Some Basic Questions for set up

[Falcon]

I am new to this and I am about to set up my system. I have some questions that may be basic but I would love some advice.

1) Can you place the sub behind the TV if the TV (a samsum DLP) is on a raised platform ( 18 inches) and not in direct contact with the floor. The AV nook is framed and the nook floor (dry wall, plywood maybe) is above the main floor.


2) The nook is 62 inches wide and I am wondering would Bookshelf speakers for the fronts be OK? The other option is to place the fronts in the ceiling. The ceiling Height is 10 feet. The rears that I will be using are already in place and are in the ceiling.

3) If I use the bookshelf speakers I can put the center and the fronts on the same horizontal plane. How critical is that?

FYI -

My current components are a Sony DA5000ES receiver
center speaker is a Vienna Acoustics.

I am not sure the make of the rears as they were already installed in the house.


Thanks...

Falcon...

ps sorry if i cross posted this as a reply to an earlier thread. Still figuring this forum out..

 

[nibhaz]

Food for thought...

1) There is nothing wrong with placing the sub behind the TV. However, you should keep in mind that this may not be the ideal location acoustically for the sub. There is often a trade off in performance when considering aesthetics, but such a decision is understandable when one considers WAF. After rereading your post it seems that you may be trying to place the sub in a recessed location behind the TV. There are others that are much more apt to give you a knowledgeable explanation of the acoustical results of such a placement, but based on my limited understanding such things I would advise against it (acoustically), if that is what you intend. However, you may simply be concerned about your TV being damaged by the sub, I would not be concerned unless the are serious resonance (vibration) issue with the structure holding the TV.

2) Bookshelf speakers that play below 80Hz would be more than sufficient, since you have a sub. IMHO this would be a far superior approach to the in ceiling option! The rears being placed in the ceiling are acceptable for HT applications but far from ideal when it comes to multi-channel music applications.

3) Being on a horizontal plane across the front three channels is great, if you can have the tweeters at ear level, and the front three channels are voice matched (similar acoustical signature). Personally, I would rank voice matching as the number one concern, followed by having the tweeters at or near ear level, and lastly having the speakers on the same plain.

That should give you some food for thought, hope it helped. I’m sure others will be willing to share their insight. By the way, welcome to the forum.

 

[Falcon]

Thanks for the response

Thanks for the reply. One installer indicated that ther was no real issues with the sub up off the floor and behind. I am not worried too much about aesthetics more about sound quality. Something did not seem right by suggesting this as I have always heard that the subs need to be on the floor.

It seems that matching the center with the front left and right is more important than placing in the ceiling. I do have the option of the placing them on the same [lane as the center. Thanks for your reply.

I look forward to reading some of the previus conversations and I am reassured that I can through some questions out to folks who may have faced these isseus before....

Thanks again...

 

[jaxvon]

Sub off the floor? I'm not sure how much that would do for sound quality, but it would vibrate the HECK out of your electronics and probably make your furniture buzz. Not good. Subs usually do well in corners, as you can get some volume gain from them with that placement.

As for the front speakers, bookshelves will work fine (unless you have a larger room). Vienna Acoustics makes some very nice speakers, so I would say that you should try to find some bookshelves that match the sound of your center.

 

[nibhaz]

Thanks for the reply. One installer indicated that ther was no real issues with the sub up off the floor and behind. I am not worried too much about aesthetics more about sound quality. Something did not seem right by suggesting this as I have always heard that the subs need to be on the floor.

I did not realize that you were referring to having the sub off the ground and sharing the same rack as your TV. I would steer clear of this configuration for the same reasons stated by jaxvon, and I second his advice for placing the sub in the corner.

 

[Falcon]

Getting closer

Yes, I have just elminated that installer as he thought this would be fine (sub on same platform as tv off floor.

Can the book shelves (fronts) be set a different distances from the center?

Falcon

ps - I am already hooked, this site has really helped me along...

 

[s2pdname]

Can the book shelves (fronts) be set a different distances from the center?

Falcon

Welcome to the forum, and yes this is a very informative site, I have built my system based on many informed opinions from here.

I wouldn't think that having the mains seperate distances from the center would be a huge issue (within reason). When you calibrate your system the AVR is going to ask you to set the distances from the primary listening position. So, the distance from the listening position is more important than the speakers distances from each other.

Good luck!

Rich

 

[jaxvon]

More addicts every day...

Falcon, what is your budget looking like for this project? That will help determine your options. As far as subwoofer placement, you CAN locate a subwoofer inside a cabinet, but you need to take steps to properly reinforce the cabinet and isolate the subwoofer from the enclosure. Plus, you are relegated to sealed, front firing designs in this configuration. that isn't a BAD thing, but at similar price points, you can get more output from a non-sealed design. Mind you, that like Nibhaz said, placing your sub by the TV might not yield the best results.

If it's possible, could you attach or link a drawing of your room? It doesn't have to be fancy (MS will work ), but it will help everyone to get a better idea of your setup and what you want to achieve.

 

[nibhaz]

Can the book shelves (fronts) be set a different distances from the center?

The answer is most defiantly yes! And as stated by s2pdname the time correction needed for such a placement can be implemented by almost any AVR (audio visual receiver) on the market today. For HT applications it more important to have the L/R channel speakers as close to the L/R edges of the viewing area. This is desirable so that when sound pans across the front channels the sound doesn’t run off into no man’s land where the mind has a hard time connecting it to the action on the video source. However, if you have a smaller screen it may result in less performance (a compressed soundstage) when you use your system for music. Yada, yada, yada, basically unless, you have unlimited resources compromises must be made, so letting us know the primary use of your “system”, the ballpark budget , and a diagram of the layout, as suggested by jaxvon, well help us in providing feedback and advice that is more relevant to your needs