What to do when you don't have the "Dolby" room?

[DaveN]

I saw the Dolby room, unfortunately, I don't have it. Here's the situation; I want to set up 7.1 in a room that is approximately 23X19. The first row of seats is at 11 feet the second at 16 feet from the screen (the better seats). there is a double door on the right side that starts at 14 feet and goes to about 19 feet. That leaves me with the situation of placing the side surrounds behind the first row but ahead of the second row for sure. 2 questions: 1. what speakers would work best for this set up - dipole, bipole, monopole? 2. Where should the side surrounds be placed? Every chart I've seen including the Dolby places speakers in the null zones or directly opposite the seating. You suggestions would be very much appreciated...

 

[Sheep]

I think you use speakers the fire to each side in that case, dipole or bipoles. The back channelsues monopoles(bookshelf style).

BTW, what speakers are you looking at?

SheepStar

 

[patnshan]

Take a look at the link. It is a lecture from Harman audio about speaker placement in difficult rooms.



http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/Loudspeakers&RoomsPt1.pdf

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Reorx]

Nice pdf.
It explained a few things I had questions about. And a few more things that I thought I understood.

 

[jcPanny]

Surround channels

I think that a turn Dipole speaker would be much more sensitive to placement that a bipole design. The AH review of the RBH sound system with Dipole surrounds is a good example.
The Axiom Audio QS8 is a good example of a multipole surround speaker that provides a diffuse surround field and is forgiving in terms of placemnent.

 

[DaveN]

Looking at B&W DS6 surrounds...

I think they match up sonically with my front three Vandersteens.