Looking for Advice

cmryan21 · « **on:** 31 Oct 2011, 02:51 am »

Hey guys. I'm hoping to get some input to see if rearranging my living room's setup is feasible or not. I currently have a 2.1 setup(along with an hdtv) in a corner of my living room. I've learned through reading(and demos in good rooms) that this is far from optimal.

Unfortunately, only one wall in my living room has room for a tv and that spot has a cased opening on either side of it. I've attached a couple pics to show what I mean. Sorry for not getting it all in one pic but my photography skills suck.

While I could move the tv to this open spot, I obviously can't place my current fronts in the middle of the cased openings. So, I'm looking for opinions/ideas to see if there'd be any way to setup any lcr(whether it be in-ceiling, in-wall or something else) on this wall and have them image well.

I know this is a weird one but any advice would be appreciated. Also, if you need any more info please just ask.

doug s. · « **Reply #1 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 04:00 am »

you could try putting the l/r speakers at the extreme far edges of the l/r cased openings. yes, the speakers would be far apart, but mebbe w/extreme toe-in - so the speakers cross in front of the listening position - it might work... and if you use a center channel, have it below (or above?) the tv. and, you might be able to get away w/having the speakers in front of the openings, if they are at the wery edge of the openings?

doug s.

cmryan21 · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 04:11 pm »

Doug, thanks for taking the time to offer some ideas. Placing my l/r at the edges of the openings is something I've considered, but the aesthetic issue does concern me. It's still my living room after all and not a dedicated room. So, that's why I wanted to get ideas/opinions to see if there are other possibilities I could go with that wouldn't compromise acoustics too much(angled in-ceiling speakers seem like the most likely of the other possibilities). However, if you think I could get good performance out of placing my l/r at the outer edges of the openings(I will use a center channel) then I may need to move them into place and at least give it a test run with some music. Thanks again.

borism · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 04:43 pm »

What might help is to draw a floor plan with approximate measures and indicate what kind of furniture is in the room and how your system is situated at present.
Boris

cmryan21 · « **Reply #4 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 04:53 pm »

Alright. This is a rough layout of my current setup. The location of the tv and speakers is correct. What's not in the pic is the sub(which is in the ceiling right above the tv). The furniture can obviously be moved around. Some of the distances are a little off but none by more than a few inches if at all. If you need any more info please just say so.

doug s. · « **Reply #5 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 06:26 pm »

your room is almost square - a difficult layout. it could be that your present set-up, diagonally, may work best. the biggest problem i see, both in your present set-up, or if you moved it so the speakers are at the edges of the cased openings, is that your speakers are too close to the walls. but, being close to the walls seems to be less detrimental where they are now, vs where i suggested, unless you can treat the adjacent walls w/sound absorption and/or diffusion. and, i think you need to do this even where the speakers are now.

the speakers really need to be pulled out into the room, something it seems is difficult w/your layout. perhaps there's a way you could set up your speakers so that they could easily be moved - get them away from the walls when you're listening; move them back when you're not...
examples of the two set-ups:
- corner set-up slightly changed, w/acoustical treatment on walls - red more critical than black; furniture moved to suit. also, heavy-curtain window treatment...
- speakers at edge of openings; w/acoustical treatment on walls

doug s.

MaxCast · « **Reply #6 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 06:52 pm »

How much grief would you get if you put the tv right in front of those three windows?

Cheerwino · « **Reply #7 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 08:04 pm »

Do you have kids? I didn't know if that gate in one of the photos was for the dog or a toddler (or both). The reason I ask is because it's tough to have speakers pulled into a room with kid traffic.

