surround recommendation/placement and sub recommendation/placement

[wizot]

i'm a new forum member and need some guidance for a new HT i'll be setting up in my living room of a new home. i have decided on sierra towers and STC as my front sound stage, but desperately need some help regarding surround and sub. 5.1 HT for 75%, 2.1 music 25%. i have attached a schematic of my room. the overall room dimensions are 13ft x 17.5ft. viewing distance will be about 10 ft. the foyer opens to the upstairs so i did not include cu ft at that opening.

i do not have side walls available, so my 5.1 set up must include rear wall placement (at least 6ft high). available seating will be center and right of center due to my dining room on the immediate left. WAF prevents me from mounting 170s, so please keep recommendations to a smaller footprint.

my initial feeling was to go with a diffuse surround speaker like the axiom qs8. if i could get away with something smaller, like the qs4 or mirage omd-5, all the better. i assume that i will instead be advised to go with the 200se, which i have no problem with, if it is really best for my situation. my two concerns: 1. i want this theater to be enjoyed by 4-6 people, not just a sweet spot. 2. the best seats in the house will be on the couch against the back wall. will direct radiating surround speakers go over our heads?

which speakers and placement do you recommend and why?

next, i've narrowed my subs down to rythmik fv15hp or svs pc12-plus. placement will probably determine which sub i go with. preferably the fv15hp, if location A or C on my schematic would make most sense. if the sub should really be in location B, i think i must go with the svs to still have room for my towers. even then, it may still be less than ideal with sub and left tower being so close together. any and all insight and suggestions are most welcomed.

thank you in advanced for taking the time to read this post and hopefully respond. i have spent hours researching and still feel very unsure of what direction to go in. thanks again!

[davef]

i'm a new forum member and need some guidance for a new HT i'll be setting up in my living room of a new home. i have decided on sierra towers and STC as my front sound stage, but desperately need some help regarding surround and sub. 5.1 HT for 75%, 2.1 music 25%. i have attached a schematic of my room. the overall room dimensions are 13ft x 17.5ft. viewing distance will be about 10 ft. the foyer opens to the upstairs so i did not include cu ft at that opening.

i do not have side walls available, so my 5.1 set up must include rear wall placement (at least 6ft high). available seating will be center and right of center due to my dining room on the immediate left. WAF prevents me from mounting 170s, so please keep recommendations to a smaller footprint.

my initial feeling was to go with a diffuse surround speaker like the axiom qs8. if i could get away with something smaller, like the qs4 or mirage omd-5, all the better. i assume that i will instead be advised to go with the 200se, which i have no problem with, if it is really best for my situation. my two concerns: 1. i want this theater to be enjoyed by 4-6 people, not just a sweet spot. 2. the best seats in the house will be on the couch against the back wall. will direct radiating surround speakers go over our heads?

which speakers and placement do you recommend and why?

next, i've narrowed my subs down to rythmik fv15hp or svs pc12-plus. placement will probably determine which sub i go with. preferably the fv15hp, if location A or C on my schematic would make most sense. if the sub should really be in location B, i think i must go with the svs to still have room for my towers. even then, it may still be less than ideal with sub and left tower being so close together. any and all insight and suggestions are most welcomed.

thank you in advanced for taking the time to read this post and hopefully respond. i have spent hours researching and still feel very unsure of what direction to go in. thanks again!

Hi Wizot,

Great choice for your fronts

Placement of the rear speakers is difficult because they must be on the rear wall and it appears as if your couch is directly against the rear wall.

In this type of installation, the best option is to place the rear speakers on stands to the left and right of the main couch and the speakers should be firing directly towards the couch.

If stands are not an option, I would then recommend mounting our HTM-200SE on the rear wall, 2 feet higher than listening position and to the outside of the couch but the speakers should be mounted so that the drivers are aiming at the listening position (center of the couch) rather than aiming forward. This is very simple to do with a flush mount bracket I can direct you to.

Third option would be to use HTM-200SE mounted horizontally on the rear wall above the couch with the drivers angled downward...

I don't recommend the Axiom QS4/QS8 because the tweeters will be aiming forward and the woofer will be aiming downward, directly at you. There will be a tremendous imbalance in the sound since you will be seated directly underneath the speaker and since high frequencies are extremely directional -- the highs will be going towards the front of the room and all you will hear would be the mids.

next, i've narrowed my subs down to rythmik fv15hp or svs pc12-plus. placement will probably determine which sub i go with. preferably the fv15hp, if location A or C on my schematic would make most sense. if the sub should really be in location B, i think i must go with the svs to still have room for my towers. even then, it may still be less than ideal with sub and left tower being so close together. any and all insight and suggestions are most welcomed.

I strongly recommend going with the Fv15HP and placing it nearfield (next to the couch). This will give you the most impact....

Hope this helps and please feel free to contact me directly