The typical new guy speaker choice/placement question, with pics

[caiazpa]

Hey guys, long time Klipsch fan looking for your opinions on side and rear surround speaker placement/choice.

Here's my situation -

Bought a place a few months ago and have been trying to figure out how best to configure my home theater. I'm looking for 7.1.

My setup is as follows:

Yamaha RX-Z11

RF82 floorstanders

RC62 Center

RS42 Surround

and...

Here's whereI need your help.

I purchased the RS42's when I bought the RF's and RC's (AD going out of business sale, score!), but if I had it to do again I might not have. You can see in the pics I currently have these sitting on top of my 82's (they are not wired currently). My original intent was to mount these at the top of the rear wall, facing slightly down at the seating area. I'm no longer sure I want to do this and would like some opinions on the following options:

1) Mount the RS42's like I had planned, towards the top of the wall angled down at the seating area

- Pros - I already have the speakers and just need to run wire

- Cons - potentially unsightly

Sound quality as compared to option 2 (?)

2) Purchase and install a set of in-wall rear surround speakers and install them approximately ear-level in the rear wall

-Pros: Least intrusive to living area

Perhaps better sound (mounted at ear-level)

- Cons - Can't take them with me when I sell the place

If I went with option 2, I would get either R5800W or R5650S. Does anyone have an opinion they would like to share on one versus the other?

Side Surround:

Here's where it gets trickier. It would be relatively straightforward to mount either the RS42's or similar on-wall-mounted side surround speaker on the wall with the windows, however on the other side of the couch, there is no wall for another 15-20 feet. Options:

1) Mount RS42 (or 52 or 62) to wall on side of the room with windows. Buy/fabricate speaker stand to mount RS on other side of couch

- Pros: Probably best sound (?)

Least labor intensive (not opposed to doing some work however)

Get to keep the speakers when I sell the place (also easier to upgrade them if/when I decide to)

- Cons - potentially unsightly speaker stand sticking out like a sore thumb (?)

- where to run the wire to the speaker on the non-window side?

2) Purchase in-ceiling speakers to mount above couch (CDT-5800C)

- Pros - Least intrusive to living area

- Cons - Can't take them with me when I sell the place

Tougher to upgrade if/when I get the urge

Sound quality (?)

What do you guys think?

Thanks for your time.

Paul

[Youthman]

Like many homes, yours definitely offers some challenges. Your front three speakers are great, especially with the Z11. Unfortunately, there really isn't an ideal way to mount the RS-42's. They would need to go on the sides and with hardwood floors, you have no way of hiding the wires unless you purchased a big rug and ran the one wire underneath it. You could mount the other to the left of the two windows. I personally am not a big fan of inwall or in-ceiling speakers. I would buy a pair of RB-61's, RB-35's etc and mount them on your back wall. These will sound much better than inwall speakers.

You will likely want to add some items to help tame the echo in your room. My guess with the hard flat walls and hardwood, it might be a little too lively but that is only a guess.

Looks like you have a beautiful home to work with though, dispite the challenges of placement.

[caiazpa]

Youthman -

Thanks for your input. I checked out your Home Theater room link, its exactly what I would love to do, if only I had the space. In the meantime I will make due with what I have. Wish I had the RF83's and RC64! Beautiful setup.

Thanks for the compliments on the new home, also.

With respect to your other comments, I actually had been considering getting an area rug for around the sofa. If I get one large enough this would allow me to run the wire to the side surround beneath the rug. I'm trying to picture how the speaker would look on a stand next to the sofa. With respect to your comment about a 'lively' sound and adding items to reduce echo, what would you recommend?

For the rear surround speakers, I was planning on getting a console table for that wall, perhaps I could unobtrusively wall-mount a pair of speakers above that. I'll take a look at bookshelf speakers, I haven't researched these at all yet as i have been focusing on in-wall for the rear surround. As an aside, I find it ironic that I am looking for low visual impact surround speakers while I have a water-heater sized SVS subwoofer in the same room.

I love the Z11. I'm in the process of getting my 2nd and third zones set up. Zone 2 will be the garage, where I will ceiling mount 2 CDT-5800's and run composite video to an LCD. The 3rd zone will likely be my deck/patio.

[Youthman]

Thanks for the kind words.

I actually had been considering getting an area rug for around the sofa. If I get one large enough this would allow me to run the wire to the side surround beneath the rug.

I think that would be a great idea, especially if you plan on adding the RS-42's on stands.

I'm trying to picture how the speaker would look on a stand next to the sofa.

This is a rough edit and is in no way proportional but it may give you some idea of what it would look like in your room.

[wuzzzer]

Surrounds on stands next to your listening position would also get my vote.

[caiazpa]

Hey look at that! Thanks! It actually isn't all that bad looking at all...

The only thing about the wall-mounted RS42 near the window is that there is a light switch right there. I am planning on recessing a few more lights in the ceiling above the circular area, I could move the switch at that time without too much trouble. Or, alternatively, I could just put both speakers on stands. Food for thought.

Either way, thanks for taking your time to make up those pictures for me. Guess I need to search for an area rug!

[Youthman]

You are quite welcome. I'm a visual guy so I know photos help me. If you look in my build thread, you will see several times where I made mockups before mounting speakers to see how they would look prior to mounting them.