Surround placement with couch against the wall

[itschris]

My family is about 13ft wide and I have the TV and couch on opposing walls. The couch is up against the wall and I currently have the surround on end tables on either side. Obviously this is not ideal, but I'm trying to figure out the best placement.

Should I just have them facing each other or should they be pointed slight back towards the wall? Suggestions are welcome!~

 

[markw]

Boy, you've got a wide family.

Withthe couch on herear wall, what I would suggest is to place the surrounds high up in the rear corners facinng each other, but slightly facing towards the front.

Ferget about 6 or 7 channels.

 

[Soundman]

My family is about 13ft wide... !

Is this your whole family?

 

[speakerman39]

My family is about 13ft wide and I have the TV and couch on opposing walls. The couch is up against the wall and I currently have the surround on end tables on either side. Obviously this is not ideal, but I'm trying to figure out the best placement.

Should I just have them facing each other or should they be pointed slight back towards the wall? Suggestions are welcome!~

Hi Chris hope all is well. What kind of surround speakers are you using? Are they direct-firing or di-pole/bi-pole? If they are direct firing, it is best to have them facing each other whereas if they are di-pole it is best to place them on the rear wall. It is NOT uncommon for the surround speakers being as high as 5' or even 6' off the floor. They should be at least 2'-3' above the listeners ears. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[mazersteven]

They should be at least 2'-3' above the listeners ears.

I agree with this. Two ways you can try positioning your surrounds.

You can try to aim the speakers at the rear wall, and use the wall to reflect the sound off. Or you can aim the speakers at the listening position.

Try both and see which your prefer.

 

[itschris]

Is this your whole family?

... room... family rooooom! If my wife saw that she'd kick my butt.

 

[itschris]

Hi Chris hope all is well. What kind of surround speakers are you using? Are they direct-firing or di-pole/bi-pole? If they are direct firing, it is best to have them facing each other whereas if they are di-pole it is best to place them on the rear wall. It is NOT uncommon for the surround speakers being as high as 5' or even 6' off the floor. They should be at least 2'-3' above the listeners ears. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Phil

I have the Def Tech Studio monitor 350's. Right now, they're about ear level. I'll try boosting them up a few inches and maybe try reflecting off the wall.

Thanks guys.

 

[Midcow2]

If possible ...

Mount the surrounds on each wall facing each other at approximate ear level when a person is in listening position

spk...........Person............spk

[]---->.........O.........<----[]wall
...................II
..........I........U.........I
..........++++++++++++
...............couch

 

[Halon451]

I have to admit it's not the most ideal situation, and I have something similar - couch against the back wall due to wide narrow room, and really not much choice in HT placement. You can see what I did with my surrounds on the link to my system pics - they're about 2 feet or so above ear level and with about a 70 degree angle towards listening positon when swiveled in HT mode (as measured from wall. Works fairly well for what I've got to work with.

 

[Midcow2]

Nice Job of placement of your rear surrounds ..

I have to admit it's not the most ideal situation, and I have something similar - couch against the back wall due to wide narrow room, and really not much choice in HT placement. You can see what I did with my surrounds on the link to my system pics - they're about 2 feet or so above ear level and with about a 70 degree angle towards listening positon when swiveled in HT mode (as measured from wall. Works fairly well for what I've got to work with.

Nice Job of placement of your rear surrounds .. That is what I was trying to convey to OP with my description and crude drawing.

By the way I like you "Golden" upgrade. My system also has the "Golden" upgrade "Golden" upgrades make even the best HT system better!

 

[Halon451]

By the way I like you "Golden" upgrade. My system also has the "Golden" upgrade "Golden" upgrades make even the best HT system better!

Thanks. I would dare say that I believe every HT system could benefit from the "Golden" upgrade.

It's funny because he actually lays down near the sub now, almost as if he's guarding it. Good boy!!

 

[itschris]

I have to admit it's not the most ideal situation, and I have something similar - couch against the back wall due to wide narrow room, and really not much choice in HT placement. You can see what I did with my surrounds on the link to my system pics - they're about 2 feet or so above ear level and with about a 70 degree angle towards listening positon when swiveled in HT mode (as measured from wall. Works fairly well for what I've got to work with.

