Setting up odd-shape room

[Craig234]

Imagine a living room about 22x15. Now, imagine the upper left corner with a 7x5 area blocked off, by a wall where there's a porch, walls, front door.

So, this leaves about a 15x15 area, with a 7x9 area in the lower right.

I'm thinking the far right 15's wall if the place for the screen and somewhere on the left is the place for the projector.

Apart from the logistical issue with furniture being best right between the front door and the doorway on the lower left, it leaves a question how to set up surround speakers. I can see two main choices: treat the room as 15x15, which puts the viewing closer to the screen to leave some rear to the rear speakers; or treat the room as a 10x22 rectangle, ignoring the top 15x5 area.

I can't imagine how either would work in terms of acoustics etc.

Any suggestions?

 

[bpape]

Having a hard time visualizing. In any case though, consider orienting the room so that the front of the room (where the screen is) has the best symmetry left to right - at least through the wall reflection points.

Bryan

 

[Craig234]

Room layout

(Accidental duplicate post)

 

[Craig234]

Room layout

Here's my attempt to roughly sketch the room layout. The far right wall is where the screen will go. The upper left is the front door, the lower left the open doorway to the rest of the house.

I think my scale is a little off - the area on the left is not as wide as drawn. The height is about 15', the total width about 22', and the width of the left area about 7'.

The splotchy line between the two shows the natural walkway. It sort of goes right through where seats might optimally go. The sound symmetry issues are pretty clear

I didn't draw the couch(es), chair(s), bookshelves, stereo, etc. since that placing is flexible.

Thanks again for suggestions, this is not easy to me to see the best solution. Put the seats closer and in the middle? In the cutout in the back off-center?

 

[bpape]

I'd keep the seats more toward the screen so any non-symmetry is behind the seating position. That will also leave room for the natural walkway.

Bryan

 

[Craig234]

Like this

OK, so you would suggest this approach, assuming a couch for viewing, where I've drawn a screen, and four speakers too (center under the screen, I assume):

That works for symmetry, leaving the main issue viewing distance; I ballpark the distance at 9'.

Would the sub best go in one of the right-hand corners? Is it better to have two subs?

The acoustic effect of the area behind the couch, assymetrical, I don't know.

 

[Sarius]

Hi,

Just a few thoughts for you to consider. That space isn't all that big. You'll probably end up sitting 8-10' from the screen which is ideal for a rear projection setup in terms of size. Some of the newer RP's have really excellent pictures and contrast. Is there some reason you want to go with a front projector?

You might consider a diagonal setup with the screen or display across the lower right corner. That might help considerably with the acoustics and might open up some ideas for the rear speaker placement.

 

[Craig234]

Type of tv

Basically, sight unseen based on reviews of the Panasonic front projector on a nice screen as an amazing picture, I got one to beat the rebate expiration.

It's still sitting in the box until I get this figured out - I could still return it if it's not the right choice, but time is short (a few days to send in rebate).

I haven't been terribly happy with any of the pictures out there, but currently I probably have the worst tv of anyone here so it's time to get one.

For $1500 projector plus ~$600-1300 for a screen, that seemed like a nice 'should last a while and get a great picture' option.

Of course, I quickly learned that for ambient light another tv is probably best; not wanting to give up the expected 'great picture' of the front projector, darkened movies, I ordered a Sceptre 42" LCD for 'normal' viewing, since it was on sale for $2K including shipping/tax from Costco until yesterday.

Just getting the FP leaves me without a general purpose ambient light display, and just getting the LCD leaves me without a 'wow factor' quality picture, so I'm stuck with both.

I've asked for feedback and not had much endorsing or discouraging that approach

The RP tv's have just usually been at the bottom of the picture quality for my tastes, that's my main objection. I like a bright, vibrant picture, too.

Thanks for the continuing feedback. I've considered the diagonal setup, but with the upper right for the screen (otherwise you are sitting in the way of the front door opening). It might turn out to be a good idea, it just leave you watching diagonally if sitting on a couch... I'm surprised it works much for acoustics though, wouldn't the right rear speaker become hard/impossible?

 

[bpape]

IMO, the diagonal orientation is a total non-starter. There are just too many issues with it to even go into.

I think what you sketched out the last time is the best you're going to get in that room. You have decent spacing behind you, decent viewing distance, all non-symmetry is behind you, and you have all the walkway issues resolved.

As for the sub, the corner is rarely the best place. While it is the LOUDEST place, it is almost always the worst from a frequency response smoothness standpoint.

2 subs is nice if you can place them centered on opposite walls (center of left and right or center of front and back). In that room, I'm not sure it would be the best way to go though. I'd just plan on being willing to have it somewhere within 2-3' of the front wall and anywhere side to side. Play with it while taking readings in order to get the best response. A good place to start is 1/7 of the room length away from the front wall and 1/5 or 1/7 of the width of the room from a side wall. Tweak from there.

Bryan