For those w/ Direct Radiating Surrounds (5.1) (1 Viewer)

[TonyE]

Hi, i have had some direct radiating surrounds for some time now. I used to put them up according to the Dolby web site's recommendations. I had them 3 feet above ear level and just behind the listening position, and to the side. Now this gave me a real diffused sound affect for the surrounds. When a plane flew over the screen, it sounded as if it flew over your head.

Now i was just playing around the other day, and i put my surrounds behind the listening position facing forward. They are only 2 feet behind the listening postition and up against the back wall, thus no more room to push them back. Now the sound dramatically changed. No more diffused surround effects, but i now hear things from the surrounds that i couldn't possibly hear at all with the Dolby set up, even with a 6db gain! Its like watching a brand new movie. At first it was way too loud, i could barely here the fronts, but i have now since evened them out with the fronts.

I must say right now i like this more aggresive approach. Now some prefer the diffuse sound over the more directional sound, and vice versa. Becuase i enjoy tweaking so much, i might change it back and forth sometime in the future to get that old diffuse sound back, but hey, thats the beauty of HT! I guess i just want to hear something new for a while. Maybe i should get some dipoles for a 7.1 set up, so i can have both! But wait, i can't afford that right now...

So, my question is this: for those with direct radiating speakers for surrounds, and that have 5.1, not 6.1/7.1 setups (though if you really want, you can post your opinions as well), how are your surrounds set up? And how do you like your surrounds to sound? Do you follow Dolby's guidlines, or do you do your own thing...i would love to hear opinions becuase everyone posts about dipoles/bipoles most of the time...

THANKS!

 

[Will Gatlin Jr]

I use full range tower spks from NHT. My fronts/rears are VT-2's and my side spks are Super Two towers. For me, direct all the way!! My rear spks are angled at a 30 degree angle. Proper placement for me was to turn around (in my sweet spot facing the rears) and set each spk whereas I can't see each side of the spk.This also applies for my front. With side/rear spks, my rear soundstage can (at times) just as good as my front.

 

[Manny_S]

I've got directs mounted about 5 feet above my seating position. My ceilings are 14 feet high so I didn't want them too low on the walls. Anyway, I have them about a foot behind my seating area, with a slight angle down to compensate for the height. To me they sound fine. On some movies you can localize the sound, but if the movie is mixed really well, like Blade 2, they blend in perfectly without localization.

 

[Haru]

I have direct radiating speakers all around in my 7.1 system, all at ear level, except the center which is higher up because its on the TV. I set the center channel speaker to 0db, and then used a sound level meter to precisely match the levels of all the other speakers (except the subwoofers) to it. Additionally, I took a measuring tape and set the distance to each speaker so the receiver could get the delays right.

The sound is simply superb. No speaker dominates unless the source material makes it. Just great.

 

[Neil Joseph]

I used ot have directs as the surrounds (I use dipoles now) and I always prferred them to be behind, with a few feet breathing space if possible. The soundtracks never used to sound right to me with information that should be coming fom the back of the room, coming at me from the sides.

 

[BenK]

Tony, my setup is similar to your previous arrangement. About 3 feet above, around a foot behind, to the side and pointed slightly above where the listeners head would be. I've found this to be the best arrangement for a more direct sound. Which is what Dolby recommends for 5.1. And they're levels are set to within 1 db to all the other speakers which is crucial.

 

[TonyE]

The problem with me is that when i set it according to the Dobly 5.1 guidelines i can't hear the details such as quiet footsteps and the sort. I can hear louder things such as cars, airplanes, and explosions though. When i put the surrounds directly behind, bullets sound more realistic as they actually sound like there wizzing past your ear and flying behind you. Maybe i need more power for the surrounds or a bigger speakers, so i can hear those smaller noises.

I have had The Fast and the Furious for a while now, and while i heard that it is reference quality when it comes to the DTS 5.1 soundtrack, i thought it was nice, but nothing better than other disks i have. Now that i moved the speakers, i hear things i never heard, such as detail noises from the car's engines and intakes.

Note: I do hear some sounds that i think should be more diffuse and less directional. I think if i want more of one thing i have to sacrifice another. But, i think i like this arrangement more, more of my disks sound better with it, and i think it has to do with how the sound engineers wanted the surrounds to be heard. Some disks i think are just more directional driven than others.

 

[TonyE]

I have direct radiating speakers all around in my 7.1 system, all at ear level, except the center which is higher up because its on the TV. I set the center channel speaker to 0db, and then used a sound level meter to precisely match the levels of all the other speakers (except the subwoofers) to it. Additionally, I took a measuring tape and set the distance to each speaker so the receiver could get the delays right.

If i had a 7.1 capable receiver i would try it out, just to see if i like the extra two speakers. Does this set up give you lots of directional sounds from the rear? If i put in a 5.1 disk with a 7.1 system i would be afraid that once again the effects that sound better from the back would once again come from the sides as well.

 

[Phil Iturralde]

...set it according to the Dolby 5.1 guidelines i can't hear the details such as quiet footsteps and the sort.

Let me qualify my following statement in that I have identical surround speakers as my front channels (four JBL S26 / @ my vacation house four JBL N24's) and I don't have any problems hearing the intricate discrete encoded 20 Hz to 20 kHz effects within my 360° watching/listening area!
My surrounds are located on the side walls, 3' behind my sweet spot, and the bottom of the cabinet is 6' off the floor facing each other. (to a certain degree, I'm replicating the Dolby's Typical 5.1-Channel Room Layout)
Click this link** for my speaker locations and sound dispersion characteristics of my JBL's in my 20' x 30' w/10' high vaulted ceiling HT/family room.
**NOTE: The CADKEY drawing was created when I had the four JBL N24's in my HT/family room, but the JBL S26's shares the same wide, high frequency dispersion as the N24's, thanks to the EOS waveplate copied from JBL PRO TEC Award Winning LSR Studio Monitors. Most other speakers high frequency response generally drops like a waterfall above 12 kHz @ the Sound & Vision 60° weighted surround locations.
NOTE: Because my website is 'FREE', hosted by GeoCities, if too many HT enthusiasts visit, GeoCities will shut it down for an hour or so because it exceeded the specified 'freebie' Data Transfer Rate. Sorry about that, just bookmark it and visit my site an hour later or when everyone has gone to bed!
Phil

 

[TonyE]

I don't have any problems hearing the intricate discrete encoded 20 Hz to 20 kHz effects within my 360° watching/listening area!

And for some reason i truly do! It could be the acoustics in my room, but i'm not really sure about that. I have very low ceilings and this is a small room. Maybe someone might know more on this and can explain to me some probable causes. OR maybe this is just what i prefer, a more direct located sound from the rear! Hmmm....

 

[Haru]

Does this set up give you lots of directional sounds from the rear? If i put in a 5.1 disk with a 7.1 system i would be afraid that once again the effects that sound better from the back would once again come from the sides as well.

copied from a post I made elsewhere:

The 7.1 set up is just AWESOME. it makes a HUGE difference. I had thought it would be a minor, occasionally noticeable difference, but thats not right. Its a massive difference. Its a full 180 degree soundfield all the way around behind me, with very finely resolved movement of sound. No jumping from left to right or front to back. just fantastic!

 

[TonyE]

If i added two more surrounds on the sides like i had before using the Dolby 5.1 guidelines (3ft up @ the sides) and keep the surrounds in the rear at ear level - this would have 2 speakers (side and rear) for the left surround channel, and 2 for the right channel - would this sound bad?
I am thinking this would give me that diffuse sound and direct sound from the rears that i am wanting. OR will this sound horribly awful?