Dipoles

ralph perez
ralph perez Posts: 32
edited September 2002 in Speakers
Hi

Have a few question in reference to speaker placement.

My HT consist of the following:
Toshiba 65hx81
Onkyo 697
Polk rt800 L/R speakers
Polk c400 Center
Onkyo 697

Surrounds:

R&L/S Fx500
Center Rears Fx300

Currently have the 500 on side walls slightly in front of my seating position on stands about 1.6 ft above ear level.

The rear Fx300 are about 1 foot behind me and 4 feet apart.

Finaly to my question, it seems that since the dipoles are on a 45 degree angle, the sound is being directed toward the center of the room and the rear 300 toward my head. I cant see on how the dipoles are being reflected towads the walls for ambient sound?

What am I doing wrong?? I also tried placing the speakers at 6 feet high on the walls, to no help.

Room size is 12 by 22 and the speakers are in the 12 feet corner
with plenty of ambience.

Thanks guys, any info would be appreciated.

Ralph
Post edited by ralph perez on

Comments

  • ralph perez
    ralph perez Posts: 32
    edited August 2002
    I cant believe that on the Polk audio forum at the POLK site, no one knows the answer to the questions that I asked and/or try to respond or suggest anything? I am still scratching my head!

    Yet at other forums plenty of suggestions. Perhaps this tell me something about the talent at this forum.
  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited August 2002
    Reflected toward the walls? You've got Polks not Bose Direct reflecting speakers. Your rear speakers should be a direct reflecting speaker not a Bipole/Dipole speaker. Your 500's should be slightly behind your listening position, NOT in front of your listening position.

    This forum is frequented by a lot of people that also visit and post on other sites. Perhaps they have already seen your question and did not feel the need to flog a dead horse!
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
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  • scottvamp
    scottvamp Posts: 3,277
    edited August 2002
    Actually I was scraching my head about this post. This is a common question and has been dicussed on many threads.
    Problem:
    Finaly to my question, it seems that since the dipoles are on a 45 degree angle, the sound is being directed toward the center of the room and the rear 300 toward my head.

    Maybe small part of your problem is that the side speakers are directly in front of your seating area. This means that you are going to get a more direct effect from the one side of the speaker.
    Sounds like your "g spot" seating position is all the way in the back of the room. This is not ideal. Main seating position should be 3/4's back with your side surrounds directly to the side of you. That way the 45degree projection of sound will be totally defused. The rear speaker array should be hitting the back wall and bouncing toward the seating position and the front array should be difussing somewhere in the first half of the room. Just mentally draw a straight line shooting out from the tweeter. Are they pointing anywhere towards the listening area?
    Your height on the sides are about right. Your rears should be placed higher up and they are suppose to have a more direct sound. Mimicing your center channel. Hope this helps.
    Check out my 6.1 placement in the system showcase. Once I calibrated my system the sound is seemless through out.

    :cool:
  • ralph perez
    ralph perez Posts: 32
    edited August 2002
    Thanks Guy's

    My comment was meant to wake someone up and of course get some suggestions. I am presently in the process of resetting the speakers.

    Thanks again, but if anybody has any other suggestions would be glad to read them.


    Thank's

    Ralph
  • seaslug
    seaslug Posts: 23
    edited September 2002
    A lot of folks, myself included, prefer that the tweeters of their L/R surrounds be at ear level when standing. This makes the soundfield even more diffuse, especially in dipole mode. Furthermore, I must disagree with Frank Z, and I would suggest that these speakers be in line with your listening position. This puts the listener in a "dead zone", with sound being projected both in front of and behind the sweet spot. Because there is very little center image in this configuration, the ambient sound effects included in most movie soundtracks are more convincing.

    As for your rear surrounds, the tweeter height should be the same. You would probably be happier with the sound from these channels if you had direct-radiating speakers (i.e. RT25i's or RT35i's), but at the very least, set your f/x300i's to bipole mode. Unlike L/R surround speakers, your rear surround effects should be localized (as recommended by the folks at Lucasfilm).
    "The unexamined life is not worth living." -- Socrates