Where to put rear surrounds?

[DTRUTH]

For a room with no rear wall per se, would it be better to use rear sorrounds on stands or find a way to hang them from the ceiling?

My original plan was to hang a set of AA QS8s from the ceiling, now I'm wondering if I should just put them on stands or get a pair of M22s and put them on stands. If I hang them from the ceiling, I will be able to center them behind the listening position better, but I have the issue of how to hang them. I have a suspension ceiling with acoustical tiles, so I have to go through the tiles to get to a solid mounting surface. I could drop a vertical stud though the tile to mount a typical wall bracket on, but this probably wouldn't be the most attractive solution.

If I go with the stands option, I would have to place them near the side walls to get them out of the traffic path. If that's the case, would the M22s be a better fit over QS8s on stands?

Thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,
DTruth

 

[Tom Andry]

I would have to place them near the side walls to get them out of the traffic path. If that's the case, would the M22s be a better fit over QS8s on stands?

Since the QS8's are made to be wall mounted, and I think I've read that the m22's (with their rear port) could use a little space between the wall, if you were to go with stand mounted, I'd suggest the qs8's.

Quick question, if you can put the stands near a wall, why can't you wall mount them?

 

[DTRUTH]

Since the QS8's are made to be wall mounted, and I think I've read that the m22's (with their rear port) could use a little space between the wall, if you were to go with stand mounted, I'd suggest the qs8's.

Quick question, if you can put the stands near a wall, why can't you wall mount them?

I should have included a few more tid bits.

I plan on having a set of QS8s mounted on the side walls adjacent to the seated position. My quandry is what to do behind the seated position. If I stand mount either set, I have about a foot or so to bring them out from the wall without creating too much intrusion. Would that be sufficient for the M22s or should I mount a second set of QS8s on the walls behind the seated position? How would that affect the imaging with the rear wall missing? (I'm getting over my head now.)

 

[Spiffyfast]

no worries thats why we are here to help people out. Is it possible to draw out a diagram of the room and scan it into the computer and post the picture, or make something in a Paint program and do the same to give a better over all look at the room

 

[DTRUTH]

no worries thats why we are here to help people out. Is it possible to draw out a diagram of the room and scan it into the computer and post the picture, or make something in a Paint program and do the same to give a better over all look at the room

I've attached a rudimentary layout, but I'm not sure if it will show up.

It did. The odd looking circles would be the future location of the second set of QS8s, if I hung them from the ceiling. If I go with stand mounted speakers, they would be placed just inside of the 20' mark. The room is sort of C shaped.

The outside wall is 50' long with the opposide wall in the HT area only 20' long.

 

[DTRUTH]

I cleaned it up a little. The boxes on the 11' wall include the two mains on respective ends, the sub and the TV.

 

[Spiffyfast]

Well just for another idea, putting the speakers on stands behind you. How much traffic is there while your watching a movie? B/c just a though, you could use them behind you and just move the stands off to the side walls when you arent using them, somehow subtely mark the floor so you always move the stands back in the same place. Placing the rears all the way to the side like that could work and the M22's being monopole may work better for that, so you can direct the sound to the rear of the listening position. They would just be very far apart on the side walls like that.

 

[Tom Andry]

I may be way off here, and if I am...one negative chicklet for me!!

You are deciding whether to mount the rear surrounds hanging down from the ceiling, or to put them on stands behind the couch.

From your pic it looks like your wall is WAY back from the couch so when you say "I have about a foot or so to bring them out from the wall without creating too much intrusion" I'm not sure which wall you are talking about. I'm assuming you mean from the side walls so to “get them out of the path of traffic.

The key question here (to me) is height. If you have a high backed couch (like I do) they just don't make stands high enough to raise those speakers to the desired level (2 to 6 feet above ear level). If you don’t, then stands might be a viable option.

