[Doogals]

I was reading that rear surround speakers should be positioned 2-3 feet above ear level, or as a “general rule” they should be at ear level when standing. However I was planning on wall mounting my rear speakers at ear level, could anyone explain the differences in sound at the two different heights? Also, is there any kind of setting that can be adjusted on the receiver to compensate for the lower height of the rear speakers? Would it even be necessary?

Another issue, the ideal location for my rear left speaker falls in an area where there is no wall available to mount it on. Meaning the rear left speaker will need to be mounted roughly 22” further back than the rear right. This is not a dedicated media room by any means, and there are defiantly some compromises being made, just wondering how badly they are going to affect the sound balance. See image for better idea of the space.

Thanks guys.

 

[Doogals]

Another issue I have is the Dolby site recommends (regarding the front L/R speakers) “A good setup is usually three feet away on each side.” But with my viewing distance from the TV, and following the 30° rule, my front channel speakers end up about 68” away from the center of the TV on each side.

 

[Doogals]

Is there any reason I can't upload an image?

 

[Doogals]

Here is the link to the image - thoughts?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmehak/5119794000/

 

[Doogals]

Realized that I forgot to add the radius created by the distance from the TV to the viewing position. This moves my front channel speakers a little closer to the viewing position, but it pushes the location for my side surrounds way out of the bounds of the room. Suggestions?

So I added the “alternate” position for my side surrounds (150°) as per the instructions that came with the speakers (Harman Kardon HKTS 15). This gets the location of those speakers back inside the boundary of the room, but it seems like they are awfully far away from the viewing position (roughly 10 feet).

Also, if I’m not mistaken this 150° position is typically the position for the rear speakers in a 7.1 setup? Is it ever used for the side surrounds in a 5.1 setup?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmehak/5122499570/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmehak/5121934769/

 

[Doogals]

Also, it's not good to put the speakers too close to the side walls.

I was planning on wall mounting my front speakers, they will end up being about two feet away from the corner where the two walls meet. This way I can get them closer to the optimal position, if they are on stands the armchair on the right and the small component cabinet on the left are in the way.

Also, subwoofer is going in the corner behind the armchair.

 

[Doogals]

That was my understanding as well, what got me confused was the Harman Kardon owner's namual for the HKTS 15:

"The side surround speakers should be placed 110 degrees from the center speaker; that is, slightly behind and angled toward the listener. If this isn’t feasible, place the surround speakers behind the listener, with each surround speaker facing the opposite-side front speaker. The surround speakers may be placed a little higher than the listener’s ears."

Here is their illustration to go along with the text.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmehak/5124214232/

 

[Doogals]

Also, here is a better explanation of my choices:

Green dots are ideal speaker locations.
A and B are my two available mounting location options.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmehak/5123611231/