Sub and speaker placement

[Lynch1j2]

My room is a basement cinderblock and cement floor. There are rugs on the floor and some sheer curtains to hide the walls. There is a cement block shelf 3 feet high, 2 feet wide and 6 feet long attached to the wall along the back right side of the room next to the sofa. The sofa is in the remaining 7 feet against the back wall. The screen for the projector takes up the entire front wall except for 24 inches from the floor to the bottom of the screen. It goes all the way across the wall so any speakers will have to go on the floor. The ceiling is open wood beams and plywood from the floor above. I just bought a HSU Vft2 sub. Has anyone tried their sub up on a shelf. I was thinking of in the back right corner on top of the cement shelf. Or would it be better to move the sofa out and going for the back left corner. I was also thinking of 340SE mains and center.
Will these sound OK sitting on the floor. Maybe with something under them to
tilt the top back a small amount. Any ideas. Thanks.

[Eddie]

I would not put a sub on a shelf under any circumstances, esp. not a down-firing one ... well, maybe if it was a really crappy boomy sub, which the Hsu you're getting most certainly is not. You would be better off putting the sub directly behind or next to your sitting postion---Dr. Hsu often recommends this nearfield placement particular for HT usage.

Similarly, I also would not put the 340s on the floor, that is bound to make them sound boomy and dead. If you absolutely have to put them on the floor, I would wedge them so that the tweeters are pointing at your sitting position ear level. But a far better choice would be to wall-mount the speakers ABOVE your projector screen and angle them downwards towards your sitting position---the 340s are too big and heavy, so either the 170s or the 200s.

[Lynch1j2]

Thanks for your help. The problem is the cloth screen for the projector
goes all the way from the ceiling to 24" from the floor, and there is only
a couple of inches to either side. I might have to find a way to tilt them.

[Eddie]

Just make sure that the 340s have at least 18" from the front wall since they are rear-ported.

so speaker stands are a definite no-go?

[Lynch1j2]

I don't think stands will work. The speakers are almost 23" high (340's).
Can the mains be placed on their sides like the center channel. Maybe the
sub can be placed in front of the sofa next to the wall like a table.

[drewface]

Just make sure that the 340s have at least 18" from the front wall since they are rear-ported.

so speaker stands are a definite no-go?

18"! is that really how much room you should give 340s? i have a 340SEc on its way to my house. i have plenty of space with my home setup, but i might be limited at school when i go back in a couple weeks. last year, i had my 170SE's about 4" from the rear wall and they sounded ok to me. do the 340's need more room than that to not get any major sound deterioration?

[Eddie]

18"! is that really how much room you should give 340s? i have a 340SEc on its way to my house. i have plenty of space with my home setup, but i might be limited at school when i go back in a couple weeks. last year, i had my 170SE's about 4" from the rear wall and they sounded ok to me. do the 340's need more room than that to not get any major sound deterioration?

well personal preference definitely does come into play. I find that at 18" away from the wall, my 340s put out less bass but it's tighter bass, and more importantly the mids and highs seem much more open and airy, with a wider and more enveloping soundstage. The 170s being smaller speakers with less bass extension, might not be as affected by it.

[drewface]

hmmm... guess i'll just have to try it out when the time comes. thanks