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How are peopledoing their speakers in Constant Height set-ups?

2732 Views 47 Replies 15 Participants Last post by miltimj, May 29, 2006

Video

Discussion Starter · May 12, 2006

My plan was to have an AT screen 10' wide with all three front speakers behind the screen. With this set-up I most likely will have to move the speakers closer together because I will be using drapery to mask the screen for 16x9 material.

My overal width of the room is 13'

My dilemma is this, should I put all three speakers closer together so that they fit in the 8' area for 16x9

-or-

Can I put them outside the edges of the screen in a false wall in front of the drapes on each side? This would place the side speakers about a foot in on each side.

Which is the better of these two options?

Thanks

Matt

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1 - 20 of 48 Posts

CAVX

· #2 · May 13, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Video
My plan was to have an AT screen 10' wide with all three front speakers behind the screen. With this set-up I most likely will have to move the speakers closer together because I will be using drapery to mask the screen for 16x9 material.

My overal width of the room is 13'

My dilemma is this, should I put all three speakers closer together so that they fit in the 8' area for 16x9...

Real cinemas do just that, place their L and R speakers just inside the limits of the 1.85:1 frame so that the side masking curtains do not block the sound. But a real cinema is also about 60 to 80 feet wide, so is OK. In the home it is said that good imaging for stereo is between 6 and 8 feet, so this might still work for you. My L and R speakers are 8 feet apart, and they image very well at that distance...

Mark

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Dan Hitchman

· #3 · May 13, 2006

I've heard of acoustically "transparent" black masking material... what material the pro companies like Stewart are using I have no idea. Perhaps GOM type stuff stretched on a bar on a track?? The front L/R speakers can then fire through the screen and the masking for 1.33:1/1.78:1/1.85:1 material.

Dan

marcusm750

· #4 · May 13, 2006

Actually, in real theaters the screens are perforated and the left, center and right loudspeakers are positioned behind. At something like 400 perfs per square inch the screen becomes acoustically transparent. THX even has specs on this.

Screens for home use can also be bought perfed in much the same way.

CAVX

· #5 · May 13, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcusm750
Actually, in real theaters the screens are perforated and the left, center and right loudspeakers are positioned behind. At something like 400 perfs per square inch the screen becomes acoustically transparent. THX even has specs on this.

Screens for home use can also be bought perfed in much the same way.

Yes they are, but as I said, placed at the 1.85:1 edges, not the 2.35:1 edges...

Mark

ScottJ0007

· #6 · May 14, 2006

Matt,

Good question. I'm planning on a front false wall with an AT 2.35 screen and have wondered the same thing. My room is 17' wide and I will have a 9 1/2' wide constant height screen with first row seating 12' from the screen. Where do the speakers go when you use masking for 4:3, 16:9, etc...

If they are place outside the screen, it seems like they are too far apart. If they are placed inside the 4:3 area of the screen they are too close together. Using acoustically transparent masking like GOM might be an option, but I had hoped on using deep black velour rather than black GOM because the velour really soaks up the light. I don't think velour is acoustically transparent.

I'm a bit perplexed on what to do as well.

I hope you get some more responses to your question....

- Scott

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cpc

· #7 · May 14, 2006

Constant height or not, my speakers will remain underneath the screen (below the screen meaning fully visible). My speakers are places just below the left and right edges of the screen. When I go constant height, they will stay put and the screen will remain above. This limits my screen size, but for now, its ok.

Video

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 14, 2006

Thanks, but I was asking about acoustically tranparent screens and constant height set-ups. Also, looking for people that have a completed theater and experience with how it performs.

Thanks

MATT

cpc

· #9 · May 14, 2006

Mancubus here on AVS has a perf screen and speakers behind it. PM him. I would think its safe to say he is happy with his setup, and maybe he can fill you in on the details.

Staged

· #10 · May 14, 2006

I use the latter of your scenarios.

