Help with speaker location

[ProfJohn]

Ok I just ordered the Klipsch Synergy Quintet II speaker for my system and am trying to decide the best location for the front speakers.
Here is a picture of the TV and where it sits. The old stereo next to it is gone and has been replaced with a yamaha and a toshiba HD DVD.
picture of TV etc
Of course the center channel will sit right before the TV, unless someone can explain to me a reason to put it behind the tv on the wall. There is at least a foot between top of TV and wall and no place to put it so placing it on a shelf would look funny.

The big question is the left and right front speakers.
I am thinking of placing them even with the top of the two windows.
The question is do I place them on the inside of the windows, as in close to TV, or on the far side of the windows?

Any other suggestions on location will be welcome as well.
The rear speakers are located due to the shape of the room and I can't do anything with them.
I do have a system with the YAPO mic so once its all hooked up I can run the test and have it set the system up correctly.
It should sound awesome when done. (Already have a Klipsch 10" sub in the corner.)

*update*
So my speakers arrive via UPS and I go to set it all up and they don't fit on the stands I bought!!!!!!
What a major pain in the ass.

So instead of jamming to my awesome speakers I have to head back to BB and try to find stands that will work.
This whole thing has been a pain in the ass. At least when I am done it will sound incredible

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

You should try to keep the front three close to ear height. At the top of the windows is going to be way too high.

I have speaker placement tips including links to the Dolby guidelines in the sticky thread at the top of this subforum.

 

[PurdueRy]

Put some clothes on!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Put some clothes on!

Clothes aren't mentioned in the Dolby guidelines

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Put some clothes on!

I was worried about people commenting on that... buy i am damn sexy

 

[montypythizzle]

At least it isn't like that one pic where you could actually see his....

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: montypythizzle
At least it isn't like that one pic where you could actually see his....

The tea pot one?

(search for ebay on bbzzdd brings it up... er... I mean you can find the picture if you search for that)

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: montypythizzle
At least it isn't like that one pic where you could actually see his....

Hey now, I thought you were going to keep those pics private.

Now I know how every teen girl who ever sent her boyfriend a naked webcam video feels.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
You should try to keep the front three close to ear height. At the top of the windows is going to be way too high.

I have speaker placement tips including links to the Dolby guidelines in the sticky thread at the top of this subforum.

So... top of TV height on the far/outside of the windows?

I have a couple plants between the speakers and the listener, will that matter?

 

[montypythizzle]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
You should try to keep the front three close to ear height. At the top of the windows is going to be way too high.

I have speaker placement tips including links to the Dolby guidelines in the sticky thread at the top of this subforum.

So... top of TV height on the far/outside of the windows?

I have a couple plants between the speakers and the listener, will that matter?

It is ALL about experimentation, MAN!!!


This is AUDIO!

This IS SPEAKERZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
You should try to keep the front three close to ear height. At the top of the windows is going to be way too high.

I have speaker placement tips including links to the Dolby guidelines in the sticky thread at the top of this subforum.

So... top of TV height on the far/outside of the windows?

I have a couple plants between the speakers and the listener, will that matter?

Maybe even midway up the screen height vs. at the top of the screen?

What's ear level in relation to the screen?

You should try inside and outside of the windows to see what you like better. Try playing a song in stereo (2.1) with a singer centered. Female vocals could work well. If you have the speakers too far apart, you'll lose that centered feeling to the vocals and it will seem like the vocals are coming from the two speakers rather than in between them. You can experiment with aiming them towards the listening area too to see if that helps. Try around with both positions and see what you like the best.

As for the plants... anything between you and the speaker is going to reflect sound away from you, and it will affect different frequencies differently. Having absorption and diffusion on your walls at reflection points would be a good idea, but having objects physically between you and a direct line to the speaker would be a bad thing.

 

[SlickSnake]

I would place the center channel on a shelf behind the TV, with the shelf placed about 1 or 2 inches above the TV, for adequate cooling. My main system has the center on a shelf just above the TV. Also, the window above the TV is kind of unusual. The center channel is more forgiving of placement than the left and right channels are, or even the surrounds. The center channel is the most prominent channel in surround sound, and the only channel you might notice more will be the sub. You also won't want the center channel too close to your components, and having it above the TV will eliminate any possible sonic problems you might have with that placement, like making a DVD player skip during loud passages.

The biggest problem I see is with the windows. You really should get some thick curtains to cover and baffle those 2 large windows. There are a lot of negative factors about speaker placement in front of or near windows, including various rattling noises you might get from speakers in front of them. You will also notice a more harsh and reflective sound from speakers in front of or near a window that you might find unpleasant after a while. Even that fish tank might tend to reflect more sound on the right channel making it sound a bit louder or brighter.

Personally, I would not mount left and right speakers above those windows, and I don't think you will be too happy with the result. But if you do, it also makes more sense to have the center mounted above the TV on a shelf for symmetry and so that it blends in better with the other 2 channels.

Ideally, you want the left and right speakers about 8 feet apart, which unfortunately will place them right in front of those windows. And you also want lower L&R sound imaging, as opposed to above the windows, so the tweeters and midrange are closer to your ears, where you will be seated. If you mounted them above the windows you should aim the speakers down a bit at an angle, to help achieve this effect.

Another option is trying to set up the surround system based in a corner. The reasons for this is you might achieve a more concert hall type of sound, depending on the room acoustics. In my previous house, a corner HT arrangement provided the only viable options for a surround sound at all, in fact. I placed the sub behind the TV in the corner. Floyd E. Toole has written before that he actually prefers the sound of a HT in a corner configuration, in fact.

Floyd E. Toole has also written extensively about audio for Harman International and here is an excellent white paper that also needs to be placed in your General Home Theater Audio sticky, YOyoYOhowsDAjello.

Floyd E. Toole Ph.D. Audio Science White Paper For Harman International

 

[ProfJohn]

Ok... I bought some speaker stands and am going to place the front left and right on the stand about even with the front of the TV and at or near ear level.

They will sit towards the outside of the windows past the plants, which sit right in front of the window.

This should solve all of my problems correct?

Thank for the help guys.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn
Ok... I bought some speaker stands and am going to place the front left and right on the stand about even with the front of the TV and at or near ear level.

They will sit towards the outside of the windows past the plants, which sit right in front of the window.

This should solve all of my problems correct?

Thank for the help guys.

Maybe not all your problems, but it should be a good start