# Extra rear channels or front high?



## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

I have an Onkyo 818 and I'm in the planning phase for my dedicated HT. I had a simple 7.1 setup in my last place so I'm familiar with how the extra rear channels sound but now that I have a new receiver capable of handling an extra set up front I'm wondering how that would sound. I'll be pre wiring my space for up to an 11.4 setup but for now it'll be 7.2. Just looking to get feedback from others. 

My room will be roughly 14x22x7 with the doorway being the only opening.


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## dougc (Dec 19, 2009)

Me too, same boat. I'm adding mine to front highs. I have heard arguments for heights or wides, but I like the idea of increasing my height in the front since that where the screen is. Mine will be 10' off the floor in the upper front corners and LCR will be a ear height while seated


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Unfortunately I have 7ft ceilings so I don't have the room you do but I'm very curious how 4 mains would sound. I don't have a wide enough room to add a wide setup but going high is intriguing. Are you close to hooking anything up? What kind of speakers do you have?


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

How wide is your room? Mine is 12 feet and what I did is pull the wides along the walls toward the listening position to effectively increase the angle to my ears. Seems to work very well that way.

I run 11.2 and as to the difference between wides, heights, and wides + heights, it all depends on program material. As you know, the wide and height channels are derived from phase info in the sound track. On movies made for it, it can sound fantastic. On TV shows, it is all over the map. Some sound rather good with A-DSX on, some are just plain awful. Be sure you have a way to turn A-DSX on and off on your remote.


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Hmm you have wides with a 12' room eh? My room will be 14' wide but my 135" screen will take up a nice chunk of that so wasn't sure how much room I'd have for a wide setup. I only watch Blu-ray content so cable TV doesn't come into play for me. I'll be exploring all options but you're right, it's gotta be on the source for it to be worthwhile.


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## kingnoob (Mar 12, 2013)

In my room I prefer front heights, depends on your room.


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Yeah I realize this thread is pretty generic seeing as no two people have the exact same room but I just wanted to see what people like and why. I tend to think I'd prefer height over wide but I'm not sure yet.


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## Harro (Oct 14, 2013)

I have a 9.2 going to a 11.3 and had been told it is not so much the dim. of the room but the angles to the MLP that will determine where the speakers are placed. 

My room is 13.3 wide. I moved out my chair from MLP and set up a table with a circular protractor at the MLP, took out my laser level and proceeded to layout the angles for where the speakers should be located. These are the degrees I used and marked with painters tape.

MLP to center =0
" " right front 30
" " left front 30
" " right wide 60
" " left wide 60
" " right high 45 not installed but marked
" " left high 45 not installed but marked
" " right surround 90
" " left surround 90
" " right rear 120
" " left rear 120
All degrees are a +/- 10 degrees depending on room.

I don't know if any of this will help you but from where I sit the wides have made a larger presence for my sound.


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

hockeypucks said:


> Hmm you have wides with a 12' room eh? My room will be 14' wide but my 135" screen will take up a nice chunk of that so wasn't sure how much room I'd have for a wide setup. I only watch Blu-ray content so cable TV doesn't come into play for me. I'll be exploring all options but you're right, it's gotta be on the source for it to be worthwhile.


My room is 14 1/2 feet wide and I have front wide speakers. I found I very distinctly increased the front sound stage. Much more than adding front heights. Like others have said you just move them along the wall closer to the seating and toe them in toward the seating.

Just curious how close are your seats going to be viewing the 135" screen? I sit at 10 feet and have a 100" screen. I can see its probably going to be tight for you just getting the front L & R towers in on that front wall.


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

Harro said:


> I have a 9.2 going to a 11.3 and had been told it is not so much the dim. of the room but the angles to the MLP that will determine where the speakers are placed.
> 
> My room is 13.3 wide. I moved out my chair from MLP and set up a table with a circular protractor at the MLP, took out my laser level and proceeded to layout the angles for where the speakers should be located. These are the degrees I used and marked with painters tape.
> 
> ...


That sounds about right... and like you said +/- 10 degrees depending on room size. I think I am about -5 degrees on my setup.


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Hmm that's extremely interesting and makes sense. How much room is there from the side walls to your speakers? What size screen/TV are you using? Are your wide speakers the same as your mains?


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

hockeypucks said:


> Hmm that's extremely interesting and makes sense. How much room is there from the side walls to your speakers? What size screen/TV are you using? Are your wide speakers the same as your mains?


12-18 inches? / 100" screen / Polk RTi A7 Front, Polk RTi A5 Front Wide

Click my build thread below if you want to see pictures of the setup....Pictures don't include the addition of my two new subs yet.


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Very good thank you. I have Polk monitor 75T for my mains but my screen is a good deal larger so I'm not sure how wide would work but I really like the idea of having the front wall dominated by speakers


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

By the way good job on pre-wiring the room for 11.4. When I had my house built I thought I was thinking ahead and had it wired for 7.0. Boy was I wrong when I got around to setting up my HT 2 years later, and after doing a lot of research and finding this site. It was a real pain wiring it up for the extra 4.4 after the fact.
But it was well worth it when all done and said. :bigsmile:

I would take both your towers and kinda stage one side of the room to see if it will all fit ok....
Front left tower, Front left wide tower. Angle them for optimum audio. See if you have room...........


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Very sound advice (no pun intended ha). I wasn't sure it's a good idea to have speakers too close to the side walls but I may have enough clearance. Yeah pre wiring from the start is so much easier than getting into it later. Speaker wire isn't terribly expensive so I figure why not just get it all done now. Thanks for the advice.


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## dougc (Dec 19, 2009)

hockeypucks said:


> Are you close to hooking anything up? What kind of speakers do you have?


Not even close! I'm building all new speakers. Today the plan is to use a coaxial since it will allow me to make the soffit have a smaller profile and give me a wider sweet spot. I cant do the front wides since they will be in the soffits. I'm using a SEOS12/AE TD12m design for the LCR. This plan subject to change 50 times between now and summer.


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## hockeypucks (Aug 16, 2013)

Ha yeah I know all about plan changes. That's the beauty of this hobby. I like the speaker in the soffit idea, should work nicely for you. Well keep at it and it'll be done before you know it.


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