That corner may be the best spot, considering the multiple uses of the room. Some absorption treatments, starting in the corner, could really help (like what doug s, suggests). I've been amazed what panels did in my listening room. While our living room is now untreated, the sound really tightened up when I added a panel behind our TV (also in a corner) and in the other corner.

cmryan21 · « **Reply #8 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 08:06 pm »

Quote from: doug s. on 1 Nov 2011, 06:26 pm

your room is almost square - a difficult layout. it could be that your present set-up, diagonally, may work best. the biggest problem i see, both in your present set-up, or if you moved it so the speakers are at the edges of the cased openings, is that your speakers are too close to the walls. but, being close to the walls seems to be less detrimental where they are now, vs where i suggested, unless you can treat the adjacent walls w/sound absorption and/or diffusion. and, i think you need to do this even where the speakers are now.

the speakers really need to be pulled out into the room, something it seems is difficult w/your layout. perhaps there's a way you could set up your speakers so that they could easily be moved - get them away from the walls when you're listening; move them back when you're not...
examples of the two set-ups:
- corner set-up slightly changed, w/acoustical treatment on walls - red more critical than black; furniture moved to suit. also, heavy-curtain window treatment...
- speakers at edge of openings; w/acoustical treatment on walls

doug s.

Thanks a bunch for your thoughts. The idea of moving the speakers when I'm watching/listening is one I've had before, but my current speakers are too big and heavy(130lbs each) for that to be an idea I'd like. The second option you mentioned(speakers at edge of openings) would be easier than the first and seems like it might be possible. I'm probably gonna have to move them into that spot this weekend and see how it sounds and looks. If I were to go with the idea of moving them when watching/listening, roughly where do you think they should be placed? I really appreciate your time and ideas.

cmryan21 · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 08:07 pm »

Quote from: MaxCast on 1 Nov 2011, 06:52 pm

How much grief would you get if you put the tv right in front of those three windows?

A pretty good bit, but it's also kinda impractical. I know they look like windows in the drawing but the middle one is actually a door to my backyard and it has a dog door that's very handy for my two dogs.

cmryan21 · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 08:09 pm »

Quote from: Cheerwino on 1 Nov 2011, 08:04 pm

Do you have kids? I didn't know if that gate in one of the photos was for the dog or a toddler (or both). The reason I ask is because it's tough to have speakers pulled into a room with kid traffic.

That corner may be the best spot, considering the multiple uses of the room. Some absorption treatments, starting in the corner, could really help (like what doug s, suggests). I've been amazed what panels did in my listening room. While our living room is now untreated, the sound really tightened up when I added a panel behind our TV (also in a corner) and in the other corner.

No kids just the two dogs(that made it into the pics in my first post). So moving the speakers out into the room is a possibility, but I'd like to explore other ideas first before even making the switch since there's gonna be a fair bit of work involved.

doug s. · « **Reply #11 on:** 1 Nov 2011, 09:22 pm »

Quote from: cmryan21 on 1 Nov 2011, 08:06 pm

Thanks a bunch for your thoughts. The idea of moving the speakers when I'm watching/listening is one I've had before, but my current speakers are too big and heavy(130lbs each) for that to be an idea I'd like. The second option you mentioned(speakers at edge of openings) would be easier than the first and seems like it might be possible. I'm probably gonna have to move them into that spot this weekend and see how it sounds and looks. If I were to go with the idea of moving them when watching/listening, roughly where do you think they should be placed? I really appreciate your time and ideas.

actually, i think best results would be obtained by re-arranging the speakers in the corner, as i showed. (i think you will wanna move the sofa/table a foot or so back, as well as what i showed in the pic.) regarding the speakers, if they're gonna be placed at the opening edges, best location for listening, if you're gonna be moving 'em, is somewhere in the middle of the openings, about 4' out from the plane of the wall. for moving them if they're in the corner, go w/the location i showed, yust move the left hand speaker (as wiewed from the couch) a foot or two closer to the seating area, readjusting the speaker toe-in & tv location to match. consider putting casters on your speakers, so you can easily move them. or build a substantial platform/stand w/casters for the speakers, if you cannot install casters directly to the speakers. not quite as effective as spikes for coupling the speakers to the floor, but still a significant point-source for weight...

and re: one location vs the other, it will certainly be easier for you to experiment w/the corner location then completely rearranging your room to try for the second option.

doug s.