Room/Speaker Setup/Placement (1 Viewer)

[whyme4000]

Hello everyone,


I found this forum just searching the internet, and I need some assistance with my set up.

I have had a surround system set up for quite some time, and there has always felt like something is wrong. I have a 5.1 set up, I was thinking about getting a new reciever and eventually getting a 7.1, but I wanted someones opinion on if I have things set up properly, or if part of my problem may be where my speaker plaement.

I will tell you that all of my front and rear speakers face into the room and are near the top of the celing. My center sits under my TV on top of the STB.

i have tried speaker level adjustments, but I still cant get it set up to sound right, I dont really get a sourround sound, but more of just a blasting into my face.

I konw that part of me problem is where we sit, but there isnt much I can do about that. I dont hear much rear noise on my speakers, its more of just the front and center we hear.

I am inserting a picture of how my room is set up, forgive how poor it looks, it is something I just threw together.

I can tell you that I have a Yamaha HTR-6030 reciever, with Yamaha speakers and a power 10 inch sub.

Thanks for the help...

 

[chuckg]

Here is a quick guide that you might like to read:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VbEkvLnWWJd/learn/learningcenter/home/speaker_placement.html


There are a couple problems I can see right off:


--TV in the corner. this is usually not a great location, but you have made it worse by not centering the Left and Right speakers around the TV. What you've got is the center near the left channel, and the right waaaay off to one side


--speakers too high. The Left and Right speakers, and the Center, should be as near to ear height (when you are seated) as possible. Putting the speakers up high makes the sound sort of vague, or worse makes the sound seem to come from way up high instead of out of the picture


--seating area no where near the "sweet spot" You've got the right speaker coming from the right side of the couch, the rear channels from the left side, and the center and left sounds coming from an angle off to the right and in front. This will make for some poor imaging!



Can you, just for experimental purposes, try the following: move the TV and center speaker to between you L and R speakers (in front of the window or sliding door) and then put a chair in the middle of the room, somewhat closer to the TV than the rear wall. Try it, really. See how that changes the surround experience.



There might be a way to move the speakers to better locations without changing the TV and couch positions...I'll see If i can make up a drawing for you.

 

[David Willow]

Also, there are no 'rear' speakers in a 5.1 setup. The 'surrounds' go on either side of the listener, pointed in towards each other.


Here's another site with good information on proper speaker positioning: http://www.dolby.com/consumer/setup/speaker-setup-guide/index.html

 

[whyme4000]

We have tried the TV in the center of the window, and it was better but still not perfect. We dont have a way to move the couch to the "sweet spot" as the room is not wide enough, and there is a fireplace in the center of that long wall, plus the person on the end of the couch near the window has to crick their neck.


I was wondering if it would be better to put the front speakers on either side of the fire place, and the surround speakers facing each other towards the long couch, the only problem would be the ppl that sit on the short couch near the current left rear speaker would not hear anything.


I am aware there is no way to make my set up perfect based on the design of the room, but I am just trying to get it as best as possible.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Can you just put your TV in the fireplace?


Actually, if a room has a fireplace, it's almost always in the same spot that would be ideal for a TV - the focal point of the room. Unfortunately, when people try and put both objects in the same spot (usually by placing the TV over the fireplace) that causes problems too, because the TV is too high (and if the scale of your drawing is at all close to reality, this would be the case for you, too).


The Dolby site that David pointed you to is a great resource.


Seriously, putting the TV in front of the fireplace, placing the center on or below the TV, the mains to the sides of the TV (stands or wall-mounted), and putting the right surround where the right front is currently placed and the left surround where the right surround is currently placed should also greatly improve the performance of your system.

 

[David Willow]

Try this. Put the TV beside the fireplace. Place the l/r speakers on either side and the center on top. Move the couch towards the wall so the center is lined up with the center of the TV. Move the sub beside the right speaker and put the surrounds on the wall behind the couch (on either side of it). Try to angle them inward if you can (you can get adjustable mounts).


Make sure you calibrate the speakers after this.

Good luck.

 

[whyme4000]

Originally Posted by David Willow

Try this. Put the TV beside the fireplace. Place the l/r speakers on either side and the center on top. Move the couch towards the wall so the center is lined up with the center of the TV. Move the sub beside the right speaker and put the surrounds on the wall behind the couch (on either side of it). Try to angle them inward if you can (you can get adjustable mounts).


Make sure you calibrate the speakers after this.

Good luck.

I follow what you are saying, and as I said before forgive the poor diagram. It is in no way to scale, and now that I look at it again, the TX is next to the fireplace. The fireplace is in the center of that wall and only about 4 ft to either side, so its a very poor drawing....


The TV is angled and one side basically touches the fireplace and the other side is touching the edge of the first window...


I apoligize for such a poor diagram, I realize its making everything more difficult, but I thank everyone for the suggestions so far....