Best place to mount rear surrounds?

[SirEvan]

I need some help figuring out where to place my rear surrounds.    I've got a shared wall with my kitchen that I have my Samsung 60" Tv mounted to, with a Goldenear Supercinema 3D sound bar slung below it.   The living room is a little small, so I had to get a sectional that sits back against the back and side walls, leaving not much space for speakers behind.  I've been mocking my house up in HomeByMe, which by the way is a great tool, so here are some visuals to help you out:

 

 

From the back facing the TV wall:

 

The back and side walls, with areas circled I could put speakers in-wall:

 

Another back shot with the "ceiling" showing where I could ceiling mount the rears:

 

The size of the room looks small in pictures, but the living area is about 15x20sq feet (it's an odd shaped room).  

 

My initial idea was to put some matching goldenear Invisa 525 or 650's in the ceiling above the couch (last picture), but this might require extra hole cutting to run the speaker wires down to the wall (the wall jacks are to the left of the couch in the last photo).  However then I thought about possibly mounting them in the wall directly behind the couch, as in the 2nd photo...except then I think they'd be too close to the listening position.

 

Any thoughts based on the room geometry?  I'm trying to go as low-impact (invisible) as possible, hence getting something that mounts into the wall/ceiling rather than to the wall or ceiling. I haven't finished the layout, but to the right of the kitchen (area behind the tv wall) is actually stairs that go up to the 2nd floor.

 

Thanks!

Edited January 23, 2016 by SirEvan

[T3X4S]

Well only thing I can offer is what I have had in the past, and what I liked/didnt like.

In the ceiling, speakers flush and pointing straight down seemed to hamper the effect.
It could have been me, it could have been that it was a $200,000 theater room setup that sounded like it cost $200.

I would definately go with the 2nd option - speakers in the wall behind the viewers.

Let me add I am not an audiophile - I dont know all the fancy vernacular.

My parents' theater setup was an absolute joke - the company took advantage of them - charged insane amounts of money for stuff - and the end result was pathetic (my parents didnt know any better - they just knew how to write out checks to pay for it)

When I convinced them to redo everything - the rear channels were hidden in the walls - and it was a lot better than up in the ceiling - (15' ceilings in the theater room didnt help matters)

Good Luck - if you want some to laugh at others' expense - I can tell you a bunch of nightmare scenarios I witnessed ...  (parents were charged $5000 to satellite set top boxes installed to 7 TVs - cable company does that for free) 

 

[FiB3R]

Lots of good info from these guys...

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/AudioholicsLIVE/videos

 

This is a good start...

 

 

 

[+Fahim S. MVC]

I personally prefer my rear speakers behind me as I think it makes for a more realistic sound field. If you wall mount them or embed them, you have to make sure they are made for doing that.

[SirEvan]

7 hours ago, FiB3R said:

Lots of good info from these guys...

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/AudioholicsLIVE/videos

 

This is a good start...

 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Fahim S. said:

I personally prefer my rear speakers behind me as I think it makes for a more realistic sound field. If you wall mount them or embed them, you have to make sure they are made for doing that.

That's what I was thinking as well, except once wall mounted, the rears would be roughly 9" behind the listening position, pretty close to your head.     I suppose another option is that I could still wall mount speakers, this would allow me to place them in a manner similar to this"

 

I don't know how they would sound mounted so close behind my head, so side mounting may be my only reasonable option

[TAZMINATOR]

If in the ceiling, then you will need 4 speakers... two are above you and two above the TV/Stereo. That way, you need to move the furniture around in the future, for example, Um.. I want that tv on that side...  couch on other side...  you never know.

 

If on wall, then 2 behind you and 2 on the sides of the TV/Stereo.    Make sure that they are mounted above from the couch height line. If they are not, then you will have a problem if you move the couch to that wall from other wall in the future.

 

Unless you are installing the theater room, then you can setup as the way you like... No furniture moving around ... always the same spots for the rest of your life. The chairs/couch can be moved for carpet/floor cleaning.

 

Up to you.

 

 

[Dashel]

Your first pair really need to be 'beside' the listener more than behind.  For simplicity in your case you may want to get a speaker you can mount behind, but tilt inwards. (vs an inwall speaker)