# How would you set up your surround with this config ?



## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

Hello all 

Im a newbie, and i wanted to seek the advice of some seasoned vets about the set up of a system with this type of room, ill do my best to describe it in great detail: This living room has a fire place which is the focal point of the room (just imagine a rectagular room with a fireplace that comes away from the wall about 2 1/2 ft in the center of the rectangle), above it is a deep, completly enclosed TV "cubby", luckily my 50'' samsung fits nicely between it's walls. I do plan to use a wall mount and mount it high so i can use the tilt feature to aim it better torwards the couch that sits about 9 feet from it. I also plan to build an av cabinet underneath, thus completly filling the cubby. Being that the "cubby" is fairly deep and my television is not ill have to mount the tv further away from the deep cubby back wall using some sort of 2x4 type frame. That im not worried about, the sound, however, i am. The house has 2 ceiling speakers built in above the couch (which id like to utilize) which is of course across from the tv. My question is.... What sort of speaker placement would you suggest (there is a room above the living room, so ceiling access is not possible) I do have speaker stands for the floors but getting the wires to them seems a bit challenging as id have come through the "cubby" walls on either side and come down to the floor, and im not a fan of those wire covering strips. I know i could mount directly to the outter cubby walls using some wall mounts, however the system im looking at is 5.1 and expandible to 7.1, also im wondering where is should put the sub considering the above circumstances ? ha ha now did any of that make sense ? suggestiuons ? 

Ill try and add some pics...


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

Yep, pics will help.


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## Guest (Dec 6, 2008)

okay posted a pic, just imagine that shot is from the couch, with the built in speakers above it. now where would you mount the remainer of the speakers keeping in mind i cant go through the ceiling, and it's not easy to get to the floor...


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

You should mount your TV as low as possible for the best viewing angle, build the AV on top if needed (though, that will make it hard to do anything except by remote). How about this, leave enough room down low for a center channel and DVD player, everything else up top. Front speakers on stands in front of the windows, move them out of the way if you'd like when you're not using them.
For sub placement, use the crawl test (search or google "subwoofer crawl" if needed), of Room EQ Wizard if you're that savvy, then balance your best position with your aesthetics.


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## eyecatcher127 (May 9, 2006)

I'd recommend stands or wall mounts at or just above ear level. If you can go with the front center matched speakers, The rear channels usually sound best about a for or 2 feet higher than the fronts don't necessarilly have to match the fronts. The sub you cant go wrong in the front corner usually, but you may have to move it around. hope this helps


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

I agree with Marshall on the TV placement. Do not mount it any higher than necessary or your neck will be hating you. I would get a TV mount that has an articulating arm, so it will both extend the TV out from the back wall of the cubby and tilt it down toward the couch. Like he said, just high enough to fit a center channel speaker under it. That should leave room for a DVD player and one more component to either side of the center speaker.

If you do the crawl test and the sub wants to be somewhere other than flanking the fireplace, then look into some of the wireless audio solutions. This may also be necessary if you want to upgrade to 7.1 in the future. Front speakers could be on stands or on wall mounts on the outside of the cubby walls. Do not mount them to the beige painted window wall since that would put them a couple feet behind the tv screen and center speaker. I think I would choose the wall mounts. It is probably less ideal, but I don't think I would want the speakers sitting in front of the windows on stands.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

First of all ...Welcome to the forum :wave:



91Z28 said:


> I do plan to use a wall mount and mount it high so i can use the tilt feature to aim it better torwards the couch that sits about 9 feet from it. I also plan to build an av cabinet underneath, thus completly filling the cubby.


I completely agree about not mounting the TV to high.

Do you have to have the AV cabinet in the same cubby??? ...Can you place it somewhere else???



> the system im looking at is 5.1 and expandible to 7.1, also im wondering where is should put the sub considering the above circumstances


What system is that??? ...also, Do you have the ceiling speakers already installed or just the wires??? ...Where is the wire coming from??? ...It is close to where you want to place the AVR???

About the sub, to do the crawling test ...is better to have a SPL meter (you can find it at Radio Shack), then place the sub where your seat will be, play the sub test tone from AVR and then crawl around the room and where you get the highest reading on the SPL that's where you will place the sub ...:yes:



> ... im not a fan of those wire covering strips. I know i could mount directly to the outter cubby walls using some wall mounts...


Besides the wire covering strips, there's other options (maybe crown moulding) :whistling:

I think it will be better to have the speakers on stands, that way you can move it to get the best soundstage; and you can also plan to install the center speaker below the TV if possible, if not you can phantom from the front speakers ...you'll have to test which set up you like the most :T


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