Hi there,

I hope someone can help me out. I have an odd shaped room in which i want to set up a 5.1 channel home theatre system.

Any suggestions on the best way to set it up? See attached diagram of my layout.

Thanks!

Aly

Wow, tough space.

For the LR speakers, I'd think about something like the Definitive Technology Mythos -- one of the very narrow aluminum-cased speakers. If memory serves, they have one or two models made to be wall mounted. I would use a pair of those mounted on the wing walls to the left and right of the screen. This assumes you can find a wall mount that would allow them to be aimed at the seating positions, which might be a challenge. If you can't find a suitable wall mount, then I would use a pair of Mythos floor standers in the same locations. The center would be a Mythos horizontal wall-mounted speaker, located above or below the screen. (I'm using the DefTech Mythos line as an example -- lots of manufacturers now have similar speakers. The key for this purpose is that they're very slim and have a small "footprint.")

Locations for the surround speakers may be the hardest part, given all the glass. You might be able to put one surround speaker on a stand to the left of the short sofa. Maybe wall-mount the other surround above the long sofa. You'd have to use bipolar surrounds -- you might even investigate Mirage's Omnipolar speakers as surrounds. It could be that putting the surrounds in the ceilings would be just as effective.

Heck, you might even want to consider a sound bar mounted below the TV. It probably wouldn't provide great surround sound, but then I'm not sure you're going to get great surround sound in this space by any means.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice -

unfortunately, I won't be able to wall mount on the wings - the layout isn't 100% accurate - the left wing is actually not even there - there's only about a 4 inch space where the door slides into.

What would you think about putting the front left/right speakers on a stand just below or above the TV...they would be aligned with the TV vertically - which i know isnt the best set up - but wondering if it would still work well...what do you think?

I'm thinking of getting the Denon AVR 789 with the Energy Take Classic 5.1 speaker system - i can't post a link to the speakers yet but you can find them on futureshop.ca audio section.

Thanks again for your help!

If you have a 50" or even 60" flat panel screen, aligning the speakers with the edges of the TV will put them too close together to get much if any stereo separation (unless you're sitting like 4-5 feet from the screen). Still, the Energy speakers would be an improvement over the TV's own speakers, even if the front LCR end up sounding like a single channel.

Are you familiar with sound bars? You really should think about that option. Here's a fairly recent comparison test that will give you a sense of what's available: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/speakers/2756/7-soundbars-simple-to-luxe.html