system certainly presents its challenges.

If you want an in wall system you have selected what is likely the best available in that genre off the shelf.

The best rule of thumb for the TVs, is to have the bottom of the screen 30" above the floor.

In my theater which is like yours I used full range Mark Audio 6.5' drivers in a 0.25 cu.ft. back box. They are excellent and would save you money, if you can build the simple back boxes.

So in summary I think you have specked about the best off the shelf speaker system you could given the limitations of in wall.

We did have a member some years ago that built a similar system and kept destroying the woofers. He was using it for party time. So you need to remember that system is not a high spl. party time system.

 

[BMXTRIX]

If this is the only place in your home to put together a surround sound system, it certainly works out better than others we've seen.

I would consider Triad as a serious contender against B&W for quality and performance in a in-wall dedicated setup. Triad really knows their stuff as well.

Be aware that any in-ceiling speakers will bleed half their sound upwards and directly into rooms that are sitting above the family room. If these are bedrooms, then that's something you must be aware of. I will never use in-ceiling speakers in rooms that have rooms above them if I can avoid it. Just be aware of where that audio is going and mitigate it as appropriate.

 

[Grandzoltar]

It looks very well thought out. A few suggestions the center speaker at 15" is quite low as was said earlier raise the TV to 30" and raise the center to a more ear level position. Your surround speakers at 89" could be worked around if you design a wedge shaped dry wall baffle angling the In-wall speakers down towards the mlp.

They sell sticky sound deading material on Amazon kind of like dynamat for cars you could cut and stick around and behind the in celling speakers or in walls.

I was considering changing my surrounds to in-walls because I'm tired of me or someone elseclipping the speakers on brackets and almost ripping them off the wall.

I liked these because of the cea2034 measurements architectural speakers have their design limitations though and poor installation can
Revel W893 Revel C763 or C563

 

[Movie2099]

Hi audioholics forum,

I am new to the forum and actually new to home theater setup as well. I hope that I could get some advice with my 7.2.4 setup in my living room. After doing a lot of homework, I have the following setup illustration as follows:

I have the TOP VIEW from top to flooring. The left part is the living room, which is 240in X 183in. Behind the living room, it is a dining room, which is 120in X 183in. I plan to set a 77in OLED TV (or maybe 85in non-OLED TV) flush mounted on the wall, and I would sit 132in (11ft) away from the TV.

View attachment 45114

I use C/L/R to indicate center/left/right speaker, LS/RS for left/right surround speaker, RSL/RSR for left/right rear surround speaker. And I use AFL/AFR for Atmos left/right top front overhead speaker (in ceiling), and ARL/ARR for Atmos left/right top rear overhead speaker (in ceiling). SW1/SW2 are the subwoofers.

I marked these stars at the center of the speakers. I plan to use B&W CWM7.3 S2 in-wall for L/C/R, use B&W CWM7.5 S2 in-wall for LS/RS/RSL/RSR, use B&W CCM684 in-ceiling for AFL/AFR/ARL/ARR, and B&W ISW4 for in-wall subwoofer SW1/SW2. Only L/R will be placed vertically. C/LS/RS/RSL/RSR will be placed horizontally.

I was told that the center of the TV should be 42in high. In that case, the center speaker C will be placed 15in high, which is below 42in ear-level height.

View attachment 45115

Due to the room structural limitation, LS/RS/RSL/RSR will be placed 89in high, way above ear level.

View attachment 45116

On the back (look at BACK VIEW), there are some space near floor allowing me to put RSL/RSR (All the gray area is not applicable for mounting a speaker). Should I put RSL/RSR near floor or I just keep RSL/RSR 89in high as specified on the diagram?

View attachment 45117

Also, how about the speakers I choose in my case? Any suggestion on which speaker I should choose (rather than ones I choose)? I definitely want to stick with B&W for speakers. Fine to use other brand and even not-in-wall subwoofers.

And how does my placement look like? I am strictly following Dolby 7.1.4's rules. But I have to put LS/RS/RSL/RSR way higher than ear level. Also putting C below ear level. Would it be a problem?

There is a 2nd floor right above living room. Would it help to add some sound-proof insulation too? Because I have kids' bedroom above. If I am going to put sound-proof insulation on the whole ceiling of the living room, do I still need B&W BB6C enclosure (https://www.crutchfield.com/S-IsM2VKaexDN/p_749BB6C/Bowers-Wilkins-BB-6C.html) for CCM684 in-ceiling speakers?

I know I have a lot of questions. I did some studies, and I still have above confusions. Your help and suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks a lot!

I have the B&W 7.3's in my home theater. You will not be disappointed. They will fill that room with amazing sound. Just make sure to give them plenty of juice to get the most out of them. I mean you don't have to, but I would recommend getting one.

I would use the 7.3's for front LCR and get more of those 7.5s for sides and surrounds. Then some Cinema 7's for heights.

BMXTRIX mentioned Triad. They are nice speakers so nothing wrong there if you decided to change it up. But if you stick with B&W you already know what to expect and the quality and performance is top notch.

