[daxhughes]

I currently run a 5.1 system with B&W 800's and an SVS PB ULTRA 13

sub. I want to go to 7.1 as I am changing my room to a dedicated theater room. I just purchased a JVC RS60u projector and am running my speakers on separates with the Onkyo PRSC 5508 pre/pro and NAD T975 amp (7 channels). My room has acoustic shields in all reflection points.


With that said I have a few questions:


1) Can I go with a different brand than B&W's for the rears. I was looking at the paradigm or polk rears? Can you mix these two brands and be ok?


2) I am ten feet away from the back of my room. It is an enclosed room so no open area. Just fairly long room. Should I go with in ceiling rears? My ceiling is right at 8'. If I put them on the back wall they seem very far away from listening position. I was thinking about going with Polk Audio RTS100's. These are fairly expensive in ceilings and actually THX Ultra certified.


3) Is there another option of setting them up just like the rears I ahve in my 5.1 setup. They are a few inches behind my head on each side wall pointing towards each other. Would I simply move down say three or four feet and put them on the side walls facing each other? . I am not sure how that sound would hit me as it is not pointed toward my listening position and they would be several feet behind me.


Would love some advice. Thanks for the help!


Dax

 

[daxhughes]

I forgot to mention my current rears are tripoles. The B&W Ds3's.

 

[sdurani]

I would place your current surround speakers directly to the sides of the listening area and place the rear speakers on the back wall, roughly 60 degrees (12 feet) apart. Don't worry about the back wall being 10 feet from the listening position, since you'll be compensating during initial calibration by setting speaker levels and distances/delays.


As for speakers, I would recommend staying with the B&W line. Just find the smallest, least expensive 800 series model for the rear speakers. This way, when sounds pan from side to rear, they remain somewhat consistent.

 

[daxhughes]

Thanks sanjay. I have that new audessy that comes with the Onkyo so it should be able to do this nicely.

 

[daxhughes]

Actually, just looked at my back wall and realize with the door position and the AV closet cannot put these speakers but four feet apart in back. I think the back wall is out.


Sanjay mentioned my current speakers being directly to the side of the listening position. What about going five feet back and putting two more speakers facing each other on the side walls. They would not be facing the listening position this way though.

 

[Roger Dressler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daxhughes 1) Can I go with a different brand than B&W's for the rears. I was looking at the paradigm or polk rears? Can you mix these two brands and be ok?

Yes. I mixed B&Ws with Aerials and they have different voicing, but the EQ will take care of that.

Quote:

2) I am ten feet away from the back of my room. It is an enclosed room so no open area. Just fairly long room. Should I go with in ceiling rears? My ceiling is right at 8'. If I put them on the back wall they seem very far away from listening position. I was thinking about going with Polk Audio RTS100's. These are fairly expensive in ceilings and actually THX Ultra certified.

I would not use ceiling speakers.

Quote:

3) Is there another option of setting them up just like the rears I ahve in my 5.1 setup. They are a few inches behind my head on each side wall pointing towards each other. Would I simply move down say three or four feet and put them on the side walls facing each other? I am not sure how that sound would hit me as it is not pointed toward my listening position and they would be several feet behind me.

If you mounted these on the side walls, several feet back, maybe close to the back wall (would be best to look at the room diagram), the angled surfaces would aim toward the listeners. I'd also move the sides forward as Sanjay mentioned, so they are even with the front row.

 

[sdurani]

If you can't place the rear speakers on the back wall, then do as Roger says and mount them on the side walls, but close to the back wall. With one pair of surrounds at your sides taking care of lateral imaging, you want the other pair to solidly anchor sounds behind you. Since you have 10 feet of side wall going back from your seating position, take advantage of all that distance. See attached diagram.


BTW, how wide is your room?