Have a situation with the living room that prevents easy method of setting up 7.1 system.

Room setup:
A) The living room opens up with the back to the kitchen - Rear Surround would be at least 40feet from the TV.
B) Left wall ENDS about 2 feet in front of the couch, leaving awkward setup for the Side Surrounds - Can't aim directly across the listening position.
C) Ceiling is about 14' up.
Bonus:
Surrounds needs to be in-wall for WAF :(

Now, I could get around problem B by moving the couch up a bit and use Audyssey to correct the positioning.

Problem really comes to the Rear surrounds, it just feels too far back to sound right.

So the logical thinking is the idea of using ceiling speakers for rear paired with in-walls for sides.

Anyone came across such awkward setup?

I've yet to make up the brands of the surrounds, so I'm also open to suggestions on that. Like to know if there's anything I must look for.

TIA

A couple of things.

1) You don't HAVE to do 7.1. A properly setup 5.1 is more than enough. Even with Blu-Ray, true 7.1 still hasn't taken off. Usually the rear surround channels are matrixed in. There are a lot of people who tried 7.1 and went back to 5.1

2) you could do in ceiling for the rear surrounds. They do have some that are angled so you could aim them at your couch.

3) I would move your couch up so the sides are 90 degrees to 110 degrees behind you. sounds like 90 would be asking a lot. Not a big deal they need to be in walls.

4) What Brand is your front 3 speakers? "I" would try to match the surrounds to them, but I do listen/watch to a lot of Blu-Ray concerts where it is more important. Maybe tell us your budget so we can help you with in walls (by we I mean other members, not my area at all)

5) Pictures?

Good Luck!

Rear Surround would be at least 40feet from the TV.How far would the rear speakers be from the listening position?

A couple of things.

2) you could do in ceiling for the rear surrounds. They do have some that are angled so you could aim them at your couch.

4) What Brand is your front 3 speakers? "I" would try to match the surrounds to them, but I do listen/watch to a lot of Blu-Ray concerts where it is more important. Maybe tell us your budget so we can help you with in walls (by we I mean other members, not my area at all)

Good Luck!
Thanks mbrynes, know any in-ceiling ispeakers that can be aimed?

Have Hsu speakers for the fronts, but they don't have in-walls so I'm looking at other brands. Budgeted to go with Hsu of course. $5~600 for the 4 surrounds?

How far would the rear speakers be from the listening position?
roughly 20'~25'

Actually, should I use dipole speakers for the sides?

roughly 20'~25'That's not too far behind. I would get another pair of Hsu bookshelves and spread them wide apart on the back wall. Actually, should I use dipole speakers for the sides?Depends: how wide is the room?

That's not too far behind. I would get another pair of Hsu bookshelves and spread them wide apart on the back wall. Depends: how wide is the room?

I'd say 15'.

I'd say 15'.Dipole surrounds work by using two sets of drivers (one forward firing, one rearward firing) wired out of phase. This creates a null (quiet zone) directly to the sides of the speaker. Placing the speakers directly to the sides of the listeners puts them (the listeners) in the speakers' nulls. The listeners hear very little direct sound from the speaker and are instead enveloped by reflected sound from nearby walls.

If your room was narrow and the listener on either end of the couch was a couple of feet away from the side speakers, then you might need to resort to dipoles so that those listeners aren't distracted by a direct firing speaker right next to them. But with your room being 15' wide, monopoles will work fine (unless your couch is 13' wide).

Since you're going to use in-walls, I would put the left side speaker as far back as possible on the left side wall, and the right speaker directly across for symmetry, with both speakers mounted about 2-3 feet above ear level. Move your couch forward as best you can to be in line with the side speakers. Even if the side speakers end up slightly forward of the couch, it will sound better than in-ceiling speakers 14' up.

The rear speakers can go on the back wall, spread as wide apart as possible (the full 15' width would be best). Our human hearing is not so good behind us, so you don't have to place the rears at the same height as the sides. If you end up going with in-ceiling rears, again, spread them as wide apart as you can. This will help make it easier to hear stereo separation behind you.

Thanks Sanjay, I'll take careful consideration with the rear speakers.