# My Living Room



## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi

This is my next round of changes.

Ive finally completed my Klipsch Reference speaker set and they tie nicely with my SVS SB13 Ultra. 

Im really happy with how the system sounds overall even though my room shape isn't ideal. 

My stand out piece would have to be the SVS SB13 Ultra, its just an amazing piece of kit, highly recommend to anyone looking

This has been a great forum in helping build my system. Thanks to all that have helped along the way

*My gear*
Sony 40" V5500
Onkyo TXSR706 THX Select 2 AVR
Pioneer BDP-150 Bluray SACD player
Xbox 360
Apple TV Gen 3
WDTV
Tivo HD320

*My Speakers*
Klipsch Reference RF35 Floor Standers
Klipsch Reference RC62II Centre
Klipsch Reference RS52 Rears
SVS SB13-Ultra














































Here is my room layout below.
Distance from screen to middle of couch is 4.5m or 14.7 feet


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

I have been a huge Klipsch fan for over 40 years. Congrats on your setup. I am sure you will enjoy it for many years to come!


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

Looks great!! Your pics are really nice enjoy your room!


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## dougc (Dec 19, 2009)

It looks great Ken


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

I agree with everybody who has posted so far. The room looks great and comfy. I am sure you will get many years of enjoyment. Good job on the room!


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## mechman (Feb 8, 2007)

Nice setup Ken! :T


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Very Nice! :T My only comment is that the dipole surrounds should not be in the corners..They need clear space along a wall to be truly effective..


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

have you ever tried the surrounds so their back forms a triangle to the corner?


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks everyone, im really enjoying the system


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Prof. said:


> Very Nice! :T My only comment is that the dipole surrounds should not be in the corners..They need clear space along a wall to be truly effective..


Thank you

Unfortuantely i have no room. Our couch sits along the back wall and moving the surround foward would put the speaker in front of me. 

I dont want to push my wife to far by making holes in the walls to mount them from either. :innocent:


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Andre said:


> have you ever tried the surrounds so their back forms a triangle to the corner?


No i havent actually
I was thinking of putting the back flush against the back wall rather than sides but i didnt think of creating a triangle

This is a pic of why the back is so tight


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## tcarcio (Jun 27, 2007)

I agree with mounting them in a triangle config. It would allow the speakers to work more as intended. But if they sound better to you the way you have them then that is what counts.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Give it a shot, and run Audessey again for the new configuration. Probably take 20mins...


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

looks great! just a suggestion and not to offend but by moving the center out to the lip of the stand might make a difference in the sound of the center for the better by not having sound reflecting off the glass.


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

thanks everyone. 

Im trying the surround adjustment now. They stick out quite a bit and my significant other is not too pleased. 

Ive re run audessy and will try a couple of movies over the week and see if they make enough sound difference to try to twist my wives arm


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

mark62 said:


> looks great! just a suggestion and not to offend but by moving the center out to the lip of the stand might make a difference in the sound of the center for the better by not having sound reflecting off the glass.


thanks

giving it a try now. thanks


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## GusGus748s (Jul 22, 2013)

Looks great. The pictures look like if they were taken for a magazine!


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Wow...I remember commenting in your old thread about your setup because I had mentioned I had a similar setup as you with floorstanding mains (Polks) and in-ceiling surrounds...we had talked about your TV and your Onkyo...I didn't know you upgraded since then!

What were you running prior to the Klipsch speakers? Your setup still looks great and uber-clean; I simply LOVE right-to-the-point living room setups like this with carefully picked (though not stratospheric) gear and pieces everyone could "relate" to...

How is your Sony doing after all this time? Still enjoying it? How far did you say you sat from it again -- 14 or some feet (U.S.) or was I mistaken?


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Also Ken -- didn't you have in-ceiling surrounds before these di poles, or am I confusing you with another member from New Zealand? :dontknow:


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Oh, and yes -- one last thing: I agree with everyone else's suggestions regarding getting that center channel pulled out a bit so it's more "flush" with the soundstage edge of the main towers. This will, as someone else mentioned, cut down on any reflections coming off the glass of the stand, etc., as well as contribute to better dialog cohesiveness and intelligibility...:T


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

GusGus748s said:


> Looks great. The pictures look like if they were taken for a magazine!


Thank you. My wife is a photographer and I borrowed her camera and some of her nice lenses to take a few proper shots. The shots look better than the ones I take from my iphone. 

Cheers

Sent from my iPhone using HTShack


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Osage_Winter said:


> Wow...I remember commenting in your old thread about your setup because I had mentioned


Thanks very much. 

It's taken 5 years to build this up. 

I've had to keep it as tidy as possible to keep my wife happy. She has been very understanding considering how much bigger my speakers are now vs what I started with. She isn't too pleased about the sub either but she lets me keep it where it is as it just sound great in that location. 

I originally had klipsch synergy before the reference series now. I really like the klipsch speakers and they are great value and also look cool too. 

