I appologize if this question has been posted before as I usually follow the receiver & speaker forums, not the HT ones as much.
HERE IS THE SITUATION... I am just about to get married and move into a brand new house that we are building. As you can imagine, I must stay within the WAF (wife approval factor) for the time being
I have a H/K 325 and Infinity Entra 7.2 (Entra 1 fronts, Entra .5 surrounds and 2 10" Entra subs) Surround setup and plan to temporarily install it in my living room (approx 15X20) until I can build the home theater in the basement (about 1-1/2+ years)
I have already convinced her to allow the TV to be placed in the center of the wall and the couch directly across from it, offset from the wall a few feet for a walkway. (Of course this is for optimal sound-staging, but she thinks it's for athstetics... as she would like the TV put in the corner)
MY QUESTION IS WITH TEH SPEAKERS THOUGH: As she will kill me if I drill holes in the wall to place speaker brackets, I need to find a way to place the speakers without damaging anything... What is the thought on placing speakers on the floor next to the couch and facing AWAY from the listening position? Will this cause too much of the "BOSE Effect" where the sound will all mesh into one and not give good imaging? What about with the 2 rear channels?... should I just go with 5.2 right now rather then throw even more into the mix with the extra 2 channels
I have already thoughT about speaker stands, and that MIGHT happen... but I'm sure she will not be too keen on the idea for starters as she doesn't even want any of the equipment in the living room. (Of course she loves watching movies with the surround though... go figure)
Given your conditions, the optimal set-up would be to place the surround speakers on stands with speakers directed toward the listeners. Small speakers on the floor directed away from the listener will result in poor imaging and out-of-phase sound. I would consult with your fiancee about the set-up, explaining the benefits, and ask her if she wants to go shopping for stands together. Hopefully, the two of you can find attractive, functional stands that make both of you happy.
Here are some bargaining points if that doesn't work:
--The two rear speakers are just bells and whistles. You should be willing to give them up. You can get the benefits of surround sound with a 5.1 system, which brings me to...
--Do you really need two subs for a room that size? My guess is not. Be ready to concede one of the subs for the two surround speakers on stands, which are more important.
--If she doesn't like any speaker stands, maybe you can agree to place the surrounds on plant stands or other decorative stand at ear level that she can accept. Not ideal, but much better than having the speakers on the floor pointed away from listeners. You can even put the speakers on the floor when not in use and on the stands only when in use.
What you have mentioned is pretty much what I had thought of...
There may actually be a plant stand or 2 in the back of the room whenthe decorating is done and may end up being where they go.
I am definitely willing to give up the rear surrounds as teh H/K receiver offers second room outputs and I may utilize the two speakers with this output.
Do I need the two subs? no. Will I end op using both in the room? Probably not. Why did I purchase the second one? I got a REALLY good deal on them when Infinity was placing them on Ebay as they were brining thier new line of speakers in. I was a serious car stereo fanatic until a few years ago and am used to TONS of bass, but realize there is no need for that type of output in a home theater. When I do the dedicated theater in the basement, they will both be used there. In the mean time, probably used in the second-room setup.
Currently I am doing the "moving the speakers when needed" option since I am located on a VERY small back porch and that was already discussed, altohugh I would prefer something a bit more permanent.
Thanks for the input.
At least I know I wasn't missing any of the obvious options
Hopefully that dedicated theater will come sooner rather than later!
