Loudspeaker Placement & HT Layout - An Essential Guide

[Ohmage]

Yes, you can toe them in such as I have them here :

Nice setup! How far apart are your speakers? What are the benefits of spreading the speakers further apart, and then toeing them in? Does the soundstage get wider?

thanks,

Ohmage.

 

[mfabien]

They are 91 inches apart. For surround sound, the stage is wider.

I learned the advantage of this placement at:

http://www.bilocation.co.uk/settingup.htm

when I purchased the "Bilocation 1" DTS disc. I then realized that this placement is indeed much better for listening to DTS Music disc's or Concert DVDs with DTS surround sound. For instance, I really do enjoy the Eagles and their productions in DTS is very pleasant with my setup and, may I add, my SVS sub (you can barely see the top of the sub over the right armrest of the love seat on the right side of the picture) uses this Front Towers and the Center speaker to make them the apparent source of bass frequencies.

 

[vlkcheng]

I've got tower speakers for the surround. Should I aim them directly to the sweat spot or should I aim them slightly to the front??

 

[mfabien]

I've got tower speakers for the surround. Should I aim them directly to the sweat spot or should I aim them slightly to the front??

The normal placement is 90 degrees to the sweet spot. Audio level should be calibrated to a SPL level equivalent to the other speakers.

 

[mike c]

is there a minumum distance between the left and right speakers? aesthetically, best i can do is 4 feet apart (width of the tv)

or would that limit the soundstage?

 

[jaxvon]

It would definitely create a narrow sound stage. Sometimes one has to sacrifice aesthetics....at least I think so. I have mine placed around 6.5-7 feet apart.

 

[mike c]

figures ...

but wait, a narrow soundfield affects what? a smaller sweet spot? or does it just make effects from left to right shorter (and vice versa)?

because i can live with a small sweet spot since I am the only one into this (in this room)

also, do i need this wide soundfield for BOTH music and HT? or just music?

i can also live with HT only

 

[mike c]

my front right speaker is kinda in the middle of nowhere ...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/superribbit/email2.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/superribbit/IMG_3767.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/superribbit/email1.jpg

this is the result of positioning them in an equilateral triangle with regards to the seating position

 

[doomguardian]

Ok, I have a 6.1 setup from sony, where should I put my 3 surround speakers(not 4). Should one be right behind me and the other 2 speakers just on the left and right sides of my head. Or should they all be behind the couch on the back wall? Please help.

Thanks for any help

Doomguardian (Aka the ultimate fragger)

 

[rolyasm]

More than one row of seating?

I have often seen this picture, the one with one couch and 5-7 speakers. What I don't ever see, is a room with two different rows of seating. So one row is at 12' from screen, the other is say 17' from screen. What is the opinion on that situation? Is one row going to suffer, probaby the row that isn't the Captain's chair? I know where I will be sitting.
Roly

 

[Sheep]

I have often seen this picture, the one with one couch and 5-7 speakers. What I don't ever see, is a room with two different rows of seating. So one row is at 12' from screen, the other is say 17' from screen. What is the opinion on that situation? Is one row going to suffer, probaby the row that isn't the Captain's chair? I know where I will be sitting.
Roly

In that style setup, you want 7.1 The side surrounds don't fire outwards, they fire to the sides. This way, the people in the first row have rear speakers as well.

My mains are about 6.5 feet apart, on a 12foot wall. My room is 16x12, and I toe them in just a little so the right front speaker is pointing at the farright listeing position, and visa versa for the left.

SheepStar

 

[rolyasm]

Doom: So say you want to use direct radiators, instead of bipole/dipole speakers. Have you ever seen a large, multi-row theater using this setup? You wouldn't have the option of the speaker firing both ways but they would be firing directly outwards. I think this is the type of speaker Fosgate uses, but he placed his in the corners.
Also, just looked at the Yamaha RXZ9. I notice it is rated at 170x7 and 50x2. Is this so you could use to sets of side speakers, one set to the side and above the front and back listening positions? So the front rows have their surrounds and the back row has their surrounds also. Then you use the 50x2 or the rears? IS this what 9.1 would be?
Roly

 

[andy24]

My Home theatre set up

Hi All,
I recently got a new Philips DVD player model. dvp 3007 with 5.1 channel output.
I got a home theatre also with 5.1 channel.
Connected them and tried playing the same but only the two speakers ( front Right and Front left ) play and the subwoofers and other two speakers do not play.
I Tried changing the settings on the DVD player to multimodal output of the Audio but still does not work .
Please help with the installation of the same
thanks a ton in advance !
andy

 

[mike c]

andy, did you use an optical cable or digital coaxial cable from your DVD player to your "home theatre"? (is that the receiver?)

 

[andy24]

hi mike ,

It is a digital coaxial cable . i did connect it to the reciver in the Sub woofer of the HT.

but still does not seem to work.

Andy

 

[mike c]

what is the brand and model of this receiver and subwoofer?

 

[doomguardian]

Doom: So say you want to use direct radiators, instead of bipole/dipole speakers. Have you ever seen a large, multi-row theater using this setup? You wouldn't have the option of the speaker firing both ways but they would be firing directly outwards. I think this is the type of speaker Fosgate uses, but he placed his in the corners.
Also, just looked at the Yamaha RXZ9. I notice it is rated at 170x7 and 50x2. Is this so you could use to sets of side speakers, one set to the side and above the front and back listening positions? So the front rows have their surrounds and the back row has their surrounds also. Then you use the 50x2 or the rears? IS this what 9.1 would be?
Roly

Oh sorry, I forgot I posted in here.

