[simonmason]

I am setting up my family room and have a difficult layout to deal with. I have uploaded a floor plan and a 3D rendering of the room.

The corner couch is against the wall so I am planning to mount the rear channel left, right and center in the ceiling over the couch and use directional tweeters to point down to the couch.

Subwoofer can be wired and placed where the plant is in the floorpan, so I think this is fine.

I am having the cabinet built under the TV so I will make room just beneath the TV for the center channel.

The question is the front speakers. To the left of the TV is a glass sliding door - so no room here. I could put them above and behind the TV? In-wall would mean they are not firing at the sitting position so I could use mounts and use external speakers? I thought of putting the speakers further apart but that would mean mounting the left speaker over the doors - which is very difficult to get the wires too and also would potentially interfere with window treatments.

Any pearls of wisdom? Thanks.

 

[Transmaniacon]

Any chance you can slide the sectional up and put the TV and cabinet on the right wall? This would put you in front of the TV, and give you enough space for a proper sound stage.

If that isn't an option, I would get some ceiling mounts and put three identical speakers even with the TV stand, angled down.

_ _ L _ TV
_ _ _ C _
_ _ _ _ R

Sort of like this.

 

[Lils Roro]

I am setting up my family room and have a difficult layout to deal with. I have uploaded a floor plan and a 3D rendering of the room.

The corner couch is against the wall so I am planning to mount the rear channel left, right and center in the ceiling over the couch and use directional tweeters to point down to the couch.

Subwoofer can be wired and placed where the plant is in the floorpan, so I think this is fine.

I am having the cabinet built under the TV so I will make room just beneath the TV for the center channel.

The question is the front speakers. To the left of the TV is a glass sliding door - so no room here. I could put them above and behind the TV? In-wall would mean they are not firing at the sitting position so I could use mounts and use external speakers? I thought of putting the speakers further apart but that would mean mounting the left speaker over the doors - which is very difficult to get the wires too and also would potentially interfere with window treatments.

Any pearls of wisdom? Thanks.

I would put the L/R speakers in the ceiling only as a last resort. If the TV must be in it's shown position, I'd put the L/R above the TV, or alternatively, I'd use a 5.1 soundbar. Rear speakers are fine in the celing since there is no way to put them behind the viewing position. BTW, I didn't know there was such a thing as a center rear speaker.

 

[simonmason]

Thanks for the ideas. I think the soundbar in the front seems like a great option. I cannot move the couch, and unfortunately doing so wouldn't buy me much as I would have to put the TV at the end of a wall with no place for the right speaker. Center rear I was referring to the rear channel of my 7.1 setup. I may just go with 5.1 and forget the middle speaker.

 

[Lils Roro]

Thanks for the ideas. I think the soundbar in the front seems like a great option. I cannot move the couch, and unfortunately doing so wouldn't buy me much as I would have to put the TV at the end of a wall with no place for the right speaker. Center rear I was referring to the rear channel of my 7.1 setup. I may just go with 5.1 and forget the middle speaker.

I've put front L/R speakers in the ceiling and, unless you sit in the middle of the room where the tweeters are pointed, their impact is minimal. I'd rather have them on the front wall to help out the center speaker, even if the separation isn't ideal.

 

[Transmaniacon]

Thanks for the ideas. I think the soundbar in the front seems like a great option. I cannot move the couch, and unfortunately doing so wouldn't buy me much as I would have to put the TV at the end of a wall with no place for the right speaker. Center rear I was referring to the rear channel of my 7.1 setup. I may just go with 5.1 and forget the middle speaker.

There is no rear center anymore, a 5.1 system adds side surrounds, and a 7.1 adds rear surrounds.

Given the lack of space, a soundbar might be the only viable option. Pioneer makes a decent one, based on the very successful Andrew Jones design.