Placement of Speaker is "THE" important aspect in HTS.......read on

[saurabh]

Yes, my friends, countrymen and HTS users.....placement of speakers in your room is the most important aspect to look upon, even before you start upgrading your existing systems and its components, you might be able to get a better sound if you place them as optimally as possible in your room and even the best of the HTS available might sound like hearing a "stereo sound" if they are badly placed. Please read links below and go through the links for a better understanding:

http://www.dolby.com/assets/pdf/tech_library/42_DDFAQ.pdf

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/roomlayout.html

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/index.php

Although I have a very unique speaker placement/room layout problem and I can share it with you guys, if you want me to, since even after doing lots of internet reseach I do not see a solution to it.

[purplepeople]

The Dolby layout page does not specify distances.

I prefer the ITU spec for multi-channel SACD. It recommends all 5.0 speakers be equidistant from the reference listening position and at 30deg and (exactly) 110 deg from the front center channel. My sub is on the same circle as the others and has been placed along the middle of a wall for the lift. If in doubt, put the sub under one of the mains.

I've also programmed the decoder for a circle that is 3 ft bigger than actual to fool the audio into reaching my ears at the same time as the video plays to my eyes. You can test this yourself with any "clapper" scene from one of the "making of..." documentaries added to many DVDs. Fine tune by moving the seats a few inches to and fro.

Finally, there's also a paper called "Subwoofer Placement in Non-Rectangular Rooms" that not only provides information about the specific topic, but contains information about nodes and modes that can help with placement in "normal" rooms.

ensen.

[Burke Strickland]

...there's also a paper called "Subwoofer Placement in Non-Rectangular Rooms" ...

Could you give us a URL (or other specific source informatiom) on that one so the rest of us can benefit from the information it provides?

Thanks,

Burke

[saurabh]

its difficult to mange those dimensions

The Dolby layout page does not specify distances.

I prefer the ITU spec for multi-channel SACD. It recommends all 5.0 speakers be equidistant from the reference listening position and at 30deg and (exactly) 110 deg from the front center channel.

I know but that is only in a perfect room with lots of space to work this out. But I guess in real world most of us will not be able to achieve these setups, with all due respect to your post.

But definitely we can use the delay settings for Left and Right surround speakers to virtually create that distance on our back (most problamatic in achieving physically). tip : 1 ms delay = 1.1 ft virtual distance.

I have atthd my room layout, as you can see I have a very difficult setup, with two doors and windows on the left wall and opening on the right center for access toother rooms. The TV corner wall has all the cables terminating there so I cant even think of changing its position.Its not a perfect room layout but I guess thats what i have.

BTW, I am open to any suggestions from anyone to optimize my layout.

[Shane Martin]

I would agree placement is key but your room is a contradiction and a bad example albeit typical of alot rooms out there. Your rears aren't really in the rear and your mains are too close to each other with a TV in between and likely not pulled out in front of your TV.

Looking at your room I would have put the TV on the wall near the Dining Room Table(assuming that's what it is). Then I would have dealt with either in ceiling or on wall rears and you'd be sitting back pretty far from your TV. Since you can't think of moving your TV, then you are pretty much screwed. Sorry to be a realist here.

My wife wanted me badly to go with a corner setup and I fought it knowing how awful it is. I ended up winning that debate as well as her desire to have a "flat" cute tv. I wanted picture quality first and went CRT and saved about 2 grand over her cute TV idea. Ideally I would have went with FPTV. Moving your TV and gear rack away from your mains is the best thing.

The main solution for you would be to rewire and redo where your TV is at.

[Nick M]

I'd put the larger couch in the middle of the room and the tv, A/V rack, Front L&R and Center where the large couch was. Then put your surrounds to the sides of the couch on the walls.

[ThomasW]

Burke,

http://www.interdomain.net.au/~bodzio/Article_7.pdf