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Room Configuration Help - The lesser of two evils (1 Viewer)

Gary TP

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 11, 2002
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53
In my new house, I have no choice but to divide up an L-shaped room into 2 rooms (one for an office, and the other for my home theater)...

Here are my two possible Room configs (I know both of them kinda suck):

1) http://www.nwrep-intrepid.com/roomconfig1.jpg
- Screen is 7'8" wide (could downsize my screen to bring the speakers closer together and lessen the viewing angle)
- L/R Speakers are roughly 8-9 ft apart
- Seating is at about 9-10 feet from L/R speakers
I'd rather go with this config for ease of setup, but I know i'll be selling myself short on acoustics bigtime...

2) http://www.nwrep-intrepid.com/roomconfig2.jpg
- Screen is 7'8" wide
- L/R Speakers are roughly 8-9 ft apart
- Seating is at about 12-14 feet from L/R speakers
Probably the better config for acoustics (although the rears will be on the back wall)- not as desirable as the first, but think this is probably going to be the only realistic way to go...

Any thoughts guys? Thanks so much...
 

PerfectSound

Auditioning
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
4
Real Name
Scott
Gary
My opinion would be setup #2. Setup up #1 doesn't leave you much room for change. #2 seems to give you more depth and to me is more pleasing to the eye. You could even possibly try in ceiling speakers so you can move the seating just a lil farther back. In setup 2 you might could also consider an acoustical curtain to contain some sound, but also open the room up when necessary.
Scott
Just my opinion
 

Gary TP

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 11, 2002
Messages
53
Assuming I go with #2, are the rear speaker locations the best available for the room? (I am assuming a 2-3 ft above ear level - i'm more referring to the placement on the rear wall - the side wall seems tough since its so close the the seating)...
 

Alen Koebel

Auditioning
Joined
Jul 20, 2005
Messages
11
I agree with Scott. Layout #2 is much better, both acoustically and aesthetically. But your seats are indeed still a little tight to the sidewalls, as you noted. If you'll be viewing with your SO a lot - and you haven't yet purchased your seats - you might want to consider the two inner chairs being part of a loveseat, each still indendently reclining. That eliminates the width of the armrest between them and you still have enough drinkholders :). I have seen setups measuring 115" across that still give quite adequate seat width. That would fit into the space you've got better. It would also allow you to mount the surrounds (or what I assume are your surrounds even though you've called them rears) on either side of the seating (or perhaps a small distance back) pointing *back* at an angle to the back wall. That would give you a much more diffuse effect. I don't want to get into a direct radiating vs. dipole debate, but I will say that you don't want to localize the sound with either type of speaker for the majority of movie soundtracks. Aiming them at the back wall will assist with that. The speakers would also be in a good position if you ever wanted to switch to dipole surrounds some day. It's just an idea.
 

Gary TP

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 11, 2002
Messages
53
Thanks for the help- unfortunately, this is a house move, and I took my seats with me (so seating is already purchased and to scale). I know they are too close to the side wall, so I suppose i'll just have to make due with placing the rears in an alternate location...
 

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