I was hoping to get some input regarding installing LCR speakers (tweeters) at ear level vs. 2/3'rds from bottom of the screen.

Please forgive me if there is already a thread with this information. I did try a few different searches but could not pinpoint any specific to this question. If there is, please kindly point me in the right direction.

Are you using a front projector/screen or a RPTV/Flat Panel TV? What is your screen size and height? What is your seating height? How many rows of seats do you have? What speakers do you have? If you are using a FP/screen, is your screen "acoustically transparent"? Will you be using a Center Channel? Will the CC go behind, above or below the screen? Will the L/R's be behind the screen, or to the L & R of the screen?

A little more info would be helpful.

Craig

The front projection screen is 54x96/110 16:9 AT screen. Three identical truAudio HT-66A LCR's will be placed inline vertically behind the screen. The screen wall is close to 8ft tall. The bottom of the screen may be at 32". I was guessing the average front row viewers ears would be somewhere between 36" and 48" and the back row 8" to 10" above that (2 rows). So if I were to put the tweeters 2/3's up they would be somewhere around 68".

I would put the tweeters inline with the average height of all listener's ears. That way the vertical angle deviation would be a good compromise (least amount) for all members. Hopefully you can keep everyone within +/- 10 degrees or less of the tweeter's "firing" axis.

Of course, you have to take into account the specifications of your tweeter. If you know that your tweeters are crappy above the tweeter plane, great in-plane, great below the tweeter plane, then you want to adjust it so that all listeners are within the good-dispersion region of your specific tweeters. (for example)

For instance, to my ears, my speakers highs "suck" after 5 degrees above the tweeter axis, but are good below that until 10 degrees below tweeter axis, so this would be my "listening zone".

Mine are positioned with tweeters 2/3 up my screen but then my screen is a 2.35:1 and positioned so that for my second row that is just below ear level, just above for front row.

On this screen it works very very well

I sit in the "sweet spot" and that is where I focus the speakers. If the sweet spot is second row, center, I would set the tweeters at the height of the second row ear level. I would also toe-in the L/R speakers to aim at the second row, center spot. In a small room, it is very difficult to satisfy imaging requirements for more than one seat. Whenever you move out of the sweet spot, you move closer to one speaker and further away from another. This pulls the imaging towards the closer speaker.

I optimize the one best seat, then I sit there whenever I am listening/watching. If I'm watching with my wife, we sit close together. :) When I have guest(s) over, I allow them the sweet spot. Mostly when we have guest(s) it's for football or other sports where "imaging" is less important than the video action.

Good luck with your theater. I sounds like it will be very nice. (Just one hint: don't place the speakers in-line vertically; you want them in-line horizontally.) :)
Three identical truAudio HT-66A LCR's will be placed inline vertically behind the screen.
Craig

Since I am in the pre-drywall phase of construction the dealer from which I bought the speakers recommended that the back boxes be installed. They are designed to fit vertically between 16oc studs. I just didn't think to frame them in horizontally. So I can better understand, why horizontal vs. vertical? My apologies for these questions. As you probably already summized, I know absolutely nothing about speakers.

Thank you for the replies! I very much appreciate the help!

In-line vertically would be three speakers stacked on top of each other. I take it you meant the speakers would be "oriented" vertically, and of course, that is appropriate if that is how they are designed.

If you are using in-walls, then the back-boxes are an excellent idea.

Craig

lol, I can't even get the terminology right. good tip!

Based on the manufacturer's documentation it appears as though these speakers are designed to be oriented either vertically or horizontally. What is the best orientation in that type of situation? Is it better to have them all vertical, horizontal, or LR/Vertical and C horizontal? Should you keep them a certain distance apart from each other or just follow the 45 degree rule? Again, the back boxes are designed to fit vertically more easily. However I am willing to put in the work to frame them in horizonatlly if there is a positive impact on sound.

Position them vertically with the tweeters as close to ear level as possible.

BTW, TruAudio is good stuff and a great value, and the people are wonderful.

All vertically oriented. The dispersion pattern of a D'Appolito Array is best for HT when oriented vertically and the speaker is at ear level. With a horizontal arrangement, any movement away from the sweet spot puts you in an area were the lobing of the dispersion patterns of the two midrange drivers causes an effect called "comb filtering". The interaction of the waves from the two midranges causes reinforcement of some frequencies and cancelation of other frequencies. The resultant frequency response, when graphed, looks like the tooths of a comb, with multiple peaks and troughs.

With a horizontal orientation of D'Apollito arrays, if you stay exactly in the "sweet spot", and don't move left or right, these effects are minimized. Outside the sweet spot, they are more likely to occur, and they affect imaging and sound quality. With a vertical orientation, the sweet spot is vertically oriented. IOW, if you move up or down from the middle of the speaker, you move into the lobing pattern.

If you intend to use these speakers, I would definitely recommend you mount them vertically at the ear level of the primary sweet spot. Then, focus your speakers on the sweet spot and sit there whenever you want to seriously listen to your system. The tweeters are aimable, so they can be "toe'd-in" to a certain extent.

Good luck.

Craig