QS8s Placement - Axiom Message Boards

How close to the ceiling can these be mounted if mounted flush on the vertical wall? 3.25 inches?

That will probably cause problems with the upward-facing speaker on the 8. Muffling, reflection, that sort of thing. Per the QS8 Owner's manual you want to keep them a minimum of 12" below the ceiling.

QS8 Owner's Manual

I was under the impression that 5 - 6" of clearance is fine for the top woofer?

I think in my theatre I am planning for 6" clearance on one side because of a soffit. the other side has about 2 feet of clearance.

Edit:

Also, why would axiom recommend 12 inches of clearance in their manual and then sell a ceiling bracket that looks like it gives no more than 5"?

I think the manual should be edited..

You want to allow enough room for the top driver to breath. Many of us have our Qs8's around 4-6" from the ceiling and they work fine.

Quote:

That will probably cause problems with the upward-facing speaker on the 8. Muffling, reflection, that sort of thing. Per the QS8 Owner's manual you want to keep them a minimum of 12" below the ceiling.
QS8 Owner's Manual

I think you mean dolby's recommendation, I copied this from the manual you posted.

Quote:

Dolby Labs specify that with side-wall placement, the surrounds may
be located up to 20 degrees to the rear of your couch or chair relative to an imaginary line across the listening area. Keep the surrounds atleast 1 foot or more away from the ceiling, so the top-mounted woofer’s
output is not compromised.

I had a height concern as well and both Alan and Ian told me only 3-4 inches is needed. Again from the manual here,

Quote:

The Quadrants top and bottom-radiating woofers need clearance to
properly distribute sound over a wide area. If you must position them on the top of a bookcase, get extra-tall rubber feet to elevate the bottom woofer at least an inch above the surface below it. Axiom owners report quite good results using the latter approach.

Also the pic in the manual shows Axiom mounting them fairly close as well. You should be fine, give them a call...

My info was sourced from Axioms' own Owner's Manual. Looks like they contradicted their own advice. They should probably edit that bit.

Hi,

When I wrote it, long before the appearance of the Full Metal Ceiling Bracket, it was a conservative suggestion. I just didn't want customers forgetting about the top-firing woofer and jamming the QS8 or QS4 up next to the ceiling.

In fact, the QS8/QS4s are really forgiving of virtually any crazy placement. Certainly 4 or 5 inches is sufficient for the upward-firing woofer to benefit from the ceiling reflections.

Would the surround soundfield benefit more from greater placement away from the ceiling? Maybe, because there will be a greater number of reflections from different parts of the ceiling and other surfaces if the upper driver is farther away. But when I move my own QS8s into different positions, I have trouble hearing any significant differences.

Regards,