How high is too high for rear surrounds?
stangjason
Posts: 341
I'm contemplating mounting my FXi3's on speaker mounts about 7ft above the listeners heads. Is this too high? If I point them down will it make my surrounds come from above instead of behind as they should?
They will be lined up just wider than my front surrounds which are just under 8ft apart from each other and angeld in towards the center of the room/listener.
They will be lined up just wider than my front surrounds which are just under 8ft apart from each other and angeld in towards the center of the room/listener.
Pioneer vsx-1120k, B&K Sonata series video-5 amplifier, Polk Rti8, Fxi3, Csi5, and HSU VTF-1
Post edited by stangjason on
Comments
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I have mine about four feet above my listening position (i.e. head level while sitting) and find it to be just about right. I think ideally I would have placed them about three feet above.
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I think you'll be fine. Every surround sound speaker placement in the theaters here in Vegas have them 15 feet or higher. In the IMAX room, they are WAY higher than 15 feet. Shockingly, there are only 2 surround speakers in the IMAX setup: one in each rear corner.Do you hear that buzzing noise?
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It probably also depends on the distance from your seating position. In other words, you wouldn't want them 7' above your head if the wall (or whatever) they're mounted on is only a foot or two behind you. So I say, the farther behind you, the better - within reason.
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Keep them low and close as possible...but if your dynamics are not there you can always adjust the levels of each speaker once you run your MCACC to better your listening enjoyment....run your MCACC then right down your defaults...select your favorite movies and/or music then start to play and adjust your speakers accordingly till you find your sweet spots...this may take several listenings
good luck2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
txcoastal1 wrote: »Keep them low and close as possible...but if your dynamics are not there you can always adjust the levels of each speaker once you run your MCACC to better your listening enjoyment....run your MCACC then right down your defaults...select your favorite movies and/or music then start to play and adjust your speakers accordingly till you find your sweet spots...this may take several listenings
good luck
I do have them closer and on stands but I feel like they are a bit too low where furniture and other items are blocking their sound. The tweeters are about 44 inches form the ground while on the stands. Tweaters from the fronts are about 38 inches off the ground and the seated position on the couch is about 36-40 inches depending on how upright one sits.Pioneer vsx-1120k, B&K Sonata series video-5 amplifier, Polk Rti8, Fxi3, Csi5, and HSU VTF-1 -
I have mine about four feet above my listening position (i.e. head level while sitting) and find it to be just about right. I think ideally I would have placed them about three feet above.
According to this statement, your "listening position" would be while you're laying down, i.e. four feet below head level while seated. Is that about right????:biggrin:Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2
Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display, 2 channel speaker cable: Furutech FS Alpha 36 12AWG PCOCC Single Crystal (Douglas Connection)
EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
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According to this statement, your "listening position" would be while you're laying down, i.e. four feet below head level while seated. Is that about right????:biggrin:
OK OK...But I have theater seating:rolleyes:2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
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txcoastal1 wrote: »Keep them low and close as possible
good luck
I did mean ear level2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
txcoastal1 wrote: »I did mean ear level
Of course, that makes since, but what is bluboxer saying?????????Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2
Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display, 2 channel speaker cable: Furutech FS Alpha 36 12AWG PCOCC Single Crystal (Douglas Connection)
EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman -
Of course, that makes since, but what is bluboxer saying?????????
I'm thinking his surrounds are about 7' off the ground since they are "four feet above (his) listening position (i.e. head level while sitting)."Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden -
stangjason wrote: »I do have them closer and on stands but I feel like they are a bit too low where furniture and other items are blocking their sound. The tweeters are about 44 inches form the ground while on the stands. Tweaters from the fronts are about 38 inches off the ground and the seated position on the couch is about 36-40 inches depending on how upright one sits.
Here: http://www.polkaudio.com/education/showanswer.php?question_num=78
Polk suggests that 6 to 7 feet off the floor is "normal." So it sounds like your problem is that stands only go so high, and your wall/ceiling mount options are in the 9 to 11 foot range, due to a high ceiling and an open floor plan. That's a tough one! Pics? -
Mine are about 1 foot above ear level. Sounds great.Polk Audio Surround Bar 360
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You should mount your surround speakers off to the sides of the seating location from 90 to max 120 deg . The height should be 72 inches to the tweeter center. This is the best location for surround , if you must vary from this then performance you will sacrifice.
What are front surrounds?
OK if you are running stadium seating in your theater and have multiple rows of seating , you can measure your 72 inches off the platform from each row. This is what I do when I have 2 or 3 rows of seating. Each row gets it's own surround speakers. This makes a very full and even surround experience at each row of seating.
I use direct firing speakers as Bi polars don't work in this setup as they fire at each other and cause canceling.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
You should mount your surround speakers off to the sides of the seating location from 90 to max 120 deg . The height should be 72 inches to the tweeter center. This is the best location for surround , if you must vary from this then performance you will sacrifice.
72" is a very precise measurement, but it's meaningless without a measurement of the distance of the speakers from the listener. That's pretty much what I was getting at when I wrote this:mdaudioguy wrote: »It probably also depends on the distance from your seating position. In other words, you wouldn't want them 7' above your head if the wall (or whatever) they're mounted on is only a foot or two behind you. So I say, the farther behind you, the better - within reason. -
Here's a diagram to illustrate what I'm talking about.
A=7'
B=10'
So, it's hard to say what a specific height should be without knowing the distance. I would suggest that the speakers could be positioned anywhere along the line, within reason - not so far away that they can't be heard, and not so close so as to be blaring in your ear. -
mdaudioguy wrote: »Here: http://www.polkaudio.com/education/showanswer.php?question_num=78
Polk suggests that 6 to 7 feet off the floor is "normal." So it sounds like your problem is that stands only go so high, and your wall/ceiling mount options are in the 9 to 11 foot range, due to a high ceiling and an open floor plan. That's a tough one! Pics?
