Large Room with 12' ceilings.

[peterros]

Hi all, first time posting. New to home theater systems and the wife and I are thinking of getting a large projection tv and home theater system. The thing is we have a great room design in our house, 25'x15' with 12' ceilings. The foward speakers can go around the tv, about 5 feet off the floor (carpeted), but the rear speakers would need to be mounted high, about 10 feet. The couches sit in the middle of the room. I do not want to put the rear surround speakers on stands beside the couch as they will look out of place, like funny lamps. Went by Sound Advice here in town, salesperson didn't instill the most confidence but he said with something like that I need an amp that can put out between 70-100W x 6 (6.1). Otherwise the rear speakers will not be effective. So, does this sound right? Does putting the rear speakers so high require extra power (makes sense)? Does putting the rear speakers so high even allow me to get the required surround sound? High walls do a castle make? The salesperson recommended Panasonic, Denon or Yamaha which I have seen many posts about, and Polk speakers.

Thanks for any advice you might have. I searched through the forums a bit but could not find the same question.

peterros

 

[Az B]

Power is one part of the equation, but it's really all about getting the parts and pieces that match and play together well.

Power is an issue in a big room, but just as important is the efficiency of the speakers. For example with 200w per channel into two channels and a speaker sensitivity of 90dB into a 6 ohm impedance, you'll be able to generate a continuous 113+ dB SPL in your room without clipping. Of course, your speakers have to be able to handle 200w continous. 113db is plenty loud enough to cause long term hearing damage.

You'll need a sub that can keep up as well.

Do you have speakers already or have some ideas of speakers that you're interested in?

 

[BMXTRIX]

You will definitely enjoy surround with the speakers high, it is not 'ideal' but you know that, so you can't expect perfection.

Any of the mid-line receivers at about $800-$1000.00 MSRP will do you fine for your setup really and your speaker choice really is based on what you can afford. Since you aren't going plasma, my assumption would be that you are on some sort of budget and have some number in mind not to spend more than.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hi all, first time posting. New to home theater systems and the wife and I are thinking of getting a large projection tv and home theater system. The thing is we have a great room design in our house, 25'x15' with 12' ceilings. The foward speakers can go around the tv, about 5 feet off the floor (carpeted), but the rear speakers would need to be mounted high, about 10 feet. The couches sit in the middle of the room. I do not want to put the rear surround speakers on stands beside the couch as they will look out of place, like funny lamps. Went by Sound Advice here in town, salesperson didn't instill the most confidence but he said with something like that I need an amp that can put out between 70-100W x 6 (6.1). Otherwise the rear speakers will not be effective. So, does this sound right? Does putting the rear speakers so high require extra power (makes sense)? Does putting the rear speakers so high even allow me to get the required surround sound? High walls do a castle make? The salesperson recommended Panasonic, Denon or Yamaha which I have seen many posts about, and Polk speakers.

Thanks for any advice you might have. I searched through the forums a bit but could not find the same question.

peterros

You do have a rather large room Not a problem though.
Don't rush your selections and do ask for inputs; this place is great for that

AzB mentioned the issue of speaker sensitivity, a very important aspect when looking for power for them.

You should select your speakers first. You should try to listen in a large room similar to yours, if that is possible. Consider speakers on the side walls and rear walls as well.

Why the 10ft height for rear speakers? Architecture?

You may want to consider multiple subs if you can do it and enjoy the effects of
bass

No such thing as too much power but there is such as not enough

 

[peterros]

Thanks Az B, BMXTRIX, mtrycrafts for responding.

Thanks everyone. This room has a built-in entertainment center on one wall and the back 'wall' really extends only two feet down from the ceiling. The dining room and kitchen are part of the same area with no full dividing wall, hence it is called a 'Great Room'. Imagine the kitchen, dining area and living room are one room, but the living room ceiling extends up another 2 feet, like a box top. So the rear 'wall' only has two feet of length. Thus rear speakers will be 10 feet up. There is a partial side wall. Anyway enough of that.

The only equipment selection we have tentatively made is the Samsung DLP 50" or 61". I own no real speakers to mention except my 1985 Pioneer speakers in the garage and an old Onkyo receiver from 1988, still works great I might add. So you can see that last time I invested was a while ago thus my current technology knowledge is very poor. Of course budget is always a concern. Initially I was thinking 'system in a box' would get me there for between $300-500. But I see that would be woefully inadequate plus I want an A/B speaker output to run separate outdoor speakers on the back porch. Can I do this for around $1000-$1200? Ha ha.

Let's start with speakers. What do you guys recommend for speakers for a 6.1 system? When I go online to research there are about 5 zillion selections.

peterros

 

[reeceb73]

how much are you willing to spend just on the speakers? Was that 1000-1200 your budget for everything -- if so, this is going to be very tricky...

Also, I havent had good experiences w/ anything samsung, have you considered any other options for a TV? I have seen some really beautiful Mitsubishi DLP's -- It will probably cost more, but in the end, I think you would be happier w/ it.

 

[Beegowl]

Easy to please

The great thing about not having any experience with audio or home theater is that whatever you get will sound just fine, if not wonderful. Asking audio nuts and home theater enthusiasts for first time recommendations is a good strategy, but, they, like me, will want you to spend more money to get better stuff. My recommendation is to stick with your original budget, purchase decent equipment, and then, as you get more experience with the sound and other technology that you want, upgrade as you replace the aging technology. The technology ages at an increasingly rapid rate, too, I might add.

In the speaker and receiver sections of these forums, contributors make lots of recommendations at all price points. Listen to and price speakers at the local version of your audio superstore, and then go to a high end audio specialty shop and do the same. You might find that the high end shop can compete price wise in some areas and you'll generally get equipment that has some audiophile credibility. Your ears are the judge. Good luck, it'll be fun.

 

[peterros]

Thanks audioholics

I appreciate the advice. I now have a starting point for my home theater quest.