# Looking for advice on setup with difficult room (floorplan included)



## mannetti21 (Mar 30, 2011)

I want to use the room diagrammed below as my humble media/HT room. A few things are causing placement issues; a brick chimney that runs the full 8ft height of the room and the close proximity of the entry and closet doors in the corner. I'm using the Onkyo NR808 that is capable of 7.1, but my first goal is for an optimal 5.1 setup. I drew up the floorplan to include the 2 different surround placements I was considering. (My gut feeling right now is that implementing 7.1 in this room size might not reap any benefits)

L/R/C speakers will be Ascend Acoustic Sierra-2's, surrounds will be either a pair of Ascend Sierra-1's, CBM-170's or HTM-200's (depending on mounting/placement options), subwoofer is a Rythmik FV-15.

The surrounds will need to be placed at ceiling height because of the door and closet location. There is approx 14inches between the door/closet trim and the ceiling. If I use the side placement, I feel like that is going to introduce a significant asymmetry between the two surrounds due to the chimney deflecting/blocking the sound to the listening area. Placement on the rear walls should alleviate this issue. However, to keep symmetrical spacing and avoid facing the right surround directly at the chimney, I'd have to move the surrounds rather close together (only about 5ft apart). The only other feasible option I can think of would be to place the surrounds in the rear corners and angle them downwards and inwards towards the listening position. However, similar to the sidewall placement, it seems that the chimney is going to interfere.

As far as sub placement; I'd like to keep the sub up front for aesthetics and to leave room to place individual seats near the left and right side walls. I haven't done the crawl test yet but I'm curious if there are any spots in the room the jump out as being particularly poor placement choices.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Sorry can't see pic


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## mannetti21 (Mar 30, 2011)

Andre said:


> Sorry can't see pic


Fixed...I think


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

With that size room, I would stick with a 5.1 system and not try to do 7.1. I had a room that was 11.5' x 19' and tried 7.x and it just did not work out that well. My room now is 19.5' x 23.5' and I only use 5.1. I have my surrounds in the corners facing almost to the front wall, but toed-in slightly. Works great even in my fairly large room. I also have the 170's as surrounds in our 22' x 20' great room corners pointed into the center of the room... sounds really good with an Onkyo 805. 

For the sub, you will want to experiment with placement for it. The sub crawl test is a good start if you have the patience. Stick the sub in your listening seat and move the mic around taking REW sweep measurements. I would start with the corner and move down the side wall. Also try various angles.


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## mannetti21 (Mar 30, 2011)

Sonnie said:


> With that size room, I would stick with a 5.1 system and not try to do 7.1. I had a room that was 11.5' x 19' and tried 7.x and it just did not work out that well. My room now is 19.5' x 23.5' and I only use 5.1. I have my surrounds in the corners facing almost to the front wall, but toed-in slightly. Works great even in my fairly large room. I also have the 170's as surrounds in our 22' x 20' great room corners pointed into the center of the room... sounds really good with an Onkyo 805.
> 
> For the sub, you will want to experiment with placement for it. The sub crawl test is a good start if you have the patience. Stick the sub in your listening seat and move the mic around taking REW sweep measurements. I would start with the corner and move down the side wall. Also try various angles.


Thanks, Sonnie. Any thoughts on how the chimney might interact with the right rear surround placed either in the corner or on the rear wall? My unfounded assumption is that I'm going to experience a sort of "cut off" from ambient sound on the right. In other words, I'm expecting to have a surround void in the space to the right and/or rear of the seating position.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

You could try the L&R surrounds one on the chimney ths just forward of the window, of course the volume for the one on the chimney would have to be much lower in volume because of the distances to the vistener, you can also try 1 rear surround in the center of the back wall


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

If you point those surrounds to the center of the room, I don't think you will notice it. 

You might come out from the corner about a foot. I would try them temporarily in both locations until you get something you like or can live with.


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## mannetti21 (Mar 30, 2011)

What do you think would be the downside of having them on the rear wall as pictured?


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Do not know that there would be, other than it might effect the front to rear transition worse than it would if they were in the corner or sides.


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

Why not change the orientation of the room? Use the chimney as a divider and you'll have an 8'7"w X11'd space to work in. If you added an articulating mount you coul even bring the TV flush with the chimney and then your room would effectively be 14'w x9'd. 

I'm liking using this wall because you have less through traffic and don't have a facing window. 

I'd opt for front ported or sealed towers as your mains if you use the chimney as a room divider because of how close to the corners of the area you'll be placing them. 

If you opt to move the TV out to be flush with the chimney then you could overlap the chimney with a huge screen and straddle your audio across the area.

I'd rather not use the chimney wall as the back because of how it would affect rear speaker placement.


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## yoda13 (Feb 14, 2012)

rab-byte said:


> Why not change the orientation of the room? Use the chimney as a divider and you'll have an 8'7"w X11'd space to work in. If you added an articulating mount you coul even bring the TV flush with the chimney and then your room would effectively be 14'w x9'd.
> 
> I'm liking using this wall because you have less through traffic and don't have a facing window.
> 
> ...


+1


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