Care to help a noob with speaker placement? (1 Viewer)

[Rich Tysinger]

Hi everyone! I'm looking into getting a new receiver and do a 5.1 setup for my living room. The room is small (15 feet by 12 feet). I'd like to keep my old stereo speakers as fronts if possible...they're 250 watt Sonys(SS-U800AV) made sometime between 1988-1990. I'm not sure how they stack up to similar speakers nowadays, but to a non-audiophile like myself they sound nice.

Anyway, one of my concerns is that I may have my speakers too close together. Currently they are separated only by the width of my component rack...about 22 inches. Due to my space limitations I can't really separate them much further. The top of the wood stereo component rack has a wood lid and makes the rack flush with the tops of the speakers, so I could put a center speaker on top of the rack. Would having three front speakers jammed close together like this significantly subtract from the overall sound? I would think that it would.

My TV is currently on a cheap TV stand to the left of my stereo system. I know I should probably ditch the stereo rack and free up room for an entertainment center placed more in the center of the wall, but all the matching wood in my stereo system looks really nice. Does anyone have any suggestions? I appreciate you guys helping a noob like me out...

 

[Nathan Stohler]

Hi, Rich.

Here is a good starting place for information on speaker placement:

http://www.dolby.com/ht/Guide.HomeTheater.0110.html

Crutchfield also has a decent guide:

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/le...placement.html

2 feet is definitely too close for your main speakers. If space limitations prevent you from placing your speakers further apart, I wouldn't even bother with a center channel, because everything will seem to be coming from the same general area.

It sounds like you are more concerned with the way things look, which is fine, but you won't get the speaker separation you need to better enjoy movies and music.

 

[Rich Tysinger]

Thanks for the links, Nathan, they were very helpful. I definitely should be concerned more with practicality instead of aesthetics. :b

 

[Joe Szott]

Rich,

yes, speakers that close will affect your sound in 5.1 a lot! Here's some rules of thumb for your system:

* 6+ feet distance between the left and right front speakers. Get the center channel and TV right in the middle if possible.

* Have all the tweeters for the front (L/C/R) speakers at about the same height and pointed at the main listening position. The height of the speakers doesn't matter too much (I hang mine from the 8' ceiling), just as long as they are all around the same height.

* Try to get the front speakers 18"+ away from the corners or walls. I don't know why this increases the soundfield, but it definitely does, big time!

* Rear/side speakers are not so picky. They can be ear level, hung from ceiling, moved a good distance behind the listening position, whatever works in your room. Again, I have mine hung from the ceiling about 9' behind and it sounds fine.

* If you have a sub, put it in the most convienent closed corner, maybe 4" out if it has ports, almost against the corner if it doesn't (like if it's a cylinder type.) A closed corner is one not nearby an open hallway, or a sliding door, or stairs, or...

There you go, have fun!