Quake3World

where do you learn these things? some books or something?

Chupacabra wrote:where do you learn these things? some books or something?

books, conversations, discussions, and years and years of listening. i'm not saying i'm always right, i'm just trying to share what i've learned - take it as you may.

+JuggerNaut+ wrote:typically if you got a home theater in a box. you're assuming that they'd be the same SIZE, i'm not. you can get the same voicing from different size cabinets as long as the drivers/ribbons/etc are close to the timbre of another given pair or the exact same model. you can have a killer surround system that doesn't audibly differ in timbre from one end of the room to another and yet have a great set of mains for two channel listening.

also, the idea of "overpowering" just because of size is incorrect. if you use a db meter and set them at reference levels, you'll not get that.

You're assuming that NS is going to run out and buy a DB meter and set up his home audio system. You're also assuming he's going to buy different types of speakers for front, rear, mid and center staging and that he'll be purchasing compatible speakers that won't offset surround sound effects.

I think you're forgetting that NS said he wanted a surrond sound system.

YourGrandpa wrote:

+JuggerNaut+ wrote:typically if you got a home theater in a box. you're assuming that they'd be the same SIZE, i'm not. you can get the same voicing from different size cabinets as long as the drivers/ribbons/etc are close to the timbre of another given pair or the exact same model. you can have a killer surround system that doesn't audibly differ in timbre from one end of the room to another and yet have a great set of mains for two channel listening.

also, the idea of "overpowering" just because of size is incorrect. if you use a db meter and set them at reference levels, you'll not get that.

You're assuming that NS is going to run out and buy a DB meter and set up his home audio system. You're also assuming he's going to buy different types of speakers for front, rear, mid and center staging and that he'll be purchasing compatible speakers that won't offset surround sound effects.

I think you're forgetting that NS said he wanted a surrond sound system.

i was directly addressing:

When you build a surround sound system all of the speakers are typically the same, except for the sub woofer/amplifier. Tower speakers are not usually a part of the surround sound environment because they tend to over power and offset the staging of the other surround sound speakers.

not NS's situation.

Stay on topic then.

YourGrandpa wrote:Stay on topic then.

i already said that!!!

I think the easiest thing for me to do is going to be take a couple pics of my living room.
That will answer many of your questions faster than me typing. In brief, I have a relatively small living room with a vaulted ceiling. I have a sectional that can't move much, and a big TV that's pretty much fixed as well. One of the walls is mostly windows, and the other (you'll see what I mean about there only being two walls when I post pix) has a fireplace. The layout is going to make postioning the rear speakers a pain in the ass.

Are your walls block or wood frame?

It may not matter as you have a vaulted ceiling.

Have you been up in the attic and looked at the space over the living room?

Can you get over all of the walls that you want to put speakers on from the attic?

Because your best bet is going to be running the wires through the attic and down the walls. On interior walls you can cut a small hole in the wall at the speaker/amplifier location, drill a hole in the top plate of the wall (over the location where the speakers/amplifier will go) and drop a small chain down the wall. Then you can attach the speaker wire to the chain, fish the chain out of the hole for the speaker/amplifier and pull out the chain with the wire attached. On walls with insulation, you may have to push a thin rigid line (like an electrical fish tape or straightened out metal coat hanger) up the wall into the attic, through the hole you cut at the speaker/amplifier locations. Then attach the wire to the rigid line and pull it down the wall.

If you can't access the top of the walls, you'll have to go a different route which will require removing base board (if you want the job to look professional) and fishing the wire under carpet (if you have carpet). If you don't have carpet, you're going to have to remove most the base boards in the room. After you remover the base boards. Make a small channel in the drywall, below the top edge of where the base board would be, big enough to accommodate the wires (most of the time drywall is hung about a 1/2" off the floor, so there's your channel). Run the wires you need to the proper locations and fix them in place with U nails or large staples (you can get these at any hardware store) being careful not the pierce the wire. If you have carpet you could fish the wire under it to the relevant points instead of running arround the walls, behind the base boards. Once the wires are in place, cut a small hole (as big as you need, just as long as you won't see it when you reinstall the base boards) in the drywall. Cut that hole below the height of the baseboard and under the location of the speaker/amplifier. Then make a small hole at the location of the speaker/amplifier and push a small chain into the hole, down the wall and fish the chain out of the hole you cut below at the base. Attach your wire and pull it up the wall, through the hole at the speaker. After you've pulled all the wire, reinstall the base boards (don't hit the wires with nails), hook up your stereo and you're done.

Please note, you may have to remove the molding around doors that could be in the path of your speaker run. I would suggest you run a razor down the joint where the drywall and wood meet to cut through any caulking or paint. Because when you remove that molding you don't want to pull paint off the wall that could be stuck to it. This is enough work without have to break out the paint brush too.

Hope this helped....

yer, Gramps can help you more than me with the actual wiring (i had mine done when i had that room built), but i'm curious as to what your room looks like with your seat position and video display location.