I am trying to purchase a 5.1 system for living room. Problem I am runnin into is I can not mount the surrounds on the side walls. One wall is very short and won't permit it. I don't want to use standing speakers (dogs) What are the best speakers to mount on back walls or do I have any other options like maybe setting speakers on back wall as backs on my receiver. It is a Yamaha RX-V863 7.1 Here is a picture of my living room.

You might want to try placing this question in the Speakers section of this forum. I am sure the people who frequent here would be able to give an opinion but your best answers would probably come from that forum.

Have you considered in-ceiling speakers?

I have not conisdered in ceiling. How would I get the wiring in?

In ceiling speakers sound terrible...

I mounted my side speakers on the rear wall in my living room and they sound fine (nothing like the 7.1 set up in the HT, but fine for a living room). Just put spread them out (basically in the corner) and toe then in toward the listening area.

In ceiling speakers sound terrible...

Ive used in-ceiling speakers for surrounds in the past and had no problem with them, so I completely disagree with this very general comment. There are quite a few nice in-wall and ceilings out there.

Ive used in-ceiling speakers for surrounds in the past and had no problem with them, so I completely disagree with this very general comment. There are quite a few nice in-wall and ceilings out there.

For HT, sure. For music, they're atrocious. Anyone saying different is in denial.

@ OP, are ceiling mounts an option? Omnimount makes 20.0 mounts you can hang from your ceiling and will support most bookshelf speakers out there. You would probably have to fish the speaker wire.

Ive used in-ceiling speakers for surrounds in the past and had no problem with them, so I completely disagree with this very general comment. There are quite a few nice in-wall and ceilings out there.

Big difference between in wall and in ceiling speakers. Having "no problem" with in ceiling speakers doesn't mean they sound great. It's all relative. I use a "high end" speaker setup and compared to excellent speakers, in ceiling speakers sound terrible... I realize that sometimes compromise is necessary, but don't kid yourself about having great sound with a in ceiling setup.

I've also used in-ceiling speakers from Klipsch for surrounds and had no problem. Assuming that not everyone here is a true audiophile, I don't think you have to always go "high end" or "excellent" when venturing into the surround category.

If the room will not allow for on-walls, there are plenty of in-ceiling products that will more than do the job.

Big difference between in wall and in ceiling speakers. Having "no problem" with in ceiling speakers doesn't mean they sound great. It's all relative. I use a "high end" speaker setup and compared to excellent speakers, in ceiling speakers sound terrible... I realize that sometimes compromise is necessary, but don't kid yourself about having great sound with a in ceiling setup.

Triad makes incredible in-wall , in-ceiling speakers and you would be wrong to generalize like you are. Also in-ceilings for surround do very well so you are also wrong about your subjective in-ceiling speakers post too. You can not prove it otherwise either because AGAIN its all subjective.

The OP has posted an EXACT problem and has also posted what he can not have. Does your post help AT ALL, NO!! So why do you post in this thread at all, I doubt you have even experienced a good in-wall or in-ceiling system ever so again you have no idea what is possible. Sorry for the rant but stupid arguements on 100% subjective stuff is completely annoying and doesnt help the OP at all!!

For HT, sure. For music, they're atrocious. Anyone saying different is in denial.

Again guys, you are wrong because its all just subjective. Maybe not for you but they do exists and they do sound very good.

You don't have to be an audiophile nor is it subjective to state that in-ceiling speakers test horribly for music applications.

Once again, denial doesn't change the fact that all half-way serious 5.1 implementations where music is even a minor concern shun in-ceiling speakers.

You can choose to ignore the overwhelming preponderance of advice, opinion and test data and buy in-ceiling speakers regardless.

It's a free country.

Triad makes incredible in-wall , in-ceiling speakers and you would be wrong to generalize like you are. Also in-ceilings for surround do very well so you are also wrong about your subjective in-ceiling speakers post too. You can not prove it otherwise either because AGAIN its all subjective.

The OP has posted an EXACT problem and has also posted what he can not have. Does your post help AT ALL, NO!! So why do you post in this thread at all, I doubt you have even experienced a good in-wall or in-ceiling system ever so again you have no idea what is possible. Sorry for the rant but stupid arguements on 100% subjective stuff is completely annoying and doesnt help the OP at all!!

Hilarious! Thanks, for the amusing rant. I'm a very experienced audiophile, so my idea of good sound may be different than yours. One of my best friends has Triad in ceiling speakers in his dedicated acoustically treated home theater. Do they sound bad? no. Do they sound as good as my expensive wall mounted surround speakers? according to my friend, not even close. Again, it's all relative. Tell me how wrong I am again..