I do still have my in ceiling rears but they aren't hooked up now. I have considered hooking them up as surround backs but haven't got around to testing it. 

The old sony is doing ok. My next change will be a bigger and better tv. Unfortunately with the size of my fronts I don't have much wall left. So i will have to think about this one. 

I have a 40" and sit about 5 metres from it which I think is around 15 feet. Sorry nz we use metric so I'm not so good on imperial.

Cheers and thanks for the kind words.

Sent from my iPhone using HTShack


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

kenmck15 said:


> Thanks very much.
> 
> It's taken 5 years to build this up.
> 
> ...


I remember you had the in-ceiling rears...:T 



> The old sony is doing ok. My next change will be a bigger and better tv. Unfortunately with the size of my fronts I don't have much wall left. So i will have to think about this one.


I know exactly what you mean -- we're running a 50" Sony but are constrained because of a wall unit it is sitting in...

I remember, though, talking to you about the fact that you wanted to move up to like a 55 inch...



> I have a 40" and sit about 5 metres from it which I think is around 15 feet. Sorry nz we use metric so I'm not so good on imperial.


I understand about the metrics conversion -- but wow...15 feet with a 40-inch panel? Do you find your films in any way "immersive" at that distance? I only ask because many people say we're way too far with a 50" at 12 feet, though from what I have read and understand we're actually in the range of an "acceptable" distance (though at the very extreme of it)...:rolleyesno:


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

Osage_Winter said:


> I remember you had the in-ceiling rears...:T
> 
> 
> 
> ...


i sit 7' from a 60", perfect!


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

mark62 said:


> i sit 7' from a 60", perfect!


Oh how I wish...:crying:

Don't forget though -- everyone's perception on this subject is different and everyone's room is a factor...in other words, you may feel comfortable at seven feet from your 60 inch set, but that may be WAAAAAY too big and in-the-face for someone that gets headaches at that distance, etc; these are the people that would sit further away from the screen in a commercial theater...

Also, many people don't want the TV or display as the main focus of their living room, if that's where it's situated -- while I'd love that prototype 110 inch Panasonic plasma in my living room, it would just dominate too much...

But don't you think Ken's seating distance is a _bit_ too extreme in that it's 15 feet from a 40 inch?


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## rdcollns (Oct 13, 2013)

You could place a couch height table between the couch and the wall to give you a place to put your remotes, drinks, sculpture... and then you have a little more distance from your head to the back wall, and your significant other might appreciate the table?


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## mark62 (Nov 5, 2013)

Osage_Winter said:


> Oh how I wish...:crying:
> 
> Don't forget though -- everyone's perception on this subject is different and everyone's room is a factor...in other words, you may feel comfortable at seven feet from your 60 inch set, but that may be WAAAAAY too big and in-the-face for someone that gets headaches at that distance, etc; these are the people that would sit further away from the screen in a commercial theater...
> 
> ...


off topic-- but i have a LED-LCD and never again, i have always been a plasma guy but when i was looking in that model year all the plasma brands had defects, issues or problems. so i tried a LED.

i actually had 8 displays returned to amazon... :hissyfit: so by the 9th i lust gave up. the main issue i have with the LED is clouding, several lighter blobs on a black image.


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## joed (Jul 30, 2013)

the more I research the more I like the klipsch speakers. Does it fill that room with amazing sound?

Joe


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Ken,

Can you also confirm for us that you are in fact nearly 15 U.S. feet from a 40-inch display?


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

joed said:


> the more I research the more I like the klipsch speakers. Does it fill that room with amazing sound?
> 
> Joe


Hi Joe

Im very impressed with the Klipsch Reference speakers. I have only had the complete set for around 3-4 months now and they are beautiful sounding speakers.


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Osage_Winter said:


> Ken,
> 
> Can you also confirm for us that you are in fact nearly 15 U.S. feet from a 40-inch display?


Just did a measure up and yes, about 4.5m or 14.8 feet

The only thing i can think of is to swing the room in the other direction which will never get the a-ok from my wife or buy klipsch reference bookshelf speakers RB81s and put them in line with my centre and buy a new tv to span the wall.

Im not so keen on down sizing my main speakers though as i do listen to a lot of music. If this was just a theatre i wouldnt be so concerned


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

First, let me ask you this: How do Blu-ray films look from that seating distance? Do you and your wife get "immersed" in the film, or does it seem like the image is REALLY far away?


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Osage_Winter said:


> First, let me ask you this: How do Blu-ray films look from that seating distance? Do you and your wife get "immersed" in the film, or does it seem like the image is REALLY far away?


I think the image feels comfortable but certainly not immersive but at the same time it doesn't feel far far away either.

However i think sound has a far greater impact on immersion than picture.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

kenmck15 said:


> I think the image feels comfortable but certainly not immersive but at the same time it doesn't feel far far away either.
> 
> However i think sound has a far greater impact on immersion than picture.


But you can certainly get into the film being watched, yes, even with letterboxing bars on some (most) widescreen titles?


