Building a home, time to decide where I want to put my speaker cables, having a dilemma (1 Viewer)

[Mave]

On the image below you can see my future living room.
Right now in our apartment I already have a 2.1 setup. I've simulated the components below.
2x Elac Debut 2.0 (green), 1x SBS PB-1000 (red), and a Denon X1400H. (dark blue = TV, brown/orange = sofa)

I'd be looking to upgrade this to a 5.1 setup.

The only location I can get the misses to agree on are the light blue squares. (they'll be "hidden" behind the load bearing poles, their dimensions are 12cm x 12cm)

• Is this location okay? Or is there no point in putting surround speakers there and should I stick to 2.1?
• What kind of compact, yet still good speakers should I put there? (ceiling height = 2m80cm)

Thank you in advance!

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

The picture looks like the speakers will be beside the poles, not behind them. Naturally, beside would be better. If truly behind them – obviously not ideal, but my thinking has always been that “any surround sound is better than no surround sound.”

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[JohnRice]

It's not always possible to set up things as they ideally would be, especially in open plan living spaces. I'm not clear on what you mean by the surrounds being behind bearing poles.

First, I would definitely get a center speaker. It really makes a huge difference with video sources. The matching ELAC Debut 2 would be the one. Also, there are fairly compact on-wall speakers in the Debut line (OW4.2 I think), so might as well go with those for surrounds.