This thread needs to be Loganed :)

I agree with Porsche, To a degree. There are some really awful ceiling and in wall for that matter speakers out there. there are also some decent ones, and they can sound good,
HOWEVER even the best in ceiling will never sound as good in a given room as equally good, or even some less good wall mount or peddestal mount speakers,

Ceiling speakers are a compromise at best and all compromises have their faults.
Sometimes in a given room you have no choice but don't kid yourself they will sound as good.

HOWEVER even the best in ceiling will never sound as good in a given room as equally good, or even some less good wall mount or peddestal mount speakers,

Ceiling speakers are a compromise at best and all compromises have their faults.
Sometimes in a given room you have no choice but don't kid yourself they will sound as good.

I disagree once again, you guys havent experience full arrays of speakers on walls or even Triads if you are posting that you think this is true. You do not need a box to create a great speaker sound the best and flat FR plots can be created with great crossovers/EQing.

Its all about the science and having a box doesnt mean its better. That is why IB sub systems can product lower SPLs and better SQ then box subs. You can design the same things for other speaker ranges.

More or less if you havent built this stuff and dont know FR plots, etc your opinion on in-ceiling speakers sucking doesnt hold water.


Hilarious! Thanks, for the amusing rant. I'm a very experienced audiophile, so my idea of good sound may be different than yours. One of my best friends has Triad in ceiling speakers in his dedicated acoustically treated home theater. Do they sound bad? no. Do they sound as good as my expensive wall mounted surround speakers? according to my friend, not even close. Again, it's all relative. Tell me how wrong I am again..

You are wrong only because its all subjective and you post something simply subjective,ZERO since just your opinion. You brag about being an audiophile and you know what is better (PLEASE!!! and who cares) and you post that you have expensive blah, blah, blah (who cares again, you are a nobody and your opinion means as much as what? ).


BTW, this is a DEDICATED THEATER design forum so arguing this subjective BS is stupid to start with. You guys dont EVEN KNOW if the OP cares about music. 5.1 is for theater majority of the time, the guy bought a lower end yahama receiver (its still a nice product). They guy probably wants surrounds and in-ceilings and in-walls are PERFECTLY FINE for that purpose and they are FINE FOR music too.....

Luckily I suspect the OP isnt like the guy who has expensive equipment, wants to announce he is an audiophile and he thinks Triads are just not up to his standards......we feel sorry for that guy!!

You can choose to ignore the overwhelming preponderance of advice, opinion and test data and buy in-ceiling speakers regardless.



advice from nobody posters online? who have no scientific backing....no thanks I will stick to the sceince and know how speakers are built, understand BSC and how to create an incredibly flat FR plot!

Your advice is useless if you dont post some data and real facts! your opinion on how something sounds means nothing to anyone else in the world. Its only you that it matters too....I guess you guys too are full of yourselves to think that what you hear is the samething anyone else will hear....geesh! :eek:

Just so we are clear here, the OP did not mention whether his main concern is HT or Music or what. He asked about speaker placement and what he could do in his room.

You seem to be making assumptions about other people and what they know or don't know, what systems they have heard and under what circumstances and so forth.

Yes you can post scientific facts and graphs guys do it here all the time and mostly they do it in threads to contradict each other.

You are also right about those of us on the forum posting our opinions, on a forum opinion are valid responses.
Your's seems to differ from mine and some others, that is fine you say who cares about our opinions? I don't know some people have. Who cares about your's any more than anyone else's?

I agree you don't necessarily need a box, however for my money positioning does matter and the ceiling is not the positioning of choice.

Perhaps the OP should have pm'ed you directly since you seem to have the only answer.

I think that you guys are actually closer to agreeing then you are disagreeing. I think McCall just alluded to the difference - speaker location. Put a speaker where the sound will be localized in the wrong place, and what sort of speaker you are using (in-wall/ceiling or wall mounted) won't make a lick of difference. The rest of the audiophile stuff is just a smoke screen hiding the core issue. Lot's of dander getting unnecessarily ruffled. Collectively we better than that.

"Perhaps the OP should have pm'ed you directly since you seem to have the only answer." LOL, penngray calls us "nobody posters". Now I can tell him that he is WRONG. We are all somebody, and our opinions are at least as valid as his. As McCall correctly pointed out, Triads may be fine speakers, but the ceiling will never be a ideal location for any speaker. "Luckily I suspect the OP isnt like the guy who has expensive equipment, wants to announce he is an audiophile and he thinks Triads are just not up to his standards......we feel sorry for that guy!!" Personal insults will be reported, penngray. Wise up.

I'm done with this thread.