Help needed with speaker placement

sachinsood

Hello,

I have the R50 floorstanding speakers. Currently, they are placed on a big stand that is about 20" tall (picture attached).

I am going to be buying a big screen tv, most likely the Sony KDF-55WF655. Looking at the front (facing the screen of the tv), I will be placing the receiver/dvd player to the right and the tv to the left of the receiver on this stand. Now due to space restrctions, I am thinking of putting two shelves (ledges) on the wall that will hold the speakers.

On the right, the shelf will be right above the receiver/dvd player, and the other speaker will be on the shelf to the left of the tv at the same level.

This will make the speakers stand around 30" above the ground. How will this affect the sound quality. Is it always better to have these speakers on the ground or as close to the ground as possible?

Please see the attached photo of my current set up (without the tv), and imagine the speakers to be placed at a height of:
height of stand + height of receiver and dvd player + 3-4".

Thanks.

Sazkin

Dennis Gardner

They are made to be floor models, not shelf models.

Your highs will be shooting over your head and the bass response will not be a good as if you had them closer to the floor.
Small stands under a foot high are sometimes used to elevate small tower speakers, but 30 inches high would put the top of your speakers 5-6 feet off the floor. The general guideline is to place the tweeter around ear level. If you must place higher or lower, then angle the speaker up or down to point toward your seating area.

On mounting them on shelves, most find that tower speakers work best out 12-24 inches from the back wall. This is also to help with the sound image and bass response. You may not get the best sound "tight" to the wall.

Of course these are general guidelines and only you can be the judge of what works best for you!

Early B.

If you don't have room for floorstanding speakers, get bookshelf speakers and mount them on the wall with tweeters at ear level.

sachinsood

Thanks for the suggestions and insights. I was aware of the rule of keeping the speakers at least a foot or two from any object to get the best sound.

I guess I have one option left in this case:

In the picture, on the left, there is a ledge about 4 inches above the floor. I can place one speaker here. The other one can be placed on the other side of the door on a pedestal (I'll buy one) of the same height. I'll angle this speaker more toward the center of the couch. I guess this should work fine for me.

I'll just have to get longer speaker cable. What gauge cable is recommended? For these speakers, I currently have 16 gauge Monster XP speaker cables.

Thanks.

Dennis Gardner

Your speaker cable is adequate.

Remember that my suggestions are that, only suggestions, try the setup any way that you feel it fits your room best and just enjoy. You are sinking alot of dough into something that is made for relaxation and enjoyment. I'll bet that you aren't buying the big Sony just to catch up on the latest news from the war front.

Isn't your new TV a floor standing model also? Putting a 65inch TV on a pedestal will make it awful high for comfort unless it angles down. I have seen alot of people put the receiver and DVD player on top of their big screen TVs and when they get a center speaker, they suspend it above the rest of their equipment and angle it down to the listening position.

Try everything you can then enjoy.

DG

Tour2ma

Ditto, Dennis...

Put the electronics on the TV, or a shelf over the TV and let the 50's flank your new toy...

I don't have big problem with floorstanders not being on the floor (did this in my "dorm days"), but they need to be coupled to something solid such as the chest in your pic. Could a shelf be made solid enough??? Sure, but the general image the word "shelf" conjures up in my bean would not be...

Personally I agree about putting the tweeters around ear level, but if you now:
- like they way your 50's sound, and
- don't find they sound better when you stand vs. sit,
... then elevate away...

sachinsood

Hi Dennis,

The 55inch Sony KDF-55WF655 is a tabletop TV. It does not have a pedestal of its own. Here is the link for it:

Sony KDF-55WF655

The Samsung 5085W DLP rear projection is the floor standing model. It is too expensive and not exactly what I am looking for. And I have done 2 months worth of daily research in to these TVs on online forums and stores like BB, CC and Sears. Unfortunately, the closest Tweeter is 128 miles from where I live.

The width of this TV is almost 58 inches. That leaves me with 20 inches for the receiver and dvd player. I have 3.28ft Monster component cables with me already, so I will have to either place the receiver to the right of the TV (looking at the screen), or on a shelf above the TV, and then have a center speaker right above the shelf angled down a bit. This is because the connections at the back of the TV are to the right (looking at the screen). Most likely, I will have the receiver on the stand, and keep the 2 speakers at floor level.

I'll post a pic when I buy the TV in a few weeks.

Oh, and I will be watching movies through DVD and VOOM HDTV, some TV shows, news and playing games through the new slim PS2.

Thanks.

Dennis Gardner

Sounds as though you are working hard to make a great setup for yourself!!

I do understand how floor plans, cable runs, electrical needs and many other areas affect our wishes to have the best setup we can afford. I am currently moving my basement theater to another house and have run into tons of issues trying to fit my front projection system into an existing finished area.

Again welcome to CP and good luck in your quest for suberb audio/video!

Dennis

sachinsood

Hi Dennis,

Working hard to make a decent setup and yes, I am taking my own sweet time to set up everything. I have lived without a TV for 2 years now :eek:

Yes, I managed it. And I lived through it alone. My 2.5 year old laptop has been my main source of video entertainment so far . The old horse keeps running.

Thanks for the suggestions. Can't wait to get the TV and Polk center speaker (for now). Surround and subs will be added when I have some more $$$.

Sazkin

HBombToo

Originally posted by sachinsood


Thanks for the suggestions. Can't wait to get the TV and Polk center speaker (for now). Surround and subs will be added when I have some more $$$.

Sazkin

Front l/r and c is a great focus. Subs next then the surrounds is a good plan;)

twin

sowen010599

You probably boomboomboomboom want to boomboomboomboom get those boomboomboomboom speakers away boomboomboomboom from the boomboomboomboom wall a boomboomboomboom little.

That kind of boomboomboomboom rules out boomboomboomboom the whole boomboomboomboom shelves idea boomboomboomboom.

TheReaper

The R50s are front ported (no rear ports), So they can be placed fairly close to the wall and still sound okay.

The R50s are good for TV watching, enjoy.

scottnbnj

also worth noting the distance of ports and drivers from the floor. move the speaks down to the floor and the distance from the front wall might become more of an issue (beyond possible taming of punch or impact).

i know everyone has their own problems with the limits of where they *can* place their speaks and keep a functional room, and i'm not familiar with the r50's other than a couple of minutes in cc with a wife and boy in tow, but, usually placement from the front wall limits the depth of the image.

)

edit: er,..usually placement close to the front wall limits the depth of image.