No our ceiling isn't a high ceiling. I measured and 7ft is the minimum height I could mount the speakers because of pictures. Yeah my room is an open floor plan and I'm limited to mounting the speakers about 5 ft behind the listener at about a 45 (135) degree angle which brings the speaker distance from center to about 8ft if my memory serves me right. Since it's an open floor plan I have only a sliver of wall to mount my left rear speaker and a whole wall and even a side wall to mount my right rear speaker.Pioneer vsx-1120k, B&K Sonata series video-5 amplifier, Polk Rti8, Fxi3, Csi5, and HSU VTF-1 -
Mine are at 6ft from the floor, about 6 ft apart mounted via the keyholes. I put the nails in to the studs so that they are stable. They sound great and are at the perfect heightMarantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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stangjason wrote: »No our ceiling isn't a high ceiling. I measured and 7ft is the minimum height I could mount the speakers because of pictures. Yeah my room is an open floor plan and I'm limited to mounting the speakers about 5 ft behind the listener at about a 45 (135) degree angle which brings the speaker distance from center to about 8ft if my memory serves me right. Since it's an open floor plan I have only a sliver of wall to mount my left rear speaker and a whole wall and even a side wall to mount my right rear speaker.
So, is it 7' above the listener (~10' from floor) or 7' from the floor? If it's 7' from the floor, I say you're fine - go for it. No need to tilt them down either, IMO. -
THIS, for example, would be considered TOO HIGH:
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THIS, for example, would be considered TOO HIGH:
I'm scared just looking at the pics. :eek:
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mdaudioguy wrote: »Here: http://www.polkaudio.com/education/showanswer.php?question_num=78
Polk suggests that 6 to 7 feet off the floor is "normal." So it sounds like your problem is that stands only go so high, and your wall/ceiling mount options are in the 9 to 11 foot range, due to a high ceiling and an open floor plan. That's a tough one! Pics?
There are some pics in this post. Notice the pictures in the their frames? I would place my right surround above it. I would place the left surround on the slim piece of wall that sections off the entry way and kitchen and that slim section of wall sits further back than the other wall by about 6 inches so I figure I may need to compensate by placing the right surround further away from the listening position.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112428Pioneer vsx-1120k, B&K Sonata series video-5 amplifier, Polk Rti8, Fxi3, Csi5, and HSU VTF-1 -
I have a drywall ceiling so purchased surrounds that installed into it. Sounds great and makes my spouse very happy...well, she doesn't like the paradigms R and L channel but so far, I'm winning that one.
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Of course, that makes since, but what is bluboxer saying?????????I'm thinking his surrounds are about 7' off the ground since they are "four feet above (his) listening position (i.e. head level while sitting)."
I am hoping you were able to figure out what others were easily able to. lol -
So... if I were to hang my M70's from the ceiling above my head - what gauge wire do you think I should use? Is 24ga going overboard? lol
I wonder if someone actually did that, or if that was staged for shock and awe purposes?65" Sony X900 (XBR-65X900E)
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mdaudioguy wrote: »72" is a very precise measurement, but it's meaningless without a measurement of the distance of the speakers from the listener. That's pretty much what I was getting at when I wrote this:
Meaningless? It's cool dude your on your own.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
You should mount your surround speakers off to the sides of the seating location from 90 to max 120 deg . The height should be 72 inches to the tweeter center. This is the best location for surround , if you must vary from this then performance you will sacrifice.
I think I am off by about a foot, is the diminished performance that much at that distance? Redoing my dry wall is a pain, but if a foot is that big of a deal I would consider doing it again, or then again I could just by some Mythos 10's and that would make up the difference. lol -
I think I am off by about a foot, is the diminished performance that much at that distance? Redoing my dry wall is a pain, but if a foot is that big of a deal I would consider doing it again, or then again I could just by some Mythos 10's and that would make up the difference. lol
Which way are you off by a foot? I'd rather be slightly higher then lower. The Mythos 10's rule for surrounds , they are killer.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Meaningless? It's cool dude your on your own.
My point is that a given height, lacking any other reference point, has no real context. It's a point in space. Some people have few options for placement, so they have to work with what they've got. Others, such as with the HT systems you install, have rooms that are often built around "ideal" placements, so it's easy to state a given height. Would 72" be ok if they were mounted 2-3 feet away from listening position? How about 10'? 15'? It's all relative, I think.
Generally, though, I think you and I are on the same page - it seems we're both advocating a placement behind the listener and a few feet higher than their seated height. -
stangjason wrote: »There are some pics in this post. Notice the pictures in the their frames? I would place my right surround above it. I would place the left surround on the slim piece of wall that sections off the entry way and kitchen and that slim section of wall sits further back than the other wall by about 6 inches so I figure I may need to compensate by placing the right surround further away from the listening position.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112428
Build a shelf for the left surround, so that it can face forward (as if mounted on a rear wall), and mount the right one on the rear wall (both at the desired height). Run your AVR's auto-calibration and be done with it. They're bipole/dipole design is intended to be diffuse. My surrounds are not equidistant from my sweet spot. It would be impossible, unless I floated one in the air. One wall is 2 feet further away. The AVR is adjusted accordingly. -
I am hoping you were able to figure out what others were easily able to. lol
Sorry dude, it was just worded kinda funny, couldn't help Polk-ing fun at you :biggrin:Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2
Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display, 2 channel speaker cable: Furutech FS Alpha 36 12AWG PCOCC Single Crystal (Douglas Connection)
EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman