Hello everyone,
well I bought myself some speakers. The vp150 and the QS8's as well as the wall brackets (swivel wall mounts). I would like some help with the placement of the surrounds.

The chairs are quite close to the walls I can only move them a max of 3 1/2 feet forward.
There is an archway between the two chairs, so they can't be moved further out from the side wall. The ceiling is about 9' high. There is a window by one chair, I don't think there is enough clearance (10") between the ceiling and top of the window to mount a speaker. The chairs are about 3' from the back wall and 3' from the side wall.

It is ok to mount the speakers on the back wall, close to the corner (about a foot from the corner? Will there be much of a difference if I put them there?

I would really appreciate some advice.

Thanks

Hi Graeme:
Can you post a photo or a diagram? I think it will help if everyone has a very accurate image of the room!

In general, though, the QS Series are VERY forgiving of mediocre placement due to their wide dispersion characteristics!

I was going to but it seems that you can't attatch an image and I don't have a web page to link the photo to.

Photobucket, imagstation, or mediafire are just a few free and easy to use photo hosting web pages. Just upload your photo and they host it for free and provide easy ways to copy the URL link so you don't have to try and figure it out.

Thanks.

Here are a couple of photo's....

I think I would try them back there and you could just use the 'T' bracket they come with. If you like the way it sounds you are done, if you don't like it then I would suggest trying them slightly in front of the listening position above the pictures and slightly adjust the present speakers to the rear a little closer in to the middle away from the corner giving you a 7.1 system, then again the 7.1 system may just work very well with the rear speakers the way they are.

I would also consider placing them to the side of the chairs, maybe slightly in front of, on the side wall, versus behind you....

I would start where you have your current speakers and experiment with other locations if they don't work there.

Thanks for the replies, I should have mentioned the current rear speakers will not be used. The QS8's will be replacing them.

It is critical that the position is correct, I rent and although I have been here for 17 years the landlord would not like the idea of me drilling 3 or 4 sets of holes in the walls.

Any suggestions on how to place them temporarily so I don't have to drill holes until I have them where I want them?

When you say just in front do you mean here where I have the crosses

Also I forgot to ask, what height is best? I have read that its best to have them at or just above ear height. does that apply with these speakers?


Thanks

Hey Graeme, you could temporarily use a couple of ladders to try various heights and locations. I'm thinking by having them to the sides, maybe slightly in front of the chairs, the rear tweeter will then bounce off of the back wall, giving you a very enveloping sound. Or, you may find the current position to be a nice spot. The quadpolar design of the Q's really wraps you in the action, so they are very forgiving on placement. I think 2-6ft above your ears are ideal for these speakers, I have mine 7ft off the floor, but have two rows of seating.

Side placement of the QS series is preffered but not mandatory. Like sirquack mentioned in the above post, these speakers are very forgiving to placement. Axiom recommends the speakers to be placed 1-5 feet above the listeners ears. I just measured the height of my QS4 and they are 7 and 1/4 from the floor and around 3 feet from ear level.

Good luck in placement,

Dr. House

I experimented like sirquack recommends (good suggestion if you can) and found that for a 5.1 setup my QS speakers worked best in the corners aimed so that the tweeters fired parallel to the rear and side walls. I felt this created a better rear surround effect without compromising the sounds coming from the sides. When I tried them closer to the sides of the couch sounds that were coming from the rear didn’t sound as far behind especially for people sitting on the ends of the couch.

I have mine at about 7.5' as well. I tested them a bit lower and honestly didn't find a lot of difference (the "forgiveness factor") so I moved them up a little higher to be sure that no one would bump them accidentally when walking near to the walls.

Graeme, it's a good idea when the speaker setup is 5.1(without back surround speakers for a 7.1 setup)that the side surround speakers be placed a little(say 2')farther back rather than directly to the side of the listening position. This lends a little bit of a "phantom" back surround image in the absence of actual back surround speakers. They should be separated as widely as possible on the back wall and about 2-3' above ear level.

Thank you all very much for the advice I will grab a couple of ladders from work.

I would prefer to have them near the corner, as you can see from the diagram there is a bit more room behind the chairs.

Our chairs are about 2 1/2 feet from the back wall and about the same from the side wall. I maybe able to move them another foot but any more than that and the little woman will have a hissy fit

I might try them in the corner first as grunt suggested. they will be about 3 feet higher than the listening position.

I am also considering using one of my Yamaha bookshelf speakers a a center rear? Would this make much of a difference?

Graeme, on the back wall about 2 1/2' behind the listening position should be excellent. My suggestion would be separating them so as to be just 6" or so from, but not in, the corner and facing directly forward.

Since there's so little room behind you to the wall to form a rear soundfield, it's not likely that using one(or preferably two)back surround speaker in essentially the same plane as the QSs would be of significant benefit. You can, of course, experiment with a temporary setup.

Thanks for the advice, just so I am clear...

Place them on the rear wall facing the TV, 6" from the corner?

I was hoping to get to them today but ran out of time, I managed to get the VP150 setup and in place, but I have to re- calibrate the Amp before I can play with the rears.

Yes, even though they're mounted on the back wall, they're still side surrounds and should be positioned as far to the side of the listening position as possible.

When facing forward toward the TV the inboard tweeter is aimed more or less directly at the listening position, while the outboard tweeter bounces off the nearby side wall, to good effect. Incidentally, judging from your diagram, a sidewall mounting about 6" from the back wall is feasible and should be similarly good.

Thank you, I will be playing with them Tomorrow night, I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks again

Well the ladders I was going to use are not good enough, I cannot fit the speakers between the rungs and each ladder is a different height. I have them sort of setup facing forward near the corner.

I am going to watch Master and Commander tonight to see how they sound.
Stay tuned

You'll have to try that movie once you get the EP500

You read my mind, I just finished watching the movie and it sounded terrific although it lacked a good sub. My Sound Dynamics sub just does not cut it.

I had the QS8's about 1 ft from the corner and facing forward for part of the movie, They sounded really good. I then changed them and put them on the side wall about 1 ft from the corner, to me they sounded a little better. The VP 150 sure does a great job.

I am now wondering if it would be worth my while to have my Yammy BS speakers on the rear wall making a 7.1 setup.
I have yet another question for those of you that still have patience...

I read in the 661 manual that I can have "Presence" speakers. In the manual they are setup on the outsides of the main front speakers, so in effect you have 4 front main sperakers. What is the reason for this and is there any real benefit in having this sort of setup?

On the subject of the manual, I remembered why know one ever reads the bloody things, trying to find information is a nightmare and you have to be a rocket scientist the understand most of it, which is a pitty as I'm only a brain surgeon

I would try them, good luck.

Graeme - If you've got the extra speakers, I don't think there is a good reason not to use them. I suspect, however, that the added benefit will be fairly minimal (compared to the difference of adding 2 surround speakers to a 3.1 system)

Personally, if I had the speakers, I would probably use them unless there are other non-audio reasons not to (i.e. they don't look good mounted on the rear wall)

Jason

Well at the risk of divorce, I have explained to the little lady that it will make a big difference (hope I'm not wrong)

And anyway, I am the boss of this house and I will do the dishes anyway I want

LOL. We live by the same rules. Congrats on ruling your roost.

Jason