help me

petertohen

Hi, I am new to this forum and this is my first posting. I am planning to build a large home theater with 30 theater seats, configured in 4 rows (8/7/7/8), in a room 26 feet wide by 35feet long with 10 feet ceiling height. Given the length of the room and the 4 row configuration, I plan to go with 4 side surround speakers (instead of the typical 2) to ensure that all 4 rows are filled with a full presentation of surround sound. With this goal in mind, I have 2 sets of Polk FXi5s for the side surrounds which will be driven by an outboard 4 channnel amplifier. My question is, given the 4 row configuration and size of the room, where should I locate the 4 FXi5 relative to the 4 rows? Should I set the speakers for Dipole or Bipole or a combination of the two? Should I configure the second set of FXi5s such that they are reverse sides from the first set? Are 2 sets of FXi5s unnecessary even for a room of this width and length?
https://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audios-Performance-Surround-Speakers/dp/B0000E144G
I appreciate and value all viewpoints.........Regards, Merlin

treitz3

Hello, Merlin. Please allow me to offer a very warm welcome to Club Polk. Happy Thanksgiving! While I would love to help you out with your query, I cannot due to me being a 2-channel type guy. I can offer you a warm welcome to the club.

Tom

lightman1

Way to fail, Tom......

Welcome aboard, Merlin!

msg

Way to fail, Russ......

Merlin, let me be the third to welcome you on!

lightman1

@ZLTFUL ...... He's hip to the HT gig.

Ryaaaaan!!

Emlyn

If going to that kind of expense I would consult with a good custom installer. It is possible to set up a system with more than one pair of side surround speakers with signal splitters and extra amp channels, but there are a number of issues involved with doing it well that a professional can best handle. Normal home theater gear is not built to process sound optimally in a space that big and with 30 seats in it without workarounds and customization. I would also suggest that the Polk FXi speakers may not cut it for that type of space.

Of course, it may be more expensive than you are planning on now.

Check out threads on AVS Forum for some ideas. The question comes up there occasionally.

ZLTFUL

I am with Emlyn...consult a professional installer.

Multiple side surround "layers" are going to require something beyond your average AVR/surround processor. It will require you to move into the realm of individual channel DSPs and the like such as Motu working with JRiver Media Center or the Mini DSP Dirac units.

If you just split signal and run the extra channels, whatever room correction you are using is going to butcher the correction algorithms due to it expecting a single signal from a speaker location and instead getting 4 separate locations to try and "correct".

lightman1

How about a 9.2 channel AVR with pre-outs? Spitballin' here....

deronb1

I would position the side speaks between the rows, that way you could go 11.2. Plenty of options there, unless you are thinking Atmos. You are going to need big powerful subs to pressurise over 9k cu/ft.

FestYboy

7.2.4 through a pre/pro, delay the LCR and front hight, and delay the first row of sides by a little less, then run the rest as is all before the main amps.

ZLTFUL

You would still need something like a MiniDSP to create the delay separate from the side surround "initial" signal.

AVRs and pre/pros 7.2, 9.2, etc are still only going to have a single side channel output.

FestYboy

I was assuming a side split signal out of the pre/pro, then into a simple delay box for the "forward" channels pre amplification

Viking64

Whenever I see the title of this thread, I think of Nine Inch Nails.