Help me place my rear speakers (diagram attached)

 

New member
Username: Frostyda9

Calgary, AB Canada

Post Number: 8
Registered: May-05
I have my layout for the new place more or less finished, with the exception of the rears.

In the diagram below, you can see the fronts and centre roughly where they will be, with the sub identified in green. The locations are not exact, the fronts may move in towards the TV a bit, and they will likely be toed in a little as well.

Burgundy is radiant heating (which I am trying to keep away from), and orange shows windows and doors. The blue item is the couch, silver is the TV. What's your best guess for the rears, taking into consideration the possible reflections off the windows (and door, which is mostly glass)? The floor is carpeted, and the wall behind the couch will likely be partly covered with some sort of acoustic damper, unless it is used to intentionally reflect sound from the surrounds.

Ideas?
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Silver Member
Username: Petergalbraith

Rimouski, Quebec Canada

Post Number: 657
Registered: Feb-04
On either side of the couch, aiming towards the couch.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Pbdr

Post Number: 19
Registered: Apr-05
In ceiling above, but slightly to the sides of, the couch
 

Gold Member
Username: Paul_ohstbucks

Post Number: 1046
Registered: Jan-05
Technically speaking,

The surrounds(not rears), should be on either side(L,R) roughly even with you primary listening position on either side of the couch.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Dakulis

Spokane, Washington United States

Post Number: 28
Registered: May-05
Hey Paul,

Isn't this decorating and shouldn't it be left to his wife, girlfriend or significant other? And you know I'm no expert but I'd go with Peter's suggestion.
 

Gold Member
Username: Paul_ohstbucks

Post Number: 1052
Registered: Jan-05
No, this fits into the 'HT' category. The significant other has no say in these matters. Their job is to decorate around, once you're finished.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Nuck

Parkhill, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 82
Registered: Dec-04
I may not have any good ideas for ya bud, but I am impressed with the presentation of your thread. Nice. Very nice.
 

New member
Username: Frostyda9

Calgary, AB Canada

Post Number: 9
Registered: May-05
No one has any say in the placement except me, and anyone who has ideas that I like ;)

Paul, your idea was my first thought, but doing so would put the surrounds very close to the couch. Not bad if you're sitting in the sweet spot, but people on the ends get a speaker right in the ear.

Peter Ranslow's idea is making more and more sense to me. I'm going to try and demo a set of wall mounted dipoles angled downward and see what the result sounds like.

As far as the rear/surround comment, I'm only using 5.1 material ATM, so I use the terms loosely. When I go to a 6/7/8/9.1 setup, I'll be more concise with my terminology. Until then, my surrounds are my (physically) rear speakers.

 

Bronze Member
Username: Nuck

Parkhill, Ontario Canada

Post Number: 84
Registered: Dec-04
How big/heavy are the rears?
possibly on a uni-mount/ball swivel at a height of your choice, and moveable for tuning?
tough room, and you are looking for the best.
hmmm
 

New member
Username: Frostyda9

Calgary, AB Canada

Post Number: 10
Registered: May-05
Nuck: the rears are Mission floor standers, unfortunately. I scanned the actual floorplan, which varies slightly from my freehand version.
I drew a couple options on there:

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Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 24
Registered: May-05
Using the set up on the left, what if you pushed the the rears against the wall, and pulled the couch slightly forward. Put a couch table or whatever they're called (my wife isn't home to ask her) behind the couch. This way you're possibly sitting closer to or in the sweet spot, and the speakers aren't right in the ears of the people on the ends.
If you go with the set up on the right, when you open the windows, a lot of dust and dirt may get into the vents of your gear.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 25
Registered: May-05
Paul says "No, this fits into the 'HT' category. The significant other has no say in these matters. Their job is to decorate around, once you're finished."
One of the best posts I've read in a long time!!!
 

Bronze Member
Username: Frostyda9

Calgary, AB Canada

Post Number: 11
Registered: May-05
If ever my audio equipment setup is dictated by the reasoning of a woman, feel free to buy me a purse to carry my danglies around in. ;)

Stu: agreed, plus that's a lot of heat radiating behind the audio rack/TV, and to top things off it blocks the door quite nicely. What is this couch table you speak of?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 26
Registered: May-05
Frosty - they look like tall narrow coffee tables. They are about a few inches shorter that the back of the couch. Some people with big rooms (not me) put them behind a couch when the back of the couch is not against a wall. The wife is still out shopping, so I can't ask her the technical name (maybe a console table?)
What I was thinking was putting that against the back wall, and pushing the couch against the table, sandwiching the table between the couch and wall. This will pull the couch about a foot and a half or so away from the wall, leaving your rear speakers slightly behind you and to the sides. On the top of the table, you can put lamps, or whatever else your sigificant other wants. I'll try looking one up on line and get back to you in a few minutes.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 27
Registered: May-05
They are called sofa tables. I found an example here - http://www.thomasville.com/Products/Product.asp?ItemID=2526

Not that I'm endorsing that one by any means. If it is sandwiched between the couch and wall, you could probably get away with the cheapest and ugliest one you can find because it won't really be visable anyway. Hope it helps!
 

Bronze Member
Username: Frostyda9

Calgary, AB Canada

Post Number: 12
Registered: May-05
Interesting. I've decided to get rid of my glass coffee table anyway, since it's reflective and it also gets dusty within about 4 seconds of cleaning it. A table like that would be a great place to put remotes etc. when they aren't in use as well. I'll look around a bit and see what I find. Thanks for the idea :thumbsup:
 

Gold Member
Username: Paul_ohstbucks

Post Number: 1055
Registered: Jan-05
Hmmm...at the very least, you'll need some end tables. You need somewhere to hold a plate of pizza, a couple of cold beers, and your remote during movies:-)

Let the Mrs pick those out because that's a womans job.

HEH
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 33
Registered: May-05
What everyone whit this whole wife acceptance factor needs is what I've got...

The attic in my apartment is finished. When we moved in, I told her you get the house, I get the attic. You are in full control as to what goes on decoration-wise in the rest of the house, and I've got the attic. I've deliberately put some stuff up there that I know she hates - a real bad multicolored area rug and a couple of lazy boy recliners to keep individual space - just so she wouldn't want to come anywhere near it. The only issue now is the noise level, but hey at least I don't have to have those damn Bose cubes because she doesn't like the way speakers look in the living room.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 34
Registered: May-05
The next project for the attic is a urinal. With that I'll have a room the the now defunct Man Show would have been proud to broadcast from.
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