Correct Speaker Placement

[KrishnaS]

I just ordered my new receiver and DVD player and have a ton of questions before I begin setting up my new HT. It's been about 5 years since I set up my last set of speakers and I'm a little rusty.

I will be running the Energy Take 5 speakers with the sub. I will be picking up some adjustable speaker stands this week.

The questions

1. Center Speaker - sits on top of the TV. Right?

2. Front Speakers - 3 feet to the right and left of the TV with the tweeters at ear level from the viewing position. Right?

3. Back Speakers - directly across the front speakers 3 feet behind the listening position, 3 feet above the listening position.

Does that sound right?

K

 

[SethH]

That will certainly work well. There are several variations on it, and very few people have the option of doing things ideally. If possible, the 3 front speakers should all be at the same height, but once again, this is an ideal that most don't worry too much about. Are you surrounds direct or bi/di-poles? If they are bi/di-poles my understanding is that the best placement would be directly to the sides of the listening area, still a couple feet above the ear.

 

[Matt_Smi]

Also if placing the center on top of the TV is not an option, putting it directly below on a shelf works too.

 

[KrishnaS]

No my surrounds are direct. The center will easily fit above the TV no problems there. Ok another question - I know the fronts have to be "toed in" to angle toward the listening area. Do the backs need to be toed in too or do they just face straight ahead?

 

[Johnny_M]

how many surrounds do you have? i have 3 in my system, the rear center faces the tv, and the L+R rears face eachother. i have expirmented with many different setups and this sounds best to me.

Johnny

 

[KrishnaS]

I have two surrounds. So you're saying I should keep them about 3 feet behind the listening position, about 3 feet on each side of the listening position and FACING each other?? That seems odd. I would think that facing the front or slightly toed in would be better.

What is the official Dolby recomendation on surrounds?

 

[Johnny_M]

dolby home page


Johnny

 

[KrishnaS]

Thanks!

 

[Johnny_M]

no problem, good luck.

what you may want to do is find a way of temporarily mounting the speakers, so you can move them around and try different locations before you permanatly put them up there. learn from my mistake, i have holes all over my walls from moving them constantly.


Johnny

 

[Lee Carbray]

Just as important as setup is calibration. Don't forget about the calibration.

 

[KrishnaS]

Mine won't be wall mounted. I'm going to have my fronts and my rears on adjustable stands. So I can play with them all I want to get the correct placement. Lee can you ellaborate on calibaeration? My HK 525 has something called EZ Setup whre the remote has a built in micropohone to caliberate the speakers. Or do you mean with a Radio Shack SPL meter and Video Essentials?

Check this link out http://manuals.harman.com/HK/Technol...rTechSheet.pdf

 

[Lee Carbray]

Yes, a disk and SPL meter. The EZ set up is essentially the same thing but may not be as accurate. I would get a disk and meter to double check the levels. Here is a good post in the primer on how to do the calibration.

Calibration