Problems placing dipole surrounds (specifically Paradigm ADPs) near slanted ceiling? (1 Viewer)

[JonathanOh]

My ceiling slants down towards the listening position. If my wife allows us to go with ADPs, is there any problem to think about if they are placed close to the ceiling? On one side, it will fire partially into the ceiling while the other fires along the wall without a reflecting surface until it hits the front wall.

 

[Terry Montlick]

Hi Jonathan,

I don't think you'll have any problem. Surround sound does not need to be symmetric front to back. The dipole symmetry is just to put you in the null region of the speaker, so that you don't hear the direct sound - only the reflected. Just make sure the speakers are directly to the sides of the prime listening area.

Regards,
Terry

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Ok, mind if I jump in with one?

I have direct firing surrounds right now, but am thinking about going with ADP's. Problem is my couch is at the back wall and cannot be moved out. I have a built in bookshelf on the right side, which I have the right spkr in(about 2 feet above my head 5 feet away. The left is about 12 feet away and is on top of my built in equipment rack and is about a foot and a half from the celling and about a foot and a half from the back wall.
Would I benefit from ADPs if they are firing into a bookshelf on one side and the back wall on the other?

 

[Terry Montlick]

Hello Chris,

Of course, left and right symmetry is ideal. But surrounds in general are pretty forgiving.

The couch and bookshelf should both add some extra diffusion, which is good. Diffuse, non-localized sound makes movie surround more realistic, and is what dipoles are designed for in the first place. The rear furniture might absorb different amounts of sound, but that will be taken care of when you calibrate your speaker levels.

By the way, before you upgrade your direct-firing surrounds, try simply facing them away from the listening area, toward the rear and side walls. Move them forward if they are way at the back, to give them plenty of wall or corner area to bounce off of. Bouncing direct-firing surrounds off room surfaces makes a larger, less-directional sound source. This really improves the ambiance, and makes them sound a lot like dipoles.

Regards,
Terry

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Thanks for the suggestions Terry! I will try that out tonite.

I used to have them just on a regular wall, then we had the shelves and equipment rack built. It changed the openess of what I was hearing in the rear. Like on music especially if I fool around with like 5 channel stereo I can really tell. They almost sound cupped or like their in a box. I guess basically they are so I am trying to figure out how to fix this
Movies it's not so bad. I rarely listen to multi channel music so it's not to big of a deal... I really cannot move them that much. That's why I thought maybe ADP's just would give me that last bit of openess I lost.