# projecting between LR speakers



## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

I want to make sure my math is right before I buy a screen. I want to use a 120" screen with a viewable width of 104.7" but my speakers have to be closer together than that to keep them off the side walls. If the speakers are going to be 24" in front of the screen then can I just use a simple right angle calculator to determine how close together I can have them without getting in the way of the projection?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

If you only plan on having one seat, that's fine. 

Are you sure that when the seating is in the proper place for smooth bass response, you NEED that big a screen to get the proper minimum viewing angles?

Bryan


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I certainly wouldn't advise you to do it that way..
How tall are the speakers? Would they fit beneath the screen if it was raised a bit?


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## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

Oh yeah, I guess I won't be the only one watching and the viewing angle will change. I knew something wasn't right and I couldn't put my finger on it. Good thing I asked. The speakers will be 4 feet tall so they will obviously be in the way. I was going to use one row of 4 seats, but I guess with a 100" screen I could easily go with 2 rows of 2 seats and the speakers should easily be out of the way then.


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## SierraMikeBravo (Jul 1, 2007)

Hey corock,

I would not worry too much about placing your speakers too close to the wall. I have done this successfully in a number of rooms I have designed (sometimes a given space just isn't as wide as you would like it to be). Understanding how to deal with SBIR and boundary gain will be key, which will require you to treat the area around the speakers properly and to use EQ, but it can be done without a problem provided you follow those rules. If your budget does not allow for these two elements, you should keep them off of the walls. Best wishes!


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## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

I'll be using an Anthem pre-amp so I'll have ARC for eq duties, and I'm prepared to use all the acoustic treatment necessary. Since my 120" wall mounted screen plan is flawed, I can't decide if I want to use a smaller wall mounted screen and two small rows of seats, or a larger acoustically transparent electric screen in front of the speakers with one larger row of seats. Would there be any issue with having the screen 3.5 feet from the back wall?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

An AT screen is certainly another way to deal with the issue - and IMO a preferable way. 

Bryan


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## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

Thanks for the input, the AT screen was my original plan and I changed it because I incorrectly thought I could get away with a bigger screen on the wall. I'm still doing calculations but I'm leaning toward a 110" AT screen.

I'm only going to have a couple of feet behind the seats so I was going to put a bass trap on the back wall and use dipole surrounds. Do acoustic panels negate any effect of the dipoles?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Not at all. They'll be just fine.

The bigger issue is having the seats that close to the wall in general in terms of good surround performance and sitting in a place with a lot of bass buildup. Also, if you can move forward into a more suitable place for audio performance, you can use a smaller screen and have the same viewing angles (and save a little money).

Bryan


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

I prefer non AT screens myself. I'd mount the screen above the mains instead.

But if you like the AT screens then go for it.:T


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## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

The mains are 4.5 feet high and I have an 8' ceiling, so going above won't be an option.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

The trick, IMO is to get a GOOD AT screen. The only 2 I recommend are SMX and Screen Research. The Stewart is pretty good too - just not quite as good as the others. Of the 3, the SMX is my favorite by far and is the most reasonably priced.

The advantage to an AT is the excellent screen lock. The downside is a lack of gain available and potentially some moire issues. On the SMX, the moire is a non-issue, the color rendition is excellent, audio impact is basically non-existent, and it still has a 1.1 gain with excellent black levels if the PJ is up to it.


For full disclosure, I am an SMX dealer.

Bryan


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## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

I was considering SMX, Seymour and Elite. I've read good things about the SMX and the Seymour but haven't had a chance to do much research on reviews of the Elite. I hadn't looked into screen research at all yet.

This is a basement HT so there will be no ambient light.


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## Upstairs Cinema (May 18, 2010)

What about the SeymourAV Center Stage XD or w/e its called. Is that a good one?


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