Placement

[kanuvin]

Got a quick question on speaker placement. In a 6.1 system should the left and right surrounds be pointing straight at each other or at the listener? I always thought they go 2-3 ft above listener, slightly behind and pointing straight at each other, but the manual of Creative 6600 shows them way behind the listener, pointing right at him. Anyone know?

 

[Dev]

The front and back speakers should point at the listner in a "perfect triangle" shape per pair. The left and rigth speakers should be ca. 2/3 of the distance betwen front and back speakers. Most audio guys say that they should be slightly higher than the other speakers for sounds coming from above, but I do not necessarily agree with that since a perfect soundscape sounds like it is from above anyway, and sound phasing from the front to the back, or vice versa, sounds as though it passes above you.
A perfect environment should also be free of any obstacles, "floating" (spring rooms anyone) and walls should be lined with sound suppressing material. However, unless you are a real audiophile, it does not matter much...
What matters most is that you get a listening experience you enjoy anyway. That is why I still get laughed at for saying that the original soundworks 2.1 (not the 4.1 PC works) are good speakers

Dev

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[mattburklund]

The 6th would be placed behind you, in a 6.1 system. If you had a 7th then the two would be to either side of the listening position, and behind you. Go to dolby.com for more information.

 

[tylerbc]

Anyone have any input on the best placement for a 4.1 system? I use it strictly for music. Should the surrounds be higher (2-3 feet above like Dolby says for home theater) or around ear level? What about a direction for the fronts? Should they be straight on or angled a bit towards the listener?

 

[umheint0]

I like higher personally. They lift the soundstage, make the sound a little fuller than just right at ear level. Point them in from the sides, directly at the listener. Angle them down a bit too.

Sound deadening materials make a significant difference. All it needs to be is a thick (I mean, thick!) curtain right behind the listener. It can make a huge difference in eliminating echoes.

That's why there are huge tapestries in castles. They may look good, but you'd better believe they help get rid of echoes. Think of a bare church, and then think of a massive decorated cathedral. In the empty church your voice echoes forever and easily gets lost, where in the one with the decorations, just raising your voice a little lets your voice carry clearly to the other end. That's what you want.

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