We just redid our basement and I upgraded from a 5.1 to a 7.1 system.

My question is whether my rear channels (not the 2 rear centers, but the 2 rear sides) are misplaced. The contractor installed them in-wall slightly IN FRONT of the seating area. I can shove the sofa forward to get even with the speakers but that creates some issues with TV viewing and room flow. The 2 center rears are well placed. It's not entirely his fault as we didn't really know at the time where the sofa would go.

I think the system sounds great but have read that those two rear channels should be 12-20 degrees behind the listening area. I can have them moved back but it'll mean an argument with the contractor (whom I need to maintain good relations with), a re-drywall to patch the existing holes and some touch-up paint. I'm willing to move them back if those-in-the-know think things are compromised as they currently are.

Thanks in advance.

I am by no means an expert, but from everything I have seen and read, the 2 side channels of a 7.1 setup do need to be even with or slightly behind the listener. If they are in front of the listener, the surround effects might be confused with the front channels.

I would be as nice as possible and ask the contractor to move the side channels back. Even if it means saying it was your fault that you mis-informed him or costing you a little more, it will be well worth it when you get a great movies with killer surround effects.

I would put the side speakers directly to the sides of the couch, a couple of feet above ear level.

The rear speakers should be on the back wall, spaced roughly 60 degrees apart.

See attached diagram.

Good Luck,
Sanjay

Let me add:
The speakers are in-wall and have to be mounted in the ceiling pointing down as I don't have good sidewalls to work with. The rear speakers are well placed.

We moved some furniture around last night while watching Cars followed by the Oscars. The side channels are currently about a foot in front of the sofa. I may be able to move the sofa up a foot to stay even with those speakers but that's about it.

I don't mind spending the cash "to make it right," but I'm really wondering how much I'll gain. Because the speakers are ceiling mounted the sound comes across as multi-directional as opposed to a wall mount speaker firing laterally. During the "wrap-around" scenes in Cars I really didn't get the sense that the sound was coming from in front of me.

I'm going to play around with a few more well-sound discs like LOTR, the Incredibles and some of my DVD-A/SACDs and see what happens.

If we're talking such a small difference, then save your money and simply move the sofa a foot forward to be in-line with the side speakers.

Sanjay