I am trying to plan how to install a surround system in my family room. The location of the tv is off center, well to the right of the wall, in a niche in the entertainment unit. There is a mantle above the TV. To the right of the tv is a hallway. The problem is, if the center channel is above the tv on the mantle, there is no place for the right channel to go, because there is a hallway there and one would walk into the speaker.
The right speaker could be placed at the top of the wall and angled down and this would provide enough spread between the center and right. . .
The question is, can front speakers be placed high? If the right channel is placed high and angled down, do the center and left also have to be placed high? Or if the right is high, should the left also be placed high, but the center still be at mantle height? I can't have all speakers at mantle height because of the weird room, so something has to be done. . .any help would be GREATLY appreciated, as I'm too ignorant to know what to do here.
BTW, the ceiling is a 9 foot ceiling or so, so that's how high I'm talking about mounting the speakers and angling them down.
Also, in regards to the surround speakers, it is my understanding they are supposed to be higher up. If they are also around 9 ft. up, should they be angled down as well, or should they just fire straight out from the wall?
I wouldnt recommend it. Some manufacturers like Magnepan will suffer from absolutly NO highs if you did this. They are so highly directive (good thing) that of the tweeter panels are not at ear level, you have a major loss of high frequency information. Electrostatic speakers are the same way.
Conventional drivers disperse sound a little more freely, but for the best imaging, you need to have the tweets at ear level.
Rule of thumb,unless its changed is for most speakers but not all is the tweeter should be at or about ear level for the front mains. If its changed,let me know the new way so i can change my B&W's.