Urgent: Need help figuring out how far apart speakers should be

[pwdbyandroid]

Hopefully, I can get some quick help because time is running out for me. And too much (sometimes inconsistent) information is out there.

I want to know how far apart my speakers need to be.

I am having trouble following the table in this link:
theater-experience-at-home


I want 7.1 surround. I am thinking in-walls for the rear surrounds and side speaker surrounds.

There is a table behind the sofa (between the sofa and wall) which is about 1.5 ft wide. I could add another 1/2-1ft offset if you think it will help. If you think I need to do more, let me know how much more.

Sofa would be centered and 94.5 inches long.

Proposed specs are attached.


On a side note: Am I wasting my time with this room? I know that no room is perfect, but you can see that I am breaking a major rule:

Your surrounds should both be the same distance back from the front of the room as opposed to having one be closer to the television than another.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hopefully, I can get some quick help because time is running out for me. And too much (sometimes inconsistent) information is out there.

I want to know how far apart my speakers need to be.

I am having trouble following the table in this link:
theater-experience-at-home


I want 7.1 surround. I am thinking in-walls for the rear surrounds and side speaker surrounds.

There is a table behind the sofa (between the sofa and wall) which is about 1.5 ft wide. I could add another 1/2-1ft offset if you think it will help. If you think I need to do more, let me know how much more.

Sofa would be centered and 94.5 inches long.

Proposed specs are attached.


On a side note: Am I wasting my time with this room? I know that no room is perfect, but you can see that I am breaking a major rule:

Unfortunately you are wasting time and money with that lay out. That wall you have the TV on is far too narrow and off center. The mains need to be at least 8 ft apart.

You should turn the room around and put the TV on the back wall. Even then with the open area, I would go with 3.1 and no surround. Your other option is to use another room.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Question for you sir: Would you go to a movie theater that had the screen off to one side of the room and angled 45°? Of course not.

Let’s cover a few basics: What does it take to accomplish optimized surround sound in a home theater? We can look to a regular theater as our guide. How are things set up in a movie theater? The screen is up front. The seating faces the screen. Front L/R speakers spread as far apart as possible for proper imaging. The surround speakers are to the sides and behind the viewers.

Basically, a home theater is not much different. No surprise that most recommended arrangements are the same as a theater: Screen up front, seating facing the screen, surround speakers to the sides or behind the viewers. The front L/R speakers are a bit different; they should stick with the “rule of thumb” for stereo, that the distance between them should be about the same as their distance from listening position.

I’d agree with TLS: Turn the layout around and put the TV at the wall where the table is, move the sofa back ~10-12 from the TV. 7.1 is probably a lost cause, unless you can figure out a way to hang the back speakers from the ceiling or something. However, from the diagram it looks like you should be able to do 5.1 with the speakers on the side walls facing the new sofa location.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[pwdbyandroid]

You have all convinced me to do only 5.1 with the layout turned around. Would you recommend side or rear surrounds? How far apart?

I decided to also wire for speakers if I flipped the room around (the TV hung on the back wall). Same question: sides or rear surrounds?

By the way, has anyone ever heard of installing in wall speakers at outlett/plug height (really low)?

if I can do in-wall rear surrounds low, then I can double the wiring for both the possibility of in-wall and outside the wall. The wire will hang out low near outlett height and can come to speakers outside of (but near) the wall or to speakers that are-in wall. That would make life super-easy right now to wire surrounds for the original layout and a flipped around layout

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

By the way, has anyone ever heard of installing in wall speakers at outlett/plug height (really low)?

this is horrible idea. In-wall surround speakers should be 2ft above ear height.
You might as well go with angled/tilted in-ceiling speakers like these for example:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=4929

 

[j_garcia]

Surrounds should not be lower than your ear - at ear level or above. I HAVE tried placing speakers on the floor firing up just to see how it sounded and it sort of works because they are diffuse, but it does not create a proper rear stage. In ceiling works better for surrounds than in wall IMO.

 

[pwdbyandroid]

Is it OK if one of the in-wall (or side) speakers is on or at the diagonal wall. Lets say I wire for the attached plan B (for both in-wall and side options) for 5.1, where would you recommend I place side speakers. Can they be as far as the side walls?

Can you put X's where you think the side speakers should go?

 

[pwdbyandroid]

here is one option maybe?
X1 = in-wall
X2 = in-wall
X3 = floor standing
X4 = floor standing

Both X3 and X4 have to be near walls because I can't have wires coming out to near the sofa since people are walking in from the adjacent room. Does this make sense to wire for both options?

Also, X1 is just a bit of a different distance than X2 because of orientation. is that not viable?

 

[TLS Guy]

here is one option maybe?
X1 = in-wall
X2 = in-wall
X3 = floor standing
X4 = floor standing

Both X3 and X4 have to be near walls because I can't have wires coming out to near the sofa since people are walking in from the adjacent room. Does this make sense to wire for both options?

Also, X1 is just a bit of a different distance than X2 because of orientation. is that not viable?

The surrounds should be just in front of the sofa on the side walls. Te left just to the sofa side of the door and the right directly opposite.