RF-7's behind screen

[customsteve01]

I'm sitting here at work kind of bored and was thinking about the design of my HT. The wife has said that she would not like to see any of the speakers in the theatre. I would like them to be in full view but I'm willing to compromise.

Using 3 RF-7s as my LCR I could build a box behind the screen that they would set on.

The question is. With the RF-7 having a rear port they need room behind and around them. How deep would the box need to be to accommodate the speakers and not take away the bass?

I understand that it might not be advisable to do this but I was just wondering if it was even an option.

Dont laugh at my drawing. All I have at work to draw this out on is MS Paint.

Steve

[meuge]

I would think that if the port was 1.5-2 feet away from the wall it would be enough.

You shouldn't care about losing a little bit of bass beyond that, simply because I figure it'll be sufficiently reproduced by your subwoofer(s).

Another option would be to use RB-75s (which are front ported) and maybe heftier sub(s)... I suggest a pair, Klipsch THX Ultra2 or otherwise.

P.S. I have never liked the sound of downfiring subs, regardless of the application, so I recommend you don't use them (unless you already have).

[ygmn]

since you will have space for speaker to breath in between the speakers...the room behind port does not have to be large...

I would say anywheres from 2-4 times port diameter.....

With speakers in this Alcove...I would not toe them in but put the sides as far to each side as possible...it should sound good...ecspecialy with a sub or two in between the L & C and then maybe C & R...hedhehe

[customsteve01]

Thanks Mauge and ygmn,

I was thinking of using the 3 RF-7's and the 2 ultra subs.

While the RF-7's would be behind the screen the subs would be built into the wall or stage below the screen. I want to use the RB-7's or RC-7's as my surounds and rears.

I really like the way m00n has his set up. I am waiting to see what he does with the RC-7's, as far as them having rear ports.

Steve

[DrWho]

I personally would put the mains outside of the screen and you could cover them with grill cloth (perhaps lined up with the edge of the screen so that the grill cloth looks like a black border along the screen? does that make sense?)

I think I would also construct new cabinets or rework your current cabinet to be front ported. In doing so, I would make the end result a "flush-mounted" cabinet which actually increases the low end response of the speaker. There are some considerations to take into account to avoid any annoying resonances coming from the cavity that you put the speaker in. You'll also need a little EQ to flatten out the extra bass response you get from a flush-mounted setup. This is a good thing though because it reduces distortion at the same SPL's. Similar considerations would be taken for the center channel, but if you make the cavity large enough, then you can avoid the whole flush-mounting business. I would still put the port towards the front. I know all this is a bit extreme and I haven't shared any details, but it really would be the ideal situation for any setup...not just one that needs to be out of sight. If you want more info and the numbers let me know, otherwise this post can just drift into oblivion

Btw, you might also want to contact klipsch and ask them what solutions they might recommend for your rear port issue. Do you already own the speakers? If not, the RB-75 might be a good compromise (and if you flush mount them, you'll get even better bass response).

Btw, even though you might crossover your mains around 80Hz, it's still good to have available output at least an octave below so as to maintain a more seamless transition between the mains and the subs. The effects of flush-mounting start around 100Hz and increase as you go lower...which means your subs would benefit as well. The problem with all this is that you'll have to get everything in the right spot on the first try, lest you end up with lots of holes in the walls.