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Help me choose surround speakers for 5.1.2 setup and placement


Mantas

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Hey everyone,  it's my first time posting here, and my first time building a home theater. I've done lots of research and yet still can't decide for which type of surround speakers to go with. 

The room I have is tricky for creating a home theater at least in my opinion. It's an English basement that measures 12x24ft with 9ft ceilings.

I am committed to build a 5.1.2 system with the space that I'm able to use. I'm basically splitting the basement in half for home theater and leaving the other half for other things.

I must use the long wall for surround speakers and will have a sectional against that wall. That limits my options for surrounds and their placement, I can't have them on stands to the sides, because the sectional will be pushed against the wall and corner, and even if I did manage to squeeze a speaker on stand, it would be too close to someones ear who's sitting closest to it.

As I understand, my only option is to hang or mount the surrounds on the wall equal distance apart and above ear level.

Big question is what type of speakers to buy. Bookshelf or bipole, and where to place them exactly on that wall? I'm really stuck at this point, would really appreciate everyone's input, and who knows, it might help someone in the future with a similar situation.

Please see the pictures attached, as it is much easier to show than explain it all. If you have an idea, please don't hesitate to draw and add on to my pictures of where you think it's best to place the speakers, it would really help a lot. I know the room is far from ready acoustically, but that will come last.

 

The current speakers I have so far are:

RP-8000F

RP-450C

 

I will also need to decide on which Atmos speakers and sub(s), but that's another topic. For the receiver I will be choosing Marantz.

 

Thank you all.

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I would set the right surround on the little jut-out and then buy or fabricate a mount for the left one to place it the same height, each facing inward.

 

For surrounds you'll want to go with something like the RP-402S or RP-502S.

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15 hours ago, wuzzzer said:

I would set the right surround on the little jut-out and then buy or fabricate a mount for the left one to place it the same height, each facing inward.

 

For surrounds you'll want to go with something like the RP-402S or RP-502S.

 

Hey there! Can you clarify, I'm a bit confused. Doesn't the RP-402's/502's just hang flush on the wall because they're bipole? How would I have them facing inward? The only way I can think of facing speakers inward would be bookshelf speakers on mounts. Thanks.

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While Dolby does recommend using monopole speakers for your side and rear surrounds (they say it helps position the sounds more accurately in the 3 dimensional space), I'm using bipole speakers for my side surrounds and I personally don't think it interferes with Dolby Atmos. But it probably comes down to personal taste, and I don't have anything to compare it to. I think a lot of people are still using biopole speakers on the side surrounds from their previous 5 and 7.1 setups. I also think the bipole speakers are a better choice if the side surrounds will be quite close to you.

 

But I do recommend that you use monopole speakers for your rear surrounds if possible. 

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On 11/9/2019 at 6:40 PM, inMotionGraphics said:

While Dolby does recommend using monopole speakers for your side and rear surrounds (they say it helps position the sounds more accurately in the 3 dimensional space), I'm using bipole speakers for my side surrounds and I personally don't think it interferes with Dolby Atmos. But it probably comes down to personal taste, and I don't have anything to compare it to. I think a lot of people are still using biopole speakers on the side surrounds from their previous 5 and 7.1 setups. I also think the bipole speakers are a better choice if the side surrounds will be quite close to you.

 

But I do recommend that you use monopole speakers for your rear surrounds if possible. 

 

 

How close would be too close for surrounds? I'm leaning towards monopole speakers, thinking of mounting them up on the wall and facing them inward, optimally how far apart should they be?

Edited by Mantas
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13 hours ago, Mantas said:

How close would be too close for surrounds?

 

I would say anything under 1.5 meters would be too close (I'm about 1.7m from my closest side surround and 1.6m from my closest rear surround in my secondary seat/off center), however, I re-read your original post and see now that you're forced to mount your surrounds on the rear wall and that you'll be sitting right up against the rear wall. This obviously isn't ideal, but many people have made a setup like this work. I've heard experts recommend using bipole speakers for rear surrounds when you are up against the wall, and using absorption rather than diffusion for wall treatments on the rear wall.

 

But if you are leaning towards monopole speakers on the rear wall, then I'd say go for it. They will anyway be the right speakers for rear surrounds if you change rooms and move your couch away from the rear wall.

 

I also recommend familiarizing yourself with Dolby's recommendations here: https://www.dolby.com/us/en/speaker-setup-guides/index.html

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