Placing Speakers on Floor (1 Viewer)

[Mike*Sch]

Hello,

I'm trying to put together a theater in a room with a 6.5' ceiling and a 4.5' screen. I'm considering purchasing 6 Sony speakers (SSMB350H) which are about 20" tall.

If I were to place the 3 front speakers on the floor, approximately 11' from the listener, would that be a bad idea?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[JamesCB]

IMO, putting them on the floor is a bad idea. As a general rule, the tweeters should be at or near ear-level when seated. If the speakers are 20", that puts the tweeter at about 17", so I would suggest stands around 17"-22". If that is not an option, you can try leaning the speakers back to aim the tweeters toward your ears, but you will get better results using the stands. Good luck.

James

 

[Mike*Sch]

Thanks for the advice. Having the left and right speakers on stands would not be a problem, but having the center speaker at or above ear level is difficult, because that would place it behind the screen.

My other option is to lower the screen by maybe a foot, and use my current center speaker which, unlike the others, would fit above the screen. That speaker is actually probably slightly better than the one which I'm looking to buy, and it appears to have been made to match the other speakers which I intend to buy, but it would be the only one in the system which is not exactly the same model.

I should also note that if I decide to go this route, I plan on buying the seemingly slightly lower-end Sony SSMB150H speakers, because they are a closer match to my center speaker.

So with all that being said, should I go with slightly less quality and slightly less uniformity in order to get my speakers at ear level, or should I go with my initial thought of putting the 3 front speakers on the floor? I suppose a third option would be to put the left and right speaker on stands and the center speaker on the floor.

Which of these three seems like the best choice?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[SethH]

Are you buying a screen or going to DIY route? If you're buying one look into an acoustically transparent screen. They cost a little more, but may be worth it in your case.

 

[John Garcia]

Placing any bookshelf speaker directly on the floor will reflect the sound off the floor dispersing the sound and result in unclear presentation. Even with these speakers, if you are looking for decent sound, stands are the way to go. I agree also about looking into an acoustically transparent screen.

 

[ScottCHI]

you can buy a short center channel stand that angles the center speaker upwards

 

[Mike*Sch]

Thanks for the suggestions. From what I've read in other threads, I'm guessing that an accoustically transparent screen is probably out of my price range. But now I'll definitely put the speakers on stands, even if it means placing the center channel below the screen.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[NickSo]

you can try propping it up as close as possible to the bottom of the screen, then tilt it up so the center points to the listening position