7.1 Speaker placement (1 Viewer)

[MichaelLT]

I'm really not to sure where speakers are placed in a 7.1 surrornd sound. Any info would be nice or if you know of any web pages with info that would be great. Any diagrams would help.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Surrounds: directly to the sides (90 deg each from the front). Rears: 165 deg from the front (or 15 deg each from the centerline in the back, 30 deg total spread apart). Height: tweeters 12 to 24 inches above your ears. That's for Logic 7 anyway. THX Ultra2 is similiar, but there is a provision in the software to actually allow the rears to be side by side in the back.

What I've seen recommended over the years, anyway...

 

[MichaelLT]

Anyone know of a website that diagrams it out? I have bought a house that has 4 in ceiling speakers already installed. I am hoping I can use them in a 7.1 config. (My wife loves the fact that they are in the ceiling at not the wall) I am crossing my figures that they will workout some how and all I have to do is add a few more speakers for a good setup.

 

[BrianCli]

I am very interested in this as well. I am in the process of building a house and I have wired for a 7.1 setup, but I am unsure on the exact placement of the speakers.

Anyone have any diagrams???

Thanks

Brian

 

[Phil Iturralde]

FYI: I am fortunate enough that I can follow the suggestion from Dolby Labs on-line document ... The Dolby Guide to Home Theater Sound in placing my original 5.1 HT speakers locations ...

sampled the scene where Ben Affleck flying his Spitfire in defense of England over the ocean and initial Pearl Harbor attack up to just after the Arizona is sunk! That's all the time I had to sample the scenes.

Anyway, this is another DTS-5.1 DVD that decodes very nicely by sending directional panning effects correctly from the Front(s), or Center, or either Side Surrounds towards the Rear Center & visa-versa.

One of the most impressive effects is when you first see from the air panoramic Hawaii surrounded by some clouds and the Japanese Zero, etc. planes starts roaring overhead you from a number of different rear, rear side, rear center, etc. locations, ... starting from the right rear.

Some of the action where the plane shows up directly overhead the screen, the DTS-ES correctly decoded the associated panning effects to start in the Rear Center area and move overhead towards the screen, matching the assigned Japanese plane on-screen action precisely! Very nice!!! Another YES, YES, ... this is soooo super cool!!!!

So, right now I'm just having fun, enjoying and discovering the sonic discrete panning effects that my RX-V1300 is decoding from my existing DD/DTS-5.1 DVD's and so far, it's very impressive.

Read my entire review linked above to see what I thought about EX / DTS ES-matrix/discrete, Pro Logic II (Music/Movie) & DTS NEO6 (Music/Cinema).

Phil

 

[MichaelLT]

WOW, thanks alot.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

FYI, depending on your receiver/pre pro, that Dolby info is relevant up through Dolby Digital (THX Surround) EX (and ostensibly DTS-ES), but does not include any updated placement info for THX Ultra2.

Here's some info for Logic 7, pg 32 is speaker placement:

http://www.lexicon.com/downloads/fil...oduct=MC1&ID=5

A couple extra points. They point out that if you place the side (surrounds) and the rears too high up, you lose spaciousness in the signal. If you've ever seen an on-axis/off-axis speaker freq response plot, you'd know that high freqs dive bomb in magnitude as you go off-axis. One reason why I believe that 36" above ear level is way too high. I used to have surrounds that high, now I have them about 12" above. Much prefer the latter. Better imaging, and a more accurate depiction of the original signal result.

I have come to believe that the recommendation for surrounds/rears higher up are a remnant of original DPL type processing and movies, because it was mostly ambient material in the surrounds. But as technology has moved forth to DD/DTS then to DD EX/DTS-ES, *and* as movie soundtrack producers have incorporated more spatially relevant cues into the surround channels, it makes sense to drop those speakers down some. Plus, if you do any multi-channel music listening at all on your system (especially SACD/DVD-A), you'd want the improved imaging that results when you lower the surrounds (& rears).

But experiment! Everyone has to judge for themselves what works for them in their own room!