In fact this was my speaker positioning prior to going CH.

It was where it sounded best independant of the screen.

GetGray

· #11 · May 15, 2006

Staged:

What size is your screen/front room dimension? I'm in a similar boat and the best response I got was from D. Erskine who said using my existing full range speakers anywhere near a room boundary would be problematic at best.

. I have some B&W 804's and a screen height of 24". They aren't even going to fit under that.

cubedude

· #12 · May 15, 2006

Does anyone here have bookshelves below the screen? I'm thinking about doing 3 identical L/C/Rs and putting them under the screen and tilting them upward towards the listener a bit.

Video

Discussion Starter · #13 · May 15, 2006

My room is limited width, only 13' wide. I am using M&K S-150THX speakers for LCR so they are not full range. Subs will do all the low end.

If I go outside the screen, I will end up less than a foot from the side walls. If I keep them inside the screen, then I will end up about 7 1/2 feet apart when masked for 16x9. I don't forsee ever masking to 4x3 - I would rather stretch the image like my Mits rear projection does.

CAVX

· #14 · May 16, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubedude
Does anyone here have bookshelves below the screen? I'm thinking about doing 3 identical L/C/Rs and putting them under the screen and tilting them upward towards the listener a bit.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2.../JangoFett.jpg

This is my set up and it seems to work quite well from both rows...

Mark

Video

Discussion Starter · #15 · May 16, 2006

CAVX, what kind of speakers are those? THey look kind of like M&K S-150s just like the ones I plan to use but my tweeter surrounds are more square.

Matt

Staged

· #16 · May 16, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by GetGray
Staged:

What size is your screen/front room dimension? I'm in a similar boat and the best response I got was from D. Erskine who said using my existing full range speakers anywhere near a room boundary would be problematic at best.

. I have some B&W 804's and a screen height of 24". They aren't even going to fit under that.

120" wide screen (plus frame)

11' 7" wide screen wall

The whole false wall area is fully treated w/Bass traps and absorbing panels.

I x-over my Studio 100s @ 60hz currently (going to change that to 80hz). I think he just doesn't want you to run full range speakers in full range mode near the bounderies more than the fact of not using them. That's my interpretation anyway, I would ask him to clarify to be sure.

The Danley SH100s @ 20.5" square fit under the screen. I'm thinking about going w/those unless I keep my AT screen.

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cubedude

· #17 · May 17, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAVX
This is my set up and it seems to work quite well from both rows...

Mark

Thanks. Do you find that having the center right below the screen doesn't mess with the dialog too much? Do voices still sound like the come from the screen?

I'd love to do an AT screen, but my room is only 17' long, so I don't think I'll be able to move the screen in enough to put speakers behind it.

CAVX

· #18 · May 17, 2006

I did this based kind of on the science of human hearing. Generally people are more sensitive to horizontal mis-alignment than vertical. Yes I can hear that the sound is below the screen from the front row. But from the back row (where the photo was taken) the sound is not so obvious.

I have had many visitors over and not one has asked about the sound system or made comments about the vertical mis-match... I am actually more concerned with the fact that my speakers are too far out for 1.78:1 and 1.33:1 program...

Mark

CAVX

· #19 · May 17, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Video
CAVX, what kind of speakers are those? THey look kind of like M&K S-150s just like the ones I plan to use but my tweeter surrounds are more square.

Matt

There custom built using the 3 x VIFA XT super tweeters and 2 x P17 woofers...

Mark

CINERAMAX

· #20 · May 17, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubedude
Does anyone here have bookshelves below the screen? I'm thinking about doing 3 identical L/C/Rs and putting them under the screen and tilting them upward towards the listener a bit.

Don't pay toomuch attention to Deniss (much theory but little practice on alternative methods due to lack of chutspah to try new things).

I can attest to 3 center channels under the screen imaging well into the upper 2/3

of the screen, and even higher with the seats reclined.

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