(How critical is) surround speaker placement (1 Viewer)

[Paul Powell]

I'm setting up my HT in a room that isn't very condusive to HT. There are challenges everywhere I turn. Anyways I was wondering how important it is that the left and right surround speakers are the same distance from the listening position? I have a situation where my left wall is significantly closer (4.5 ft) than my right wall (6 ft). I'm trying to avoid a speaker stand. How will this sound?

Thanks!

 

[Jack Briggs]

Speaker placement in all applications (home theater, audio only, etc.) is critical. You want to have the speakers as symmetrically placed as possible, and you must dial in the speaker-distance compensation in your receiver as accurately as possible. Not always practical, of course. Why do you want to avoid speaker stands?

 

[Jake K]

You can do that if you use the delay settings on your receiver/processor, and calibrate their output levels with an SPL meter and a calibration disk. You should have the manual to your processor that will tell you about that. I would think that your right speaker should have a 1 or 2 millisecond delay on it (1ms per foot). and should be set slightly louder than the left speaker. Also use these same techniques when your front speakers are at different distances from your surround speakers.

 

[scott>sau]

Hi Paul, Jack and Jake offered great advice. One mentioned a receiver, another an audio processor, and I would add your DVD player for adjusting surround speaker distance to the sweet spot. Getting stands would give more flexibility and you could run the wires in the stand posts. You can use alternative surround placement also. Please follow this link:
http://www.dolby.com/ht/Guide.HomeTh...0110.html#s3.3 See yaa,
Scott

 

[Ted Lee]

i wouldn't worry too much about it. as long as you setup the receiver properly and do a decent sound level calibration -- you'll be fine.

you can always test yourself. if you closed your eyes and i moved a speaker back and forth - would you be able to tell the difference? if you can (and you're not already an audio engineer) then you're in the wrong profession.

get it as close as you can - then enjoy.

 

[Agustin]

position its basic in car & home audio, use stands, why not?