I only have one row(my bed ), so all the surrounds would be focused just on me.

 

[bbob]

corner surround sound setup-rear speakers

Hi all,

(this is my first forum post...ever...so I hope I'm doing this right). I am setting up a surround sound system in a small room, with a diagonal/corner viewing layout (I can email anyone a visual diagram if interested). I think I have it mostly figured out, except for the "rear" speakers. The viewer/listeners will be in the opposite corner as the TV, in a corner-located couch, so I'm wondering what's the best way to get the widest rear acoustics, even though the speakers can't be physically behind the listener. I've thought of banking them off the side walls, either placed in the side corners and facing toward the listener corner, or locating them together in the back corner, facing out to the left and right, respectively. Any thoughts?

 

[balearophon]

My humble words

Read the article. There is another by Audsley, the great author on pipe organs. Though a bit stilted, he was responsible for the magical placement of some of the finest, largest and most majestic instrumental monstrosities ever created. He helped build many of them. George Ashton Audsley: The Art Of Organ Building, Vols. I & II. As a side bar, in the old days before acoustic engineers, opera hall architects used to hire these little eighty year old Florentine and Sicilian masters who would come and view the basic structure and then say, "This sconce goes here. That ballistrade goes there. This orchestra pit should be here, so deep and so high, this overhang goes here and needs to be like this". Carnegie Hall was built like that and so were LaScala and Revenna and Royal Albert Hall. The worst example of engineering trying do what these little guys did was probably the Sidney Opera House. Acoustics more wretched than a professional hockey rink. (So sue me. Please.)
Only the individual human can design these things out of his or her visions and experience. So, its your call.

 

[Phantomguy]

I have often seen this picture, the one with one couch and 5-7 speakers. What I don't ever see, is a room with two different rows of seating. So one row is at 12' from screen, the other is say 17' from screen. What is the opinion on that situation? Is one row going to suffer, probaby the row that isn't the Captain's chair? I know where I will be sitting.
Roly

Could we focus a little more on this multi-row/suround/rears issue guys and gals. I have 13' wide x 22' long x 8' high room with 3 rows of seating (2 rows of 2 seat/wedge units and 1 back row of 3 seater - hard against back/brick wall). Will be using Yamaha RX-V2600 7.1 with Presence option and System A will be all in-wall/ceiling Jensen EHT 6ohm speakers, as follows for Zone 1ÒNLY -

FL and FR = 1 pr EHT8 (8" x 2way x 130w, swivel tweeters) - WALL Mount
Centre = I pr EHT6 (6.5 x 2 way x 110w, swivel tweeters) - needing impedence compensation device I think (???) - WALL Mount
Presence L and R = 1 pr EHT4 (6.5" x 2 way x 110w, angled Woofer, swivel tweeters) - WALL mounted
Surround L and R = 1 or 2pr or 3pr (not sure???) EHT4 (6.5" x 2 way x 110w, angled Woofer, swivel tweeters) WALL or CEILING mount (not sure???)
Rear L + R = 1pr or 2pr (not sure????) EHT4 (6.5" x 2 way x 110w, angled Woofer, swivel tweeters) WALL or CEILING mount (not sure???)

(System B is my old pr of Sansui SP2500 (circa 1970) for stereo listening and which I am presently reworking crossovers etc basd on modern day techo info )

OK ...so when 7.1 is source I want each seating to benefit for 7 channels .. ditto for 5.1.

So my Questitons -
1. To achieve 90 -110 degree angle of surrounds could I use 2 or 3 pr parallel EHT4s (with suitable Imp Comp Device back to 6ohm) alligned with Row 1 and 2 (and maybe 3)? Would I be best to ceiling mount or wall (about 7' ht) bearing in mind the woofers are made 30 degree angled and tweeters swivel)?

2. For Rear Surronds, given that they should be roughly in line with FL and FR but at same height as (side) Surrounds, and as there is no space behind Row
should I mount them in the ceiling OR rear back wall?

3. And should I use 2pr in parallel again - 1 pr radiating towards the 3rd row (straight down) and the other pr radiating towards the 1st and 2nd rows? If two pr would be best, should I ceiling mount both - 1 pr EHT2 (straight woofer) above Row3 and 1 pr as EHT4 (angled woofer) immediately in front of EHT2s but their angles firing towards the backs of Row 1 and 2?

4. If 2pr and ceiling mounting (as I asked in Q3) would I best best just to have 2pr (not 3pr) of (side) Surrounds at 90-110 degrees to Rows 1 and 2, so that from the Row 3 perspective, there would still be about 40 -50 degrees separation between the Row 2 (side) surrounds (nearest ones) and the (ovehead) Rear Surrounds?

Any help here please? Ddoes anyone have expeience or know where I can get reliable info on where to place surrounds and rear surrounds in my situation. Surely I cant have been the first to encounter this 7.1/3 rows/hard-back-to-wall-row3 problem?
Thx
Phantomguy
.