# Help me design my 11.2 HT layout - please!



## Blueeyedfrog (Dec 15, 2007)

Hi All,

I'm currently deliberating on getting an acoustically transparent screen. Which layout do you think is best?

Room size is 42 square metres, 7.5m x approx. 5m. It has a sloping ceiling - 2.4m at the lowest point to 3.2 at the highest. Both room openings are not able to be shut - one goes to an ajoining room, the other, a small corridor.

I'm running 11.2 Audyssey configuration. Its a multifunction area - HT, dining & kitchen. I'm in a rental so painting and mounting on walls is not an option (I'm using 3m high stage lighting rig/stands to get everything up). I plan on using the zooming method to get a close to cinemascope/"CIH" experience

Setup One:

























Setup One
Pros
1. Best position for Audyssey heights (highest position). 
2. Good position for Aud. wides

Cons
1. Realistically too close for the AT screen material (at 2.8 metre / 9.3'). No I don't want to go 4k material due to price
2. Max screen width will be 2520mm

Setup Two:


























Setup Two
Pros
1. Allows for a wider screen (3 metres)
2. Won't be able to see screen material (allows 3.3 metre / 11' viewing distance)

Cons
1. Audyssey heights will be much lower than in setup One configuration (~2metre as opposed to 2.5 metre in setup One configuration) and in a more asymmetrical position in terms the sloping ceiling.
2. Sub position is also asymmetrical (but Aud. can correct for this somewhat) - however I could move the sub next to the screen down the "wall" (which is mostly very large glass window/doors)
3. Big hole in the wall adjacent the screen (I can easily black it out but the acoustic hole would remain).

Finally - is it worth "upgrading". I currently have a 100" diagonal non AT screen (2200mm wide) in the Setup One orientation. The only thing that really irks me is the sound not coming from the picture. Black bars top and bottom don't really bother me either. The upgrade would only give me about an extra size of 300mm at minimum (with picture degrade due to sitting too close to the AT material) and 800mm at max if I sit the proper distance from the screen (using setup Two). However, while I will have a larger screen, having to sit further back means that effectively the screen size is reduced and so I'm back to square one again (only I would have sound coming from the screen, which would be a plus - but it would be at the sacrifice of the lowering of the aud. heights and so - a smaller soundstage, which at the moment is nothing short of HUGE).

Thoughts?


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## jim1961 (Apr 8, 2011)

Setup 2

Like you said, pretty close to a very large screen in setup 1. Audio wise, going along the long wall is generally preferred (in basic 2 channel setups anyway).


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## eclipse911t (Jan 8, 2013)

My vote is setup 2. I would also suggest the AT screen. That is a huge plus.

My suggestion is to get the discrete channels (5.1 or 7.1) as correct as possible and be willingly to make small sacrifices for the matrix'd channels.
Symmetrical vs asymmetrical subs may or may not be a bad thing. You'll have to try them to be sure and always experiment with multiple locations.


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## Blueeyedfrog (Dec 15, 2007)

Thanks for your replies

I've just noticed that if I go with setup 2 the listening position will be at the exact halfway point, which according to this article, will produce big bass nulls (http://www.realtraps.com/art_room-setup.htm). Unless, I sit yet further back from the screen (reducing its effective size further). However, I could mount the screen a whopping 1.2 metres from the end of the room - which is possible I suppose - that would also allow both subs to be behind the screen - so I could go bigger than 3m wide - say 3.3m - or right across the end wall (minus the walkthrough) at 3.6m. I hadn't thought of that! That would also put the listening position off to one side which would also be beneficial for the bass - but possibly detrimental for the left Aud. wide. And it would also knock the brightness down from 18fL @ 3m to 12fL @ 3.6m - according to the rated brightness of the projector - which is unlikely to be accurate (sorry for mixing my metric and imperial!).


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Blueeyedfrog said:


> Thanks for your replies
> 
> I've just noticed that if I go with setup 2 the listening position will be at the exact halfway point, which according to this article, will produce big bass nulls (http://www.realtraps.com/art_room-setup.htm). Unless, I sit yet further back from the screen (reducing its effective size further). However, I could mount the screen a whopping 1.2 metres from the end of the room - which is possible I suppose - that would also allow both subs to be behind the screen - so I could go bigger than 3m wide - say 3.3m - or right across the end wall (minus the walkthrough) at 3.6m. I hadn't thought of that! That would also put the listening position off to one side which would also be beneficial for the bass - but possibly detrimental for the left Aud. wide. And it would also knock the brightness down from 18fL @ 3m to 12fL @ 3.6m - according to the rated brightness of the projector - which is unlikely to be accurate (sorry for mixing my metric and imperial!).


It is all about compromise and the struggle to get the best sound is never easy.
You seem to have a handle on the acoustic downfalls which is always a good starting point. :T


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## Blueeyedfrog (Dec 15, 2007)

On further investigation, 2.8m wide (120" scope) is probably the max size screen from my projector (HD33) due to 3D brightness limitations


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

I like Setup 2 for a more uniform location within the walls (in Setup 1, the left side is against the wall, but the right is wide open). You could treat the wall to try to approximate the openness of the other side, but it will still sound different.


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## Blueeyedfrog (Dec 15, 2007)

Owen Bartley said:


> I like Setup 2 for a more uniform location within the walls (in Setup 1, the left side is against the wall, but the right is wide open). You could treat the wall to try to approximate the openness of the other side, but it will still sound different.


Yes, there is a bit of an effect there - but do you think it will be more than the sloped ceiling and reduced heights - plus the hole in the wall walkthrough? I do intend to make about 6-9, 2400mm x 600mm absorbers and some corner traps to scatter around the place as there is no carpet in the room and it suffers from echo. 

I must say, my feeling about the heights is mixed - sometimes/most times I love them and at other times, they seem to attract too much attention - I'm sure it's because they are visible. If I close my eyes the sound stage sounds great but when I open them, the sound seems slightly unnaturally come from the heights.


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