New house - YOU place the speakers!

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  • PSzalapski
    Junior Member
    • Jun 2004
    • 5

    New house - YOU place the speakers!

    I am looking to set up speakers and a TV in my new house's living room, and I have no clue how to deal with it! Here's a image of the room plan. The grey lines represent square feet. The largest dimensions are 21.5 by 18 feet. One corner is "cut out" for the main entryway and closet, and kitty-corner from that is a fireplace. The bookcase is not movable; I'm open to moving anything else. I don't need the loveseat, but it is an option. My priority is first for listening to music, but secondarily for Dolby Digital through four speakers (I'll get a center channel someday...) I know that everyone's tastes are different, but I thought this might be fun for you!

    1) How would you place the speakers, TV, couch, and chairs?
    or
    2) What would be best for good sound quality

    The walls are ordinary drywall, the ceiling is coved where it meets the wall, and the floor is hardwood. I have a lot of rugs and end tables not pictured.

    Thanks! Describe what you would do, or just edit the picture. Have fun with it! I look forward to your expertise.

    Patrick
    Attached Files
    Last edited by PSzalapski; 29 June 2004, 09:26 Tuesday.
  • Sonnie Parker
    • Jan 2002
    • 2858

    #2
    Hey Patrick... welcome to the guide.

    That image is hard to work with... it's extremely large and too big for my screen. I'm obviously not savvy enough to manipulate the images either.

    From what I can tell it certainly looks like it will be a challenge for the surrounds. As far as 2 channel I don't think you'd have a big problem. Set it up and place your listening position directly center of the 2 mains and the proper distance back (depending on the speakers you choose) for stereo sound. Either way I think you'll have to figure out how to use the west or south wall. Setting up seating for the south wall though will cause the fireplace to be behind the seating position... not sure it that is desirable. Kinda the same situation if you chose to use the east wall. I've never had a fireplace but I would think you'd want that to the side or front corner of your seating position. Looks like you'd have enough room for an A/V wall on the west wall and this would put the fireplace in the front right corner. Not sure how distracting this might be from the TV. Maybe you could work the surrounds out from there.

    If you haven't built this room yet I'd say start over and redesign it with a little thought given to A/V if that is at all possible.

    Comment

    • PSzalapski
      Junior Member
      • Jun 2004
      • 5

      #3
      Thanks for the welcome, thought I'd jump right in.

      Indeed, this is the room that I'm stuck with. I say "new" only because it is new to me; the house is 52 years old. Thanks for your tips.

      My first thought was indeed to use the west wall, but the couch goes so good there! (Though it would be bad for listening to most anything). I also need to avoid clogging the entry to the hallway. I do need to go to the bathroom once in awhile! ;-)

      Here's a smaller version of that file.

      Patrick
      Attached Files

      Comment

      • ThomasW
        Moderator Emeritus
        • Aug 2000
        • 10934

        #4
        You do have a problem since the room's totally asymetric and there are too many windows and doors. Fine for design interest; but really a pain to get a good stereo image, let alone a good multichannel soundstage.

        One of the better 'solutions' I've seen for situations like this is to suspend multiple small 2-way speakers from rods or pipe attached to the ceiling. This allows the speakers to be 'aimed' at the listening position independent of the furnishings in the room.

        This also might be one of those occasions where a couple of small subs strategically placed, do a better job of pressurizing the room than a single larger sub.

        IB subwoofer FAQ page


        "Complicated equipment and light reflectors and various other items of hardware are enough, to my mind, to prevent the birdie from coming out." ...... Henri Cartier-Bresson

        Comment

        • PSzalapski
          Junior Member
          • Jun 2004
          • 5

          #5
          Thanks for the tips, Thomas. I have been thinking about getting some small speakers to wall- or cieling-mount, but for now I will be using regular shelf 3-ways.

          See the new picture. For now, I have placed the speakers 104" apart (outside edge to outside edge) on the west wall, placing the right channel six inches from part of the fireplace, and the left channel a foot or two from the window, each a foot from the west wall, oriented perpendicular. Thus I have my listening position 88" from the TV, which is centered between the speakers. It sounds pretty good from there. Any refinements anyone would suggest would be welcome.

          This is a problem for the rear surround channels. One question: Is it much different, in your opinion, to have the rear channels more to the side of the listener than the rear? Right now, I have them pointed at the listener, more to the listener's side than rear (see pitcure). Both rear channels have a corner almost touching the wall or bookcase.

          Suggestions welcome!
          Attached Files

          Comment

          • ThomasW
            Moderator Emeritus
            • Aug 2000
            • 10934

            #6
            Unless constructed as dipoles, rears should be behind the listener. From your drawing though it appears that you have the best possible compromise given the nature of the room.

            Again if the rears were suspended down from the ceiling you'd probably get better results

            IB subwoofer FAQ page


            "Complicated equipment and light reflectors and various other items of hardware are enough, to my mind, to prevent the birdie from coming out." ...... Henri Cartier-Bresson

            Comment

            • Sonnie Parker
              • Jan 2002
              • 2858

              #7
              Don't let the fireplace burn up your right speaker or that chair... :P


              That looks like your best bet to me.

              Comment

              • PSzalapski
                Junior Member
                • Jun 2004
                • 5

                #8
                We'll see how it goes. I'll try this for a few weeks. I may end up rotating that 90 degrees and using the south wall as the components wall, blocking some of the window. Hmmm...

                Patrick

                Comment

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