 

[Grandzoltar]

Here is the smaller version of the B&W https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U9qvMYLeoaI/XpOkjeARy8I/AAAAAAAAATM/z8AmoWkJJrAn0CKE_X6aX-TxguLxDzWygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Spin+-+Bowers+%26+Wilkins+CWM7.5.png
Here is the Revel w990

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_cgwfKiAAY4/XQ682B5qdPI/AAAAAAAAAI8/fd1K_OP7_gkBKQGAsIlppcAdVF32pq3hQCLcBGAs/s1600/Spin%2B-%2BRevel%2BW990.png

 

[kmit]

I think you are on the right lines. An in wall system does present some limitations. If I were doing an in wall system with off the shelf speakers, I would select the B & W speakers. Most in wall systems are not properly designed and poor. The B & W speakers are enclosed, as they should be. The ceiling speakers are not, but you could build a back box. The in wall sub looks interesting and has reasonable specs. I designed a 3.1 in wall system for our great room. An in wall system certainly presents its challenges.

If you want an in wall system you have selected what is likely the best available in that genre off the shelf.

The best rule of thumb for the TVs, is to have the bottom of the screen 30" above the floor.

In my theater which is like yours I used full range Mark Audio 6.5' drivers in a 0.25 cu.ft. back box. They are excellent and would save you money, if you can build the simple back boxes.

So in summary I think you have specked about the best off the shelf speaker system you could given the limitations of in wall.

We did have a member some years ago that built a similar system and kept destroying the woofers. He was using it for party time. So you need to remember that system is not a high spl. party time system.

Thanks a lot! I would increase the height for the bottom of the screen. I also updated the design a bit in the following reply, PTAL. Thanks!

 

[kmit]

If this is the only place in your home to put together a surround sound system, it certainly works out better than others we've seen.

I would consider Triad as a serious contender against B&W for quality and performance in a in-wall dedicated setup. Triad really knows their stuff as well.

Be aware that any in-ceiling speakers will bleed half their sound upwards and directly into rooms that are sitting above the family room. If these are bedrooms, then that's something you must be aware of. I will never use in-ceiling speakers in rooms that have rooms above them if I can avoid it. Just be aware of where that audio is going and mitigate it as appropriate.

Thanks! I see some other folks recommended dynamat, I would try it there. I also updated the design a bit in the following reply, PTAL. Thanks!

 

[kmit]

It looks very well thought out. A few suggestions the center speaker at 15" is quite low as was said earlier raise the TV to 30" and raise the center to a more ear level position. Your surround speakers at 89" could be worked around if you design a wedge shaped dry wall baffle angling the In-wall speakers down towards the mlp.

They sell sticky sound deading material on Amazon kind of like dynamat for cars you could cut and stick around and behind the in celling speakers or in walls.

I was considering changing my surrounds to in-walls because I'm tired of me or someone elseclipping the speakers on brackets and almost ripping them off the wall.

I liked these because of the cea2034 measurements architectural speakers have their design limitations though and poor installation can
Revel W893 Revel C763 or C563

Hi Grandzoltar,

Thanks! I found a speaker with swivel tweeter.I updated the design accordingly in the following reply, PTAL. Thanks!

 

[kmit]

I have the B&W 7.3's in my home theater. You will not be disappointed. They will fill that room with amazing sound. Just make sure to give them plenty of juice to get the most out of them. I mean you don't have to, but I would recommend getting one.

I would use the 7.3's for front LCR and get more of those 7.5s for sides and surrounds. Then some Cinema 7's for heights.

BMXTRIX mentioned Triad. They are nice speakers so nothing wrong there if you decided to change it up. But if you stick with B&W you already know what to expect and the quality and performance is top notch.

Thanks! I would still try B&W but change SL/SR and Atmos to other brand. I also updated the design a bit in the following reply, PTAL. Thanks!

 

[kmit]

I updated the design a bit as follows.

L/C/R: B&W CWM7.3 S2
SL/SR: Focal 300 ICW 6
RSL/RSR: B&W CWM7.4 S2
Atmos: RSL C34E
Subwoofer: SVS PB-2000 Pro
AVR: Denon AVR-X6700H

Adjusted the bottom of the TV to be 30in high. So that the center speaker could be placed around 25in high.

Adjusted the height of RSL/RSR to the optimal height (~2 ft above ear level: ~59in high).

Chose Focal 300 ICW 6 (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_0913HCW6/Focal-300-ICW-6.html) for SL/SR (surround left and surround right), because I still have to put SL/SR at 89in height as I have windows there, but Focal 300 ICW 6 has a swivel tweeter which helps this surround speakers being placed too high situation.

Chose B&W CWM7.4 S2 for RSL/RSR (rear surround left and rear surround right), because B&W CWM7.4 S2 doesn't have air reservoir. As I put RSL/RSR on the wood decoration I won't need to find a way to hide air reservoir. Both CWM7.3S2 and CWM7.5S2 have flowport with air reservoir which requires extra spaces below speakers, which may not work in my case as I put speakers in the wood decoration there instead of in wall.

Chose RSL C34E for 4 Atmos speakers.

Chose SVS PB-2000 Pro subwoofer instead of in-wall ones.

Placement illustration as below:

How do you guys think?

Thanks a lot!