Firstly, I think your speakers are kinda' cool. That is an interesting way of connecting the height module. Did you get the walnut finish speakers? If you are going to get the modules, I'd put the surrounds near ear level. I'd do it anyway depending on your listening habits. My first surround sound setup included Klipsch KG 1.5 speakers that I used as surround speakers and were put up into the back corners of the room pointed toward the main listening position. I think I can blame some of my hearing issues on that room and setup. The room may have been 11'x11'. I had Klipsch Forte II's and a Klipsch KV3 up front. Later, I had a Polk RM6200 satellite setup. They were set up the same way. After getting a 7.1 AVR, I ordered two RM1300 speakers and moved the surrounds to the side. The surrounds and back surrounds were mounted high and pointed down toward ear level. I would use these speakers for twenty years and only moved everything to ear height when I moved from 7.1 to 5.1.2. I used the back surrounds as front heights in bounce mode. Occasionally, it sounded pretty good. Normally, not so much. Good placement is key and it must be right on or it just doesn't really work. Life happens, people move to new homes and the perfect speakers in the perfect room cannot be achieved. It doesn't mean things can't still sound good. So, being the cheapskate I am these days, I wanted a dirt cheap set of speakers that had a good rep. I decided on two pair of the Dayton Audio MK442's and the MK442 center channel and returned to a 5.1 system for the first time in many years. I blame/thank Gene and Steve Guttenberg for their Youtube videos on the Dayton Audio speakers. I didn't want to get new stands and didn't need to with four towers. I listen to my collection of DTS CD's, SACD's and DVD-Audio's often and like the music all around at ear level. It also still sounds good when watching movies. But, that may not be the case with different speakers. Now, Dolby Atmos music is available and I'm tempted to change things up again. Anyway, I remember THX speaker placement recommendations from the WOW laserdisc from olden times. Those were made when Dolby Pro Logic was the thing and surrounds were mono with sounds extracted from the fronts. Surrounds were ideally dipoles that were mounted higher than ear level. Now, we have object based sound going on. My question is, are the audio tracks and surround sound processes assuming that surrounds and back surrounds are installed at ear level now? Is room correction software in new gear compensating for older speaker placement setups. We know virtualizer processing for Dolby and DTS try to simulate height channels for systems that do not have them. Does the processing also compensate for surrounds and back surrounds that have been mounted high up since olden times and virtualize in reverse? I know, stupid questions to some I'm sure, but I can't stop wondering about it all. Sorry for carrying on so long. I hope you enjoy your speakers and get them positioned in the way that sounds best to you.
