Home Theater Speaker Placement?

[jackwanders]

Ok, so I've found a system to give my parents as a Christmas gift (yamaha yht-160), and now I'm trying to work out where the speakers are going to go. Because I'll only have about half a day to install the speakers before I have to leave, I want to get all the research done beforehand.

Before you say it, yes, I've read all the 'speaker placement' guides online. At least the ones I could find.

22-30 degrees for the left/right front speakers.

90-110 degrees for the surround speaker.

center speaker on top of tv.

the center speaker's not a problem.

However, I don't think i'll be able to get 22 degrees on the front speakers, as there is a doorway to the right of the TV (from viewing position). The front speakers will likely be a bit closer. Is this ok? How hard & fast are these positioning guidelines?

The rear speakers also present an issue. Becuase of placement of windows and a sliding glass door, the rear speakers will either need to be placed on stands or mounted near the ceiling. I'd prefer them to be mounted to the wall near the ceiling? Is this ok? No guide I've read has said anything about the vertical placement of rear speakers. Also, how far from the listening position should they be (horizontally)?

any helpful info or links is appreciated. thanks again.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

I don't have much time right now, but the rear speakers should be ear level. Having them on stands may be a better option.

[Borbus]

I would set the rear speakers at the same level as the front ones. Not necasarily ear level, cinemas are not ear level after all.

As for the degrees of seperation, they are not hard and fast. For a living room home cinema, you should just try to get all of the speakers as far apart as possible. The rear speakers do not need to be as far apart as the guides state but film soundtracks are designed for them to be like this so, again, just do the best you can. Don't worry, they won't sound crap if you don't get it just right. I have mine set up in a square (with rear speakers not seperated enough) and its fine.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

I would set the rear speakers at the same level as the front ones. Not necasarily ear level, cinemas are not ear level after all.

As for the degrees of seperation, they are not hard and fast. For a living room home cinema, you should just try to get all of the speakers as far apart as possible. The rear speakers do not need to be as far apart as the guides state but film soundtracks are designed for them to be like this so, again, just do the best you can. Don't worry, they won't sound crap if you don't get it just right. I have mine set up in a square (with rear speakers not seperated enough) and its fine.

With a system like this, you simply won't find the power to fill a room will wall mounted speakers. He wanted a budget system and it's a good one, but you have to realize you need to compensate for the lack of fill this kind of system offers. Wall mounting them near the ceiling will definitely degrade the sound in this case. You need something with more "oomph" to wall mount and fill the room as theater speakers would.

[jackwanders]

my parents' living room isn't exactly a large room though. the distance from the seating to the screen is about 7-8 feet, and if the rear speakers were placed as far as possible from the couch, they would be about 18 feet apart or so.

is this still too big of a space for this system? .

[jackwanders]

when i say 18 feet apart, i mean the speakers are 18 feet apart, w/ the couch between, not that each speaker is 18 feet from the couch.

\can't edit previous post?

[bangbang023 Veteran]

18 feet may be a little much for that system (it's on the line between too far and okay), though it may serve your parents fine since you said they don't expect the best of the best.

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I've pretty sick.

[1WayJonny]

you can buy a pressure device that will tell you exactly where to mount your speakers...

my friend worked for lucas ranch and its the most professional way

but for a quick way it really depends on the size and shape of your room

def put them on stands

ear level or above

bass is something you should feel not hear PERIOD!

and your receiver has a setting to adjust how far (feet wise) you speakers are...

set them up based upon how far they are right in the setup for your audio device...

[ROM3000]

BTW: I just want to add that most sites say to put your rear speakers about 2 feet above ear level, because you want the speakers to create an "envelope of sound". If you place them at ear level they will be too "harsh" I guess and won't make you feel like you are in the movie. Good luck.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

BTW: I just want to add that most sites say to put your rear speakers about 2 feet above ear level, because you want the speakers to create an "envelope of sound". If you place them at ear level they will be too "harsh" I guess and won't make you feel like you are in the movie. Good luck.

They say that to keep people from placing them a foot from their ears. You have to be smart about it. If the speakers are going to be right next to you, then you need to elevate them a bit. You dont want them right on your ear.

[Arch]

bass is something you should feel not hear PERIOD!

That's hardly true in all cases. It completely depends on what you are using the system for and what the company did with the sound track. With Lucas Films they'll typically reserve the LFE channel for spaceships or explosions, so yes, it's about hearing and feeling that explosion. But if you're listening to a DVD-A or SACD or just watching something with Pro Logic you're going to be getting a lot more in the sub than a rumble and your sound is going to be horrible if you can't hear the bass or if you cranked the sub up so you could "feel more".

So yeah, I'd suggest just leaving the bass/sub levels where they are and it will be used by the movie how it was meant to be used.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Luciferin, I kept reminding myself to reply to that post and never got to it. Honestly, if you're a music person, you should want to hear the bass. It seems people these days only want a powerful boom without much concern for how clean and sharp it is.