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Osage_Winter said:


> But you can certainly get into the film being watched, yes, even with letterboxing bars on some (most) widescreen titles?


Absolutely

Im thinking a 65 will be my next tv but it will definitely be a 4k set so i need prices to come down a bit and new blurray tech to support.

My next piece of kit will probably be a separate power amp and to use my avr as just a processor or a 2nd SB13 Ultra. I still dont have picture high on my priority list yet as I'm noticing movies getting better and better as my audio gear gets better.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

kenmck15 said:


> Absolutely
> 
> Im thinking a 65 will be my next tv but it will definitely be a 4k set so i need prices to come down a bit and new blurray tech to support.


I know what you mean; our next buy should be something in the 75 to 80 inch range but I'm not too keen on 4K as of right now -- I have to see where that technology goes, if it's actually worth it and, most importantly, what kind of physical media will be available in the form of films being released on this "Ultra HD" format (being that the death of physical media is scheduled to be sometime in the very near future)...:sarcastic:



> My next piece of kit will probably be a separate power amp and to use my avr as just a processor or a 2nd SB13 Ultra. I still dont have picture high on my priority list yet as I'm noticing movies getting better and better as my audio gear gets better.


I thought of going down that route too, but I am sure if MY Onkyo still seems powerful and dynamic enough -- even at lower volume levels -- I'm sure yours does, especially with its myriad of rich features...:T


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Osage_Winter said:


> I know what you mean; our next buy should be something in the 75 to 80 inch range but I'm not too keen on 4K as of right now -- I have to see where that technology goes, if it's actually worth it and, most importantly, what kind of physical media will be available in the form of films being released on this "Ultra HD" format (being that the death of physical media is scheduled to be sometime in the very near future)...:sarcastic:
> 
> 
> 
> I thought of going down that route too, but I am sure if MY Onkyo still seems powerful and dynamic enough -- even at lower volume levels -- I'm sure yours does, especially with its myriad of rich features...:T


Interesting, with such a large screen (70-80") and being close to it i would have thought the higher resolution would be a must have for you.

At my viewing distance, 1080p should be fine even at 65", i will have to see what prices and tech looks like when i get there.

This is what i think i would need to go to make a 65 work in my room, im not so keen on loosing my floor standers though but i cant see any other way besides getting out a sledge and taking out a wall or 2.

There aint much wall left

And im in 2 minds about new amp. My current AVR sits around -10 to -6db across my channels based on audessy so plenty of power for my room size, it helps with the klipsch being so sensitive.

The other alternative is to save a little longer and look at a harmon or denon as i would like somthing a bit more muscial than my current avr.


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

My final upgrade on this round of my home theatre. 

We are looking at buying a new house now and hopefully a more home theatre friendly living room or dedicated room (Wishful thinking)

My last upgrade is the AVR. Got a great deal on a new Pioneer LX87. Absolutely loving it, huge improvement over my older Onkyo SR706.

A couple of pics of the change.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Ken, congrats on the new receiver. Looks great in your pics, and it sounds like you're very happy with the performance too!

First of all, I think you've done a great job with a difficult room. I had one thought when I looked at your space... it probably wouldn't work because of the location of the door, but here's a quick photoshop. Put the TV on an articulating scissor mount that would allow you to swing it out to the right (I have a mount like this from Monoprice on my 58" and it's great). Move the right front speaker over to the other side of the room, and move the equipment cabinet and CC over a bit to the right as well (didn't get that done in my pic). 

This would let you keep the TV against the wall for "storage" or normal viewing, but if you wanted to watch something more critical, you could swing it out to be more central (or straight toward the couch to make the screen closer/bigger). We sometimes extend the screen straight out in our setup and it does make a noticeable difference. This could work as an option without moving the speaker or mount location too, just a thought.


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## kenmck15 (Jan 2, 2008)

Owen Bartley said:


> Ken, congrats on the new receiver. Looks great in your pics, and it sounds like you're very happy with the performance too!
> 
> First of all, I think you've done a great job with a difficult room. I had one thought when I looked at your space... it probably wouldn't work because of the location of the door, but here's a quick photoshop. Put the TV on an articulating scissor mount that would allow you to swing it out to the right (I have a mount like this from Monoprice on my 58" and it's great). Move the right front speaker over to the other side of the room, and move the equipment cabinet and CC over a bit to the right as well (didn't get that done in my pic).
> 
> This would let you keep the TV against the wall for "storage" or normal viewing, but if you wanted to watch something more critical, you could swing it out to be more central (or straight toward the couch to make the screen closer/bigger). We sometimes extend the screen straight out in our setup and it does make a noticeable difference. This could work as an option without moving the speaker or mount location too, just a thought.


Thanks for the comment and ps edit.
Yea ive always wanted to spread out my front sound stage but the "wife acceptance factor" was definately a no go. Im very surprised she has let me do what ive done so far. 

This is what i wanted to do but got shot down pretty quick


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