Speaker Placement

[Anniemay]

I am wondering if anyone can answer thiss question. I am not sure what speakers I am going to get yet but I was wondering if it affects the sound at all to have all of the speakers at ceiling level pointing down towards the seating area. Because of the layout of my home theater area my rears most definitely have to be at ceiling level pretty much right above the seating area (About 7' sideways from the center of the seating area). If I have to my fronts could go into my cabinet at ear level but I am worried that the differing heights might affect the sound levels of front and back speakers. If anyone can offer any insight I would love to hear it. Thanx.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I am wondering if anyone can answer thiss question. I am not sure what speakers I am going to get yet but I was wondering if it affects the sound at all to have all of the speakers at ceiling level pointing down towards the seating area. Because of the layout of my home theater area my rears most definitely have to be at ceiling level pretty much right above the seating area (About 7' sideways from the center of the seating area). If I have to my fronts could go into my cabinet at ear level but I am worried that the differing heights might affect the sound levels of front and back speakers. If anyone can offer any insight I would love to hear it. Thanx.

Ceiling level is not great at all. While the low frequencies are non directional, it is above 80 Hz and you will know the sound is coming from the ceiling area, or up there someplace; very unrealistic.
If this is your ONLY option, you have no choice

 

[Mike Dzurko]

I am wondering if anyone can answer thiss question. I am not sure what speakers I am going to get yet but I was wondering if it affects the sound at all to have all of the speakers at ceiling level pointing down towards the seating area. Because of the layout of my home theater area my rears most definitely have to be at ceiling level pretty much right above the seating area (About 7' sideways from the center of the seating area). If I have to my fronts could go into my cabinet at ear level but I am worried that the differing heights might affect the sound levels of front and back speakers. If anyone can offer any insight I would love to hear it. Thanx.

Having the speakers up high is much less of a problem for the surrounds than the fronts. Having the front three speakers mounted in the cabinet with the surrounds up high will work out very well. Just make sure the front speakers are meant to be mounted in a cabinet. Placing most conventional speakers in a cabinet will really muddy up their sound.

 

[Johnd]

If anyone can offer any insight I would love to hear it. Thanx.

You would be better off with wall or stand mounted surrounds or satellites than with ceiling speakers. Next best would be good quality in-walls. Are you sure you can't try either of these options? Human hearing for the rear hemisphere is not as well-suited as it is the front. I agree with mtry, ceiling speakers are your worst option, but if you can't do anything else...

 

[Skav]

I personally have all 5 mounted on the wall at ceiling level. I like the "theatre" effect it gives out to me, especially as it seems to have countered the problem of having conventional monopole speakers sounding less localized, although not to a full extent.

 

[Johnd]

I personally have all 5 mounted on the wall at ceiling level. I like the "theatre" effect it gives out to me, especially as it seems to have countered the problem of having conventional monopole speakers sounding less localized, although not to a full extent.

That sounds like a good idea...I'll have to give it a try with all of eight of my speakers.

 

[Skav]

Give it a shot if you like having a "theatre" effect and have to put up with monopole's.

But as everyone knows, it strays from the proper setup position you are meant to have.

But it's what sounds best to the ears that counts and everyone is different in achieving what they want.

 

[Phantomguy]

I have problems deciding where to place surrounds & rears for multi row seating. 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