Rear Speaker suggestion and placement

[Hammie]

After listening to the 700 and 800 series speakers, I think I have decided on either the 704 or the 804 for the fronts.

My question, however, is regarding the rears. Since my couch is along the back wall of my listening area, which speaker would be best for my set up?

Should I go on wall and use the DS6, DS7, or DS8? Or should I go in-wall and use something like the CDS6? Or should I use a different in-wall/in-ceiling speaker from the Custom Installation Series line?

Thanks,

-Lou

[grit]

Ugh, that's gonna depend on music vs movies as your use for the rears, and how you feel about speaker stands vs wall-mounts. Honestly, your best bet is to move the listening area forward.

For movies, the issue with DS series (or any di-pole) is a diffused sound field. If you are expecting to hear a sound coming from a particular location, diffused sound fields will hinder that (eg, a gunshot). For sound coming from a general location (eg, rain, traffic noise), di-pole speakers will provide a more enveloping sound field.

Your best bet is to listen to them. IMHO, ceiling mounted rears will not work unless they are BEHIND the listening position.

[Stoney]

I found that moving the couch about 10" out from the back wall helped in the rear speaker placement and is not that intrusive on the room space.

[PewterTA]

Move the couch out and the rear speakers in some (maybe a 1/4 of the distance between where they are and the couch is now). That should do it for you and give you a good setup. Moving to 7.1 will put your speakers behind the couch in about parallel to the front mains, then moving your rears up the side walls to match your listening position horizontally (in your picture).

[Hammie]

Thanks for the info. Here are the issues and clarifications about some the suggestions.

1.) Medium will be mostly movies -- Action, Comedy, and Drama -- followed by regular music, no SACD or DVD-A (yet ;-))
2.) Moving the couch out will not satisfy the wife.
3.) Current viewing distance is about 8 ft.
4.) Current surrounds are facing in towards the listening position. Would a 705 or 600 be better in the same configuration, pointing inward from above?
5.) Regarding in-ceiling speakers, what about the CCM817 where they are "pointable?"

Thanks again.

-Lou

[grit]

From what I've read, surrounds should be a few feet ABOVE the listening level, pointed toward the center area, which is how I have my 705's set up. They're fine, I just wish I had room between the wall and the couch (I have the SAME problem you do). If you can keep them away from the couch/listening area by a few feet, that'll help smooth out your surround sound field.

The pointable ceiling ones sound interesting (given your listening area), and *IF* they are well matched to the rest of the speakers, I would consider them. If not, I'd not bother. Personally, I'd prefer monopole speakers for surrounds (705's) to di-poles (DS7's). In a perfect world, I'd most prefer them in a 7.1 configuration. However, since I can't pull my couch away from the rear wall (as in your situation) *AND* they are ONLY for movies (never music), I'd probably go with the DS7's. They are desiged to create a sound field in a home enviroment that MIMICS a movie theater. I learned that the hard way (after buying my 705's)