7.1 speaker height / front speaker depth relative to TV

bfkimball

Hi folks! How much do you think I'm missing out on with the following compromises?

1) mounting speakers on walls 15-20 inches below ceiling (instead of at recommended ear height). This is done for aesthetic reasons. All speakers are tilted toward couch.
2) mounting center speaker on wall above TV, but TV is rear projection, so speaker is about 25 inches _behind_ screen. This is done for practical and aesthetic reasons.

Speakers are JBL SCS series 7.1 package. TV is sony kdsr60xbr1.

Speakers, for reference (but mine is the apparently discontinued 7.1 package):
http://www.jbl.com/home/products/pro...at=HTS&ser=SCS

Thanks!

daleb

It seems there are alway compromises to be made. Keeping the center spkr the same distance to the listening area as the L/R mains is important.
Aiming the speakers to the listening area to compensate for not having the tweeters at 'ear level' is about your only choice.
Without understanding all the properties of your particular room it would be difficult to say how well it will work out.
I was surprised to hear how well a whole speaker system in the ceiling CAN sound. Of course, the drivers are aimed at angles, etc. to compensate, and it seems to work well.
What you might consider is taping a laser pen, etc. to the speaker(s) for accurate aiming.
You might be surprised to find how INaccurate eyeballing it can be, especially in the vertical axis.

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CDWallace

I don't think this is the most beneficial idea. I understand aesthetics are a factor, but placing the center channel 25 inches behind the rear projection TV will create imaging and speaker/system integration problems. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the center speaker is mounted to the wall and is approx 25 inches behind the TV. If the TV is any size, which being a RP it most likely is, you speaker will be firing into the contoured slope of the back of the TV. Not directly, but partially which is just as bad. If the TV is the older box style, it'll be firing at the flatter surface of the back of the TV. Now you have reflection problems to deal with. If you move the speaker up 6-12", then you have a nightmare of integrating the center with the fronts.

Even if the back of the RPTV is sloped at an angle, you still run into reflection issues. The sound from the center speaker get trapped in the slope between the TV and the wall. So in fact, you're no longer hearing the speaker alone, but the speaker, wall reflection and TV reflections. This is a bad idea. Not to shoot down a dream, but wake up because its a bad one. I'm sure you've attempted to address this issue during system/room integration. You may even have settled for those results.

Its as simple as placing the center speaker on top of the TV in line with the front of the screen. Yes your aesthetics may not be the same, but aesthetics is no excuse for a mediocre performance when there is far more potential.

I hope I'm not sounding too harsh, but I don't wanna see you make this bad move or live with the problem when it can easily be corrected.

daleb

Good point, CD. I missed that, and it is more than a nuance.
I was trying to envision how it would even look. My first thought was the distance from the front speakers to the listening area being most critical.
I did not consider the reflections coming off the back of the display.
Although I had the impression the center was still very high and aimed OVER the display. Tough one anyway without seeing it.
The best soundfield is usually achieved with speakers in front of the display, not the opposite condition, unless they are ceiling mounted and angled correctly.

__________________
Samsung PN50A650 plasma, Arcam AVR350, Dali Ikon6 (Vokal2&OnWalls), Outlaw Audio LFM-1EX sub, Anti-Mode 8033B, Oppo Digital BDP-83, Polk XM Tuner, Furman Elite power conditioner

leevitalone

tweeters at ear level! easy peasy

daleb

That's an ideal. But there are many wall and ceiling applications that AIM the tweeters at your ears.
Ideally your center channel should be facing (so you can't see the screen) you not above or below your display and tilted up or down. Of course, that does not matter for listening to 2 ch music.

__________________
Samsung PN50A650 plasma, Arcam AVR350, Dali Ikon6 (Vokal2&OnWalls), Outlaw Audio LFM-1EX sub, Anti-Mode 8033B, Oppo Digital BDP-83, Polk XM Tuner, Furman Elite power conditioner