Rear speaker height - speaker stands too low??

[admin_exported]

Most of what I've read about the correct height for rear speakers in a 5.1 setup says that they should be positioned about 2 feet above ear level. I have also read that the best things to mount your speakers on are speaker stands. I have yet to come across a speaker stand which would position the speakers 2 feet above ear level. Pictures in the glossy magazines and catalogs always seem to have rear speakers on the same stands as the fronts - thereby placing them at the same "ear level" as the fronts.

What is the correct level, and how is this achieved if you don't want to wall mount your surround speakers?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Ideally you should have your rear speakers at around 6ft+ high, behind you, and toed in towards your listening positoning (firing downwards, too, if they're wall mounted). This gives you a very cinematic effect - especially for 'flyover' surround action.

To achieve this without wall-mounting, you can buy different heights of speaker stands if you've traditional-style speakers, and most style speakers come with an option of matching extendable/adjustable stands.

But don't get too hung up on it - it's still far more important to have decent kit that suits your room than worry about the 'perfect' set-up if it simply doesn't fit into your life. Just keep the speakers above/behind the back of the sofa, firing towards you and you'll be fine!

(We just love those catalogue shots - never a wire in sight, is there?!)

 

[Anonymous]

I know - what a wonderful world they live in!

The speakers I'm looking at getting are the B&W 685 theatre package (any comments on these as a 5.1 package would be great), so they're not style speakers. I'd rather not wall mount them as I don't think the room is suitable for traditional speakers sticking out of the walls.

Will I suffer much if I just have the four L/R speakers on the same (B&W) stands - at the same height?

 

[Clare Newsome]

We haven't tested the package yet, but as it's based on our Product of the Year speakers (and B&W has a strong sub reputation) it's got great potential.

You'll be fine with the same stands, though you won't get the height of some effects (this doesn't bother most people anyway). Just make sure the stands are behind your listening position and the speakers toed in towards you.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the advice Clare - you've put my mind at ease!

 

[professorhat]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
Just make sure the stands are behind your listening position and the speakers toed in towards you.
[/quote]

Arghh! I thought I was decided on the system I wanted and then I saw this! Thing is, I'd like to get the B&W 685 speakers as my fronts and rears and HTM62 centre. However, the rears are going to have to be in line with the sofa i.e. not behind so I was thinking they'd just need to be toed in completely i.e. facing directly at my ears at about a distance of 2-3 feet (obviously the surround amp would be aware of this).

Can anyone foresee problems with this set up? I don't want to spend loads of money and waste a system like this, so if this isn't going to work, I might as well plump for a style package. If necessary, I'll try and visit a dealer and see what this setup sounds like, but wondered if anyone has any opinion. The other option is of course wall mounting the rear 685s but I'm loathed to do that!

 

[Andrew Everard]

Are there side walls either side of your sofa, ie behind the speaker positions to each side of your sofa?

If so, I'd substitute a pair of B&W DS3s for the 685s on the rear channels, use them in dipole mode, and enjoy the enveloping surround they can deliver by creating a wash of sound along the side walls.

You could use them on tall stands - the likes of Atacama, Apollo and Target all do 1m tall stands, which will be more suitable than the usual 60cm 'standard' stands for these speakers.

 

[professorhat]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the reply, thought I'd draw a quick diagram of my living room as it's easier than describing it!

[Image removed]In the words of Doc Brown, please excuse the crudity of the drawing, I didn't have time to do it to scale! But you get the general idea. Obviously, it shows where I was thinking of putting the 685s. The other plan would be to get some wall mountable speakers and place either where the Missions currently are or perhaps either side of the window at the back (got around 2' 2" to play with either side of the window).

I could re-arrange to try and fit the 685s in, but since I only re-arranged to get everything in this order a few weeks back, I'd rather not!!

Thanks again!

 

[professorhat]

Hi Andrew - any comments on the speakers in my set up above? Do you think the 685s would work in the position indicated above or would I be better going for the DS3s on the wall? I am intending to go and demo the 685s as they would need to be in my room above first, but would be interested in your opinion.

Many thanks.

 

[professorhat]

Well, after 1.5 hours in the listening room at my local Sevenoaks today, I've finally gone for B&W 685 fronts, an HTM62 centre and M1 rears. The M1s being in the style package range are much smaller and allow me to place them behind the sofa, but still on the proper B&W stands (rather than wall mounting). Having auditioned the 686s as rears placed next to the sofa and directed at a 90 degree angle i.e directly towards the ears, it just seemed the sound-stage was all wrong, the rears just being too aggressive and not fully immersive, despite a lot of tweaking with delay and volume output. Although the 686s still sounded good, it just couldn't quite compete with the total immersion of having the M1s behind the sofa.

Just wanted to say, thanks for the advice I've received over the last few weeks on this and I'm looking forward to many a movie with my new system, and also re-listening to a load of my CDs! Also, thanks to Sevenoaks for their patience as I tested and also doing me a great deal, effectively giving me £160 worth of speaker wire for free!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Clare

I have just joined the forum and am buying a new system after reading the reviews.

Unfortunately the other items im buying i cant find on the site could you please have a look and direct me in the right way if there are changes.

Marantz Pm 6002 Amp £230

Dali Lektor 1 £250

Soundstyle Z1 speaker stands or Soundstyle ST122 £99.95 0r £102.50

Denon ASD-11R Ipod dock £69.95

Monitor audio pureflow Bi wire speaker cable £ 10 per metre

Appreciate your help

Many thanks

Brian