I'm building a new home with a dedicated theater included. I don't have a ton of space, so the room ended up roughly 11x18. I plan on using a 6.1 setup for speakers. (Not included on the picture is a sub that I will add to the system.) I have a few concerns about how it is layed out.

1. My rear couch will be positioned roughly a foot from the side and rear walls (please view the included pic.) Will this be a problem if I choose something like QS4's for surround/rear speakers?

2. The side speaker on the left side of the picture will be placed on a 12" wall next to a cabinet. With this setup, it won't have a wall directly to one side of the speaker. Will this pose much of a problem?

If it would turn out better, I'm not totally against using a in-ceiling or in-wall setup, but I'd prefer not to. How do you think this will work out? Thanks in advance for any advice I can get.

Hi Nick, welcome.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. The QS series speakers are really quite forgiving relative to placement. I would very strongly suggest that you use either the QS4 or QS8's and figure out a mounting method that works in your room. They are terrific speakers.

Some people (sirquack, in particular) have had wonderful success ceiling-mounting the QS8's. Likewise, the Axiom Full Metal Bracket can give you some more options if that skinny wall won't accommodate the full width of the speaker.

My only concern is how very close the second row is to the back wall. My experience under similar circumstances was fine relative to the surround effects, but left quite a bit to be desired relative to the main soundstage (reflections from the back wall muddied the image quite a bit). Likewise, you should probably try to ensure that your mains are a bit closer to the middle of the room (rather than the side walls). My understanding is that early side reflections compromise sonic imaging quite a bit. You may want to consider moving the entire seating arrangement a bit closer to the screen, and/or considering the application of some sound-absorbing treatments on the side walls betweent the mains and the primary listening position.

Good luck! We like pictures!

If possible, it would be nice to leave a little bit more room between the rear couch and rear speaker. Are you going to build a platform for the rear seating? I also assume your going to put a projector back near the back wall? It might be nice to move the couches up a few feet, and have a walk way behind the back couch so you can reach the projector. You could put a lamp in the corner.

The drawing is not to scale I assume, I'm worried your screen will be about 8ft wide, which might be to small for 18ft back seating.

I would not look at in-wall speakers, for surround, stick with the Q series 8's if you can afford them. Purchase from the factory outlet to get the 10% savings. Not being on a wall will not cause any problems, 3 of my Qs8's have no wall behind them.

Ditto what they said.

If aesthetics dictate that you must place the couch up against the back wall, then the QS4 should do just fine. It does a very good job of dispersing sound. This, coupled with the down-firing mid-range woofers means that you won't miss surroudn back pans that might fly right over your head if you were using a traditional direct firing speaker.

I agree with sirquack, though. If you can afford to give the couch some breathing room from the wall, the space will pay off in a much nicer and fuller rear section.

Congrats and welcome, again. Also, factory outlet is highly recommended. That's how I did mine. Not a scratch on a single piece.

Pictures not recommended, they are required...Have fun building!