The other consideration seems to be the angle. According to the suggested layout by Dolby (here) you may have them a little close together but it could still work. Grab you trusty protractor and check it out. Remember, rare is the perfect room, you do the best with what you have. Spiffy’s suggestion is a good on (moving the stands) but for me, it’d drive me crazy. But that is just me. I’ve got friends that do it and swear by it.

As far as m22’s or qs8’s, I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. If it were me, I’d flip a coin. As long as the 22’s aren’t flush with the wall (12 to 18 inches should be plenty) you could go with either. Call Axiom and they will help you decide without trying to sell you more than you need (this is from personal experience). Some people advocate monopoles for the rear speakers, other don’t. Either way, you are probably going to be happy so don’t stress too much about it.

However, if the only other option is to f-up the decor by hanging speakers from the ceiling (which I gathered isn't really what you want to do anyways), I consider going with a 5.1 set up. I've got 7.1 and love it but 5.1 is perfectly fine as well.

 

[DTRUTH]

Well just for another idea, putting the speakers on stands behind you. How much traffic is there while your watching a movie? B/c just a though, you could use them behind you and just move the stands off to the side walls when you arent using them, somehow subtely mark the floor so you always move the stands back in the same place. Placing the rears all the way to the side like that could work and the M22's being monopole may work better for that, so you can direct the sound to the rear of the listening position. They would just be very far apart on the side walls like that.

Interesting idea. The first drawback that I can think of on moving the stands would be the nice pile of speaker cord on the floor. WAF would be low on that one.

I may be way off here, and if I am...one negative chicklet for me!!

You are deciding whether to mount the rear surrounds hanging down from the ceiling, or to put them on stands behind the couch.

From your pic it looks like your wall is WAY back from the couch so when you say "I have about a foot or so to bring them out from the wall without creating too much intrusion" I'm not sure which wall you are talking about. I'm assuming you mean from the side walls so to “get them out of the path of traffic.

The key question here (to me) is height. If you have a high backed couch (like I do) they just don't make stands high enough to raise those speakers to the desired level (2 to 6 feet above ear level). If you don’t, then stands might be a viable option.

The other consideration seems to be the angle. According to the suggested layout by Dolby (here) you may have them a little close together but it could still work. Grab you trusty protractor and check it out. Remember, rare is the perfect room, you do the best with what you have. Spiffy’s suggestion is a good on (moving the stands) but for me, it’d drive me crazy. But that is just me. I’ve got friends that do it and swear by it.

As far as m22’s or qs8’s, I don’t think you can go wrong with either one. If it were me, I’d flip a coin. As long as the 22’s aren’t flush with the wall (12 to 18 inches should be plenty) you could go with either. Call Axiom and they will help you decide without trying to sell you more than you need (this is from personal experience). Some people advocate monopoles for the rear speakers, other don’t. Either way, you are probably going to be happy so don’t stress too much about it.

However, if the only other option is to f-up the decor by hanging speakers from the ceiling (which I gathered isn't really what you want to do anyways), I consider going with a 5.1 set up. I've got 7.1 and love it but 5.1 is perfectly fine as well.

You make a good point about the stand height. The stands that go with the QS8s are 38in, but that probably isn't going to cut it.

Hmmmm. I guess I could remove part of the ceiling and build a 1'x11'x6" beam covered in sheet rock across the back and mount a set of QS8s to that. I could take it a step further and mount a curtain rod/curtain on the outside of the "beam". Then I can enclose the area when I get a projector.

This could be dangerous. The hampster is starting to pick up speed on his wheel.

 

[Spiffyfast]

Hmmmm. I guess I could remove part of the ceiling and build a 1'x11'x6" beam covered in sheet rock across the back and mount a set of QS8s to that. I could take it a step further and mount a curtain rod/curtain on the outside of the "beam". Then I can enclose the area when I get a projector.

This could be dangerous. The hampster is starting to pick up speed on his wheel.

That is a really good idea, you could kill two birds with one stone that way