Newbie Needs Setup Help!!!!!! (1 Viewer)

[RaymondSH]

Alright -- I need expert help PLEASE! I am setting up my home theater for the first time and am completely baffled on speaker setup due to the shape of my room. It is 17x11x8, carpeted with plaster walls. I can email anyone a sketch if that makes it easier ( I couldn't get it to load.....).

My problem is that the TV is off center from the main viewing area. Imagine sitting on a couch with a fireplace directly in front of you and the TV being off to the left. I had considered mounting the speakers in the corners, angling towards the center of the room. Is that my best choice or can you think of something else?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Ray

 

[Tim K]

Other than putting the TV at the other end of the room and sitting with your backs to the fireplace....or mounting a plasma screen above the fireplace, you likely will have to use a corner setup. It's far from ideal, but we all have to make compromises in our HT's. It could be worse...you could have no TV!!!

Good luck!

 

[RaymondSH]

Thanks Tim -- I appreciate your quick response.

Now for another newbie question? What is a corner set up?
Does it involve mounting the speakers on opposite walls and aiming them into the viewing area?

HELP!

 

[Tim K]

By corner set up I mean, TV in the Corner....like this:
.


Not the ideal setup, but we have to make do as best we can

 

[RaymondSH]

Again Tim -- thanks for the quick response.That drawing is close to what I have, but not exactly......

Is there anyone willing to take a look at the drawing I made? If so, please email me and I will send it to you direectly. I had trouble loading it due to the fact that it had to be a webpage.........

This is only my second day on this forum and I have to say it is great!

 

[Tim K]

sure, I'll look at it...

send email to krooooog@yahoo. com

 

[Tim K]

OK, here is your plan (to scale with the exception of your furniture)




Now, my question is, why bother with a corner setup...unless there is something I am missing? You can have a pretty "ideal" layout with your room. I had assumed the fireplace was on the short wall which would have been tough, but you should be able to work with this room as it is. Set up your room lengthwise, you shouldn't have any problems. The only question is surround placement, depending on the location of your couch and the doorways. You can go for sidewall mounted or back wall mounted. Either is acceptable, at least according to Dolby. The other issue may be the opening in the lower right corner...to compensate for this you may find you have to bump up the level of your front right speaker a few dB's higher. I had a similar setup in my old apartment and had to do the same. Here's what I would do if it was my room...but let me know if there is something I am missing.

 

[John Gallimore]

Raymond,

In case you want a second opinion, I completely agree with Tim. This is how my family room is set up at the moment and, despite it being open to the back, it's pretty effective.

J

 

[ericSchirm]

I am in the same situation. It looks like I am stuck with your 1st layout. (there is a large window to the right and a door way into the living room to the left). Hopefully my 57" Hitachi fits where the tv currently is. I will find out next week once I move in!

imagestation.com/picture/sraid93/pcf4f59532d1a67daaee3ff068ff0c8d8/fa515fcb.jpg

 

[RaymondSH]

Unfortunatley, there is a window AND a radiator where you propose the TV to go (damn hot water heat........)

I tried to see if the cabinet would fit next to the radiator, but you would never be able to enter through that bottom doorway and that is the main entrance into the living room from the outside.

Am I going to have a lousy soundstage if I mount the speakers in the corners? I'm guessing yes due to the fact that the center channel is probably going to be further out into the room than the front channels.....

And I wanted to let everyone in the forum know how much of a help Tim has been.....this is how all forums should work!!!

Ray