I pretty much have the same setup (you can see in the 2nd pic). I think maybe for serious movie mode, I might scooch the couch up a foot or so and angle the surrounds. I'll just re-EQ for that setup and save it as one of the presets. That might be the easiest way to get better sound.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44353

 

[itschris]

btw Halon... like the dog. My sister had 3 goldens and we had a St. Bernard named Molly. She stays with my mom now and keeps her company and gives her something to fuss over. We also have a big cat... just over 20lbs. It's funny because he'll lay right next to the sub on the Def Techs when we watch movies too. It's kinda weird.

 

[mazersteven]

IMO you really need Di-Pole surrounds.

 

[Halon451]

I pretty much have the same setup (you can see in the 2nd pic). I think maybe for serious movie mode, I might scooch the couch up a foot or so and angle the surrounds. I'll just re-EQ for that setup and save it as one of the presets. That might be the easiest way to get better sound.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44353

You know, IMO, if you chose to use the same surrounds you already have, a better option would be to simply place them on a couple 30" minimum height stands, and angle them towards each other much the same direction they presently are - that would likely give you a bit better of an experience overall.

Or, you could take Mazer's advice and get some dipoles to mount to that rear wall there.

Yeah, my dog and I are buddies for sure - he's only 2, so he still has a lot of the puppy rowdiness in him. One of my favorite evening activities is wrestling around with him on the floor much to the dismay of my wife who is trying to watch her evening TV shows.

 

[itschris]

I'm going to look for some stands today. We're still waiting for the new couches to arrive. We have new end tables coming as well. I'm thinking what I might do is have a short stand made that matches the end tables we're getting. Maybe have that type of stand sit atop the end table. I have to be careful about balancing accoustics with appearance. The wife will only take so much and she's been a real sport thus far. Mounting speakers on the wall would definately be out.

Here's a pic of Molly at my mom's house. She has to change the water in the thing a couple of times a day because she's always trying to get a drink out of the bird bath.

 

[Midcow2]

We got new couches and I don't like them covered ...

I'm going to look for some stands today. We're still waiting for the new couches to arrive. We have new end tables coming as well. I'm thinking what I might do is have a short stand made that matches the end tables we're getting. Maybe have that type of stand sit atop the end table. I have to be careful about balancing accoustics with appearance. The wife will only take so much and she's been a real sport thus far. Mounting speakers on the wall would definately be out.

Here's a pic of Molly at my mom's house. She has to change the water in the thing a couple of times a day because she's always trying to get a drink out of the bird bath.

So I am working on a modification to my "Golden" upgrade so he stays on the carpet or ashlar slate!

I have a very similar rear set-up in the upstairs media room and it works great!




Enjoy you new couches!

 

[itschris]

So I am working on a modification to my "Golden" upgrade so he stays on the carpet or ashlar slate!

I have a very similar rear set-up in the upstairs media room and it works great!




Enjoy you new couches!

I will if they ever show up. They've been pushed back a couple of different times. I'm just about ready to cancel. I know they'll give me crap about it since they're custom, but if they can't live up to their end and get me the couches, it's their problem. My patience ran out about 6 weeks ago.

For now, I'll try some better stands, but will definately go with a mini stand on the end tables (assuming they ever get here). I played a bit last night and I did seem to get a better surround effect if I point them slightly towards the wall.

 

[armaraas]

The dipoles might be a good suggestion.
I have switchable bipole/dipole speakers, and had them on the bipole setting on the corner of the couches on stands aiming towards the main listening area. I was never very satisfied with them as being on stands I couldn't get them quite as high as I'd like and the back of the couch would block them when I was reclined.

Recently I moved them to behind the couch facing forward and on the dipole setting (I wanted to try that in case I get the Axiom Qs8's for there), and I think I like that positioning quite a bit better so far. I haven't watched any whole movies yet, just a few scenes, but they seem a lot more noticable and improved for surround sound. The couch is about a foot off of the wall they are in front of.

 

[speakerman39]

I have the Def Tech Studio monitor 350's. Right now, they're about ear level. I'll try boosting them up a few inches and maybe try reflecting off the wall.

Thanks guys.

Sorry Chris but I am not too familiar with Def. Tech. speakers. Are these direct-firing or are they bi-pole/di-pole. If you prefer a more diffused soundfield which is not localized, then di-poles should work best since your seating position is up against the rear wall. Mazer even mentioned this in an earlier post. Personally, I like the effect you get when you can NOT tell where the sound is coming from. In other words, I prefer a diffused soundfield and as such own the Polk RTiA4's.

Cheers,

Phil