I'm building a 18' longX16' wide HT room.

EDIT: I rounded the above figures off. Actual dimensions are 18/20.5' deep, the rear wall is half 20.5 deep and half 18' deep (has a jog in it). The 18' section is at a 45 degree angle. Width is 15.75' and there is a 9.5' high ceiling.

Our main seating will be 13' from the screen, our seating furniture is high backed so wall mounted rear channel speakers are probably not best, right? I'm thinking that doing ceiling mounted speakers might be better, correct? If so where should they be placed?

I think I recall seeing some setups with two side channel speakers on each side, is this correct? If so should I consider this? If the two speakers per side is desirable would they be wired to a single channel or a dual side channel setup of some sort?

Typically what height is used to mount side speakers?

Would a 7.1 or 7.2 speaker configuration or some other configuration be optimal in this room?

Thanks fo any input.

That's not a very long room. 1 set of side surrounds will be fine, and with that width a set of rears would be good to have, but they are not required.

So, 5.1/5.2/7.1/7.2 are all doable.

Best of luck.

I'm building a 18' longX16' wide HT room.

Thanks fo any input.

First of all, build a false wall (stagger stud) and make the room 17' x 15'. Anytime you have a room length multiple, you greatly increase the chance of resonance frequencies. for example a 8x16x8 (LWH) would be the worst room size you could choose. 17' is a prime, and 15 breaks down to 3x5. So it doesn't have any multiples. (3, 5, 17) The false wall will also help with sound isolation. Even a 17.5 x 15.5 would be better. (.5 multiple is irrelvent as these high pitch sounds rarely bounce off walls.)

For example: A 500Hz signal is about 2.24 feet long. So a room 11.2 x 22.4 would be disasterous.

Main speakers should be no more than 30 degrees apart from each side of the main axis, with midrange at ear level.

THX recommends side surrounds at 1 foot above ear to the left and right, or up to 20 degrees behind each ear.

The rear surrounds at ear level and very close together. (Unless you are using Dolby Digital TrueHD or DTS Master Audio) In that case you space them 30 degrees from the main axis apart.

THX recommends dipole speakers for the sides. This is a personal preference between bi- and dipole. There is much debate about this. I'm noticing people who listen to music like bipole over dipole. While movie nuts usually pick the dipole.

Then there are rule of 1/3rd and 1/5th. Speakers should be placed 1/3 in from the walls. If you can't do that, then try 1/5th in. For example, if your room is 15 feet wide, 15/3 = 5 feet in from each side wall. If that interferes with screen, try 1/5th in. (3 feet from each wall.)

First of all, build a false wall (stagger stud) and make the room 17' x 15'. Anytime you have a room length multiple, you greatly increase the chance of resonance frequencies. for example a 8x16x8 (LWH) would be the worst room size you could choose. 17' is a prime, and 15 breaks down to 3x5. So it doesn't have any multiples. (3, 5, 17) The false wall will also help with sound isolation. Even a 17.5 x 15.5 would be better. (.5 multiple is irrelvent as these high pitch sounds rarely bounce off walls.)

For example: A 500Hz signal is about 2.24 feet long. So a room 11.2 x 22.4 would be disasterous.

Main speakers should be no more than 30 degrees apart from each side of the main axis, with midrange at ear level.

THX recommends side surrounds at 1 foot above ear to the left and right, or up to 20 degrees behind each ear.

The rear surrounds at ear level and very close together. (Unless you are using Dolby Digital TrueHD or DTS Master Audio) In that case you space them 30 degrees from the main axis apart.



Does anyone really do this? The side surrounds 1 foot above the ear and the rear surrounds at ear level? That seems incredibly low.

Does anyone really do this? The side surrounds 1 foot above the ear and the rear surrounds at ear level? That seems incredibly low.

Some do follow placement "suggestions". But most do not and put them at one level above the ear for matter of clearance, astethics, or lack of knowlege I imagine. (I'm judging based on completed home theater setup pictures I've looked at)

The rear surrounds are meant to be more "direct" then the side surrounds in 7 speaker setups. The side surrounds are meant to provide "atmosphere" effects, hence why they are placed above the ears.