Place sub behind or adjacent to main JBL E100 (1 Viewer)

[Pus Suchre]

While I am waiting for my receiver to get out of the shop, I have been looking at three possible ways of setting up my fronts and my sub. I realize that I should probably try all and see which one sounds best. But while I'm waiting, I'm playing with ideas.

My fronts are JBL E100s, with a SVS 20-39PCi Sub. My surrounds are E30s and N26AWIIs (they were on sale).

The diagrams are to scale. Which do you guys think will work best? Option 1, 2 or option 3?

Option 1 with the SVS behind the right E100 and TV dead center. (takes up a precious two feet of room length)



Option 2 with the SVS adjacent to the right E100 and TV and seats offset.



Option 3 with the SVS adjacent to the right E100 and TV offset, seating dead center

 

[Pus Suchre]

Hmmm...sorry about that, thought that I could upload photos. Guess I'll have to load them on my work web page tomorrow and provide a URL. Wrong group too, should be in Speakers and Subwoofers :frowning:

 

[DorianBryant]

Pus,

Why the clarification on the N26? They should match almost perfectly with the E series, right? Hey you can't pass up a deal. I think the N series work great for surrounds. Of course I have studios (S38II's) for mains, an EC35 center, and N26 and 24's for surrounds. I can't tell any difference in sound.

As for your sub I would try option 2. I wonder if the sub placed directly behind the E100 would not be out of phase with the lows coming from your mains. The diagrams I have seen for correct speaker placement usually have the subwoofer placed to the right or left of the mains.

 

[Pus Suchre]

Okay, pictures are finally up. Took me a while to get it to work right....

Thanks for the feedback Dorian. I guess I qualified the N26s because they were not what I originlly had planned. I actually bid on them at Ebay and won them for $45 shipping included. I didn't think I was going to win, and bid as a lark. I think that I will like them- but I won't know for sure until I plug them into my reciever. I certainly can't complain about the price

 

[DorianBryant]

Pus,

I use the N26 for surrounds and found they work very well. You got a steal! I got mine on E-bay a few months ago and bought them new for $144.

 

[Pus Suchre]

They are refurbs direct from HK-JBL. They look fine- can't wait to hear them! I had to mount them on the ceiling, which is a little less than ideal- but they were certainly easy to install. I'm glad to hear the positive words from you. I must say, I'm getting pretty anxious to get my receiver back so I can plug 'em in! I have yet to experience surround sound, and I'm getting impatient.

 

[Desmond]

I am thinking of buying a pair of the E100's for 299 a piece.

If you have it all hooked up, please tell me how well they sound.

 

[Brad E]

I going to assume that the front sofa is the main seating area.
If that's the case I would move the E30's directly to the side of this sofa and move the N26's to the E30's position.
Either that or add another set of E30's directly to the side of that first sofa, giving you a 9.1 setup. (ok, not really but that's how many speakers you will have)

I would move those front mains way out of those corners. You will have to experiment a bit. That room is fairly narrow so moving the mains out to the side is not an option. Instead you will have to move them up closer to the seating area, broadening the front sound stage and will also help close that huge gap to your surrounds.

This will not only leave you with enough room for your sub but will also allow you to pull it out away from the walls as well.

Of course this is all just my opinion, but it is what I would do. Calibration will be critical because of the large differences in speaker distances to the seating area, so be sure to get an spl meter and do it right.