Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater lighting and speaker enclosures

I picked up the summer issue of a magazine called "Home Entertainment and Design" the other day. It was focussed primarily on the looks of HT systems, rather than performance, but I did see some really cool looking stuff and got some ideas I might try.

Questions:

-What is the purpose of having that subtle backlighting/uplighting around and behind the screen?
-Do you leave that stuff on while watching a movie, or what?
-If I had a pro do a built-in ent. unit in my media niche (or did it myself) and put my M60s in screened enclosures, how much is that going to degrade their sound?
-How big would those enclosures need to be to give adequate breathing room?
-Anybody ever heard a sub playing from a screened enclosure?
-How much vertical clearance do QS8s top and bottom firing drivers need?
-Using M2s or M3s as rear surrounds in 6.1 or 7.1, is it necessary to provide some space behind them to allow breathing room for their ports?

I got some more but I reckon that's enough for now. Many thanks people.

I think the soft backlighting is supposed to improve perceived black levels.

I'm interested in the nature of BigWill's questions too. While I don't want to "step on his thread", I'd like to take the liberty of adding a similar question of my own.

My RPTV is a Mitsubishi 55" tabletop model (yeah, really). It has a really skinny "top" because it is tapered on the back. Consequently, I can't put a center channel on top without doing something overly creative. The set sits on a custom cabinet that includes space for components and an open niche in the center (under the TV) in which my current center channel sits.

The problems are that I've basically got a speaker sitting inside a wood box (diffraction and resonance horrors, no doubt - try to contain the willies if you can). And that it is only about 20" wide - to narrow to accommodate a VP150.

I'd appreciate comments about whether I am dithering unnecessarily and suggestions for any mitigating measures I might take to improve the current situation. Foam? Concrete? Stuff the surrounding and back areas with something? Hang the speaker from the inside of the "box"?

Why not buy a small speaker stand and put the center on that in front of the tv. You could have it permanent or just tuck away the center in the cabinet and put the stand in a closet or something when you dont want it there.

- What is the purpose of having that subtle backlighting/uplighting around and behind the screen?

Jason got it right, and it’s often called “bias lighting.”


- Do you leave that stuff on while watching a movie, or what?

I played around with some bias lighting when I hung our beloved 120” screen, but eventually concluded that it did not make a significant difference in our setup.


- If I had a pro do a built-in ent. unit in my media niche (or did it myself) and put my M60s in screened enclosures, how much is that going to degrade their sound?

I would say: To the extent that you won’t like the M60’s very much anymore.


- Anybody ever heard a sub playing from a screened enclosure?

As long as the enclosure is located where the sub works well for the room in the first place, I believe enclosing it won’t have too much adverse effects for bass frequencies.


- How much vertical clearance do QS8s top and bottom firing drivers need?

If it were me, I would give at least 6-8” but it might not be very critical.


- Using M2s or M3s as rear surrounds in 6.1 or 7.1, is it necessary to provide some space behind them to allow breathing room for their ports?

Definitely, even if the speakers are or front-ported or sealed. The larger the clearance behind the better they sound. I would say 3-4” absolute minimum.

Thank you, Sushi. No enclosure for the M60s in your opinion (mine too I think), lighting is moot (especially since I don't yet have a projector of any type), and the QS8s need at least 4" or so.

To go 6.1 (with dual rears), or 7.1, I would need to do an asymetrical speaker set up.

More questions:

-QS8s would be better used as sides rather than rears, if I had only one pair, correct?
-Would QS4s as rears be superior to conventional bookshelves in an asymetrical set up (hybrid tweeters vs 1" tweeters).
-How seriously should I take the Denon manuals suggestion to not place speakers further than 16' away?
-Can the non-ported VP100 be used as a rear surround? side surround? (that would be ideal due to room constrictions - one on top of the mantle and the other under the overhanging bar in the kitchen).
-In the above scenario the QS8s would be rear surrounds. From what I've heard about 6.1 and 7.1, this would be a waste, no?

Thanks again, people.

Bigwill, any type of speaker can be used in any configuration for surround speakers.
I had the opportunity to try out M22s vs. QS8s as surround in both the side and behind positions.
The link to my thoughts on this can be found here in this old post.
I have yet to place my VP150 in the rear as my siixth channel but it has been done as well by others.
The suggestions for surrounds are usually placing them first (one pair) on the wall, to the sides, slightly forward and above.
As for the back rears, i would say slightly above but potentially angled if they are direct radiating as opposed to the multidirectional style.
I personally feel the multidirectional speakers are WAY easier to place but certainly direct speakers can be equally as effective with some tweaking.
Using all VP100s for side and rear surrounds actually sounds quite interesting.

Chess has covered much already; I will just add a couple of points...

-Would QS4s as rears be superior to conventional bookshelves in an asymetrical set up (hybrid tweeters vs 1" tweeters).

Regardless of the tweeter driver, the QS surrounds (thanks to its quad-pole configuration) are more forgiving on less-than-ideal placements than directs.


-How seriously should I take the Denon manuals suggestion to not place speakers further than 16' away?

I have no idea why Denon specifically recommends that way. I wouldn't care anyway.


-Can the non-ported VP100 be used as a rear surround? side surround? (that would be ideal due to room constrictions - one on top of the mantle and the other under the overhanging bar in the kitchen).

You can certainly do that, but as the side surrounds, I believe that the QS's will do better job in general, especially in reproducing ambience.

Thanks, guys. I was hoping to hear from both of you. Kinda drunk now.

Hey Will - in which delightful nectar are you inbibing this evening? Personally, I was highly satisfied by the Full Sail Amber Ale I just finished. I'm a big fan of regional craft breweries.