Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Need help deciding where to place surrounds.

After deciding between going with sub or surrounds first I decided on surrounds just so I can get the wiring done and out of the way. I'm just not sure if I should do 5.1 or 6.1 based on the room layout. I just bought a house and will be closing on the 28th of Feb. Yay!!! I have a few pics of the room which I took the other day (the owner still lives there and thats his furniture and tv in the pics). By the way I do not have website to host pics, is there another way to post pics? Just wanted opinions where the surrounds should go on which wall and how far back, etc. Help me post pics!

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Thanks! Doing that now!

Ok, here are 3 links to 3 diff pics showing the side and rear of the room. I'm just not sure if I should put them on sides or rear because I have only limited options with small opening on side and big opening of room to the kitchen.
Pic1
Pic2
Pic3

Is the TV going to be staying where it is in the pictures? if so then I would go with just a 5.1 system and the 2 surrounds on the back wall as the beam is a little too high for most peoples taste.

Eric
If the listening position is across the large opening separating the kitchen and entertainment room, given you have an opening on the right that makes it difficult to put both surrounds to the side of your listenning position, I'd recommend placing then as the former owner has only lower them so the bottom of the speakers are flush (or nearly so) with the openning (to allow space between the top of your surroiounds and the ceiling).

Enjoy your new house - Paul

I'm a little confused, can someone put a mark on the pics showing what they are talking about (where qs8 would go)? I was thinking side walls such as where the window is (either above the window or between the window and fireplace)and where that brown furniture is on the other side at the right opening which will not be there since its the owner's stuff. Also I have the rear wall to play with but not much rear wall at the left unless I want the speakers too high near the ceiling (I wonder if the wall brackets axiom makes can be fliped so you can mount it on the wall but bring the speaker lower?). I will also have to decide on seating and where to put the couch and recliners (how far back from kitchen,etc). Oh yeah by the way I noticed the owner already has rear speakers at the ceiling in the corners, and its BOSE. YUCK!!

Eric, it depends on where you're going to be sitting, and that might depend on how big your TV will be, among other factors. If it'll be at the back edge of the carpet in pic 1, then the left surround has a place at the top edge of that window, but on the right side opposite that would be that open passageway. Maybe the present owner didn't go far wrong on the surrounds(excepting the brand, of course)and as Paul suggests, place the QS8s a foot or so lower than his speakers, and pointing straight toward the front without any tilt.

So its best to have the speakers on the back wall behind you rather than on the side wall in front of you? I plan on seating closer to the fireplace, not all the way to the carpet. I have a pic of my present system in my bedroom now (that will be moving to the living room in this house). By the way, the tv is 50 inch widescreen. I'll take better pics of the living room on 28th of Feb when the closing of the house and I can move in. Here is the current room system. Current system