Professional Installers
Hi,
I am planning to get a 5.1 speaker system. My family room has prewiring for it, but the placement of the left, center and right speakers is high up on the wall - at least 4 ft. above where my 52" LCD TV is currently placed. (The TV sits on an approx 2ft high stand.)
I think the current speaker placement will lead to a 'voice from heaven' effect. To address this, I am thinking I should either (i) move the speakers down (will need sheet rock patch ups), (ii) mount the TV higher up on the wall or (iii) get speakers with directional tweeters - I could 'point them down' a bit.
My professional installer thinks leaving everything as is would be just fine, because, he says, the receiver (Denon AVR-1610) comes with a calibration microphone that dramatically lowers the sound stage.
Any thoughts? What would 'lowering the sound stage' do, and is it as effective?
I work with "professional installers" all day, in fact that's our only client as we don't work into the retail segment. I would say honestly that MAYBE 2 in 8 know what they are doing. Even the CEDIA approved guys are just there for a buck much of the time. You need to find an installer with a reputation, from people that KNOW audio, in order to find them credible.
DISCLAIMER: I know that there are many valid installers, and CEDIA approved installers are often very good too, it's not the certification I am putting down, but there is a lot of gray area where people with no clue end up as audio installers. When vacuum and electrical installers saw the money made by AV installation, prewire etc. they ALL jumped on the bandwagon. I find many didn't survive the winter last year with a slowing marketplace, but you still need to be wary.
That ramble aside, back to your comments.
Personally, I feel that if you must place them so high up, you are better using a directional speaker in ceiling instead. For example, RBH (yeah I know that's all I talk about) offers a speaker with a FIXED 30 degree angle, a wider baffle so it doesn't impede the sound travel, and a swivel tweeter. I've seen them used as L/C/R many times, in fact they are even sold individually for just such a purpose where buying two pairs would leave one left over.
An example:
http://rbhsound.com/mc615l.shtml
Definitely worth the effort sourcing out, they've won countless awards already.
I suppose people here will downplay an in-ceiling speaker, and I often do also, unless you get into high end product lines. Forget the low-end/retail architectural market. Retail stores carry Nuvo, Speakercraft, Russound, Focal and other entry level speakers (as far as architectural are concerned anyway).
Look for a local low voltage electrical installation company, prewire and new home builder of custom or high end homes. Beware of jack-of-all-trades guys with a white van (there's that term again) and a few ladders on the roof. I've dealt with these guys for years now, the few that are okay are too hard to differentiate form those who will install junk at a premium price.
The other option, if you have room for tall, narrow in walls but no centre, is to use a dual purpose L&R speaker where the bottom tweeter and woofer on each side act as a cengtre channel (separate crossovers and binding posts of course) as seen here:
http://rbhsound.com/mc553.shtml
I would definitely not recommend using in-wall, flat and forward facing, speakers above the set though even if they have swivel tweeters, as even SOMEWHAT decent speakers use a swivel tweeter these days, like you say it will be like the voice of God.
A good angled speaker, fixed angle is much better than the drop down or swivel woofer models, less possibility of woofer resonance during excursion, should ddo you just fine. point them forward and swivel them tweeters to the listening position and you'll be very impressed.
Calibrating distances is fine, calibrating height with the receiver is not the best route. I equate it to colouring a speaker with bass and trable to accomodate for speaker imperfections. If it can't play flat and true, it isn't really doing its job very well.
That should be enough blabbing fo rnow. Best of luck, PM me or post back here if you have more questions, want to check out your installer or recommended products.
