Do I Really Need That Many Speaker's

The most frequent question I get asked is 'Do I need all those speakers?' and 'what do they do?' .
Well I think I can try and answer both of those in a brief description and some pictures to show that big is sometimes beautiful,

CENTRE SPEAKER AND PLACEMENT

 

This speaker handles all or most of the dialogue along with the onscreen effects. And without it things can sound rather strange and unattached. If you already have one have an experiment and unplug it and start your favourite movie scene, to me it's kind of fun hearing just what this speaker means to our system's and just how Important it is.

It should be placed above or just below the screen and as close to it as possible. as this is where you expect to hear voice's and where your eyes will be driven towards.

If your speaker is big enough and your cabinet is not to high you can use this as the TV stand, and it might just bring your tweeter's in line with your left and right fronts.

 

 Fig 1. My Eltax Linear response  Centre Speaker
 

FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT PLACEMENT

 

Probably the easiest one's to place really, put either side of the centre speaker and between 2-6 feet from either side of it depending on your room size, and in line with the centre.

You can toe them in slightly aiming at the main listening position, but I have worked out that you only need to do that if the movement of sound isn't even across all three. There is nothing like hearing someone off screen start talking and as they appear onscreen it just blends in, or a car going from left to right seamlessly. All part of the front soundstage.

 

Fig 2. One of my Eltax Linear Response 10.5 Front Speaker's 

 

SURROUND SPEAKER PLACEMENT

let's picture the scene your in the street and from out of nowhere you hear a helicopter but you find yourself looking around as it's not quite in sight yet but you can tell it's behind you let's say your right ear, then as it drift's over overhead and into view you see it, but you heard it long before then and it came form your right ear over your head and out to the front of you, this is the job for these speaker's the effect's that are all around you until they appear right in front of you. From bullet's shooting past your head to bikes and cars speeding past you.. to me it's one of the best parts of owning a home cinema. Fantastic.

I know from experimentation and trial and error that these are the hardest to place but that shouldn't put you off. Alongside the listener is the best place (if they are NOT dipole's/Bipole's, Don't worry i'll explain later) pointing towards the listener and just behind you and just above head height when sitting down.

 

Fig 3. My Surround Speaker's

 

DIPOLE AND BIPOLE SURROUND SPEAKER'S AND PLACEMENT

 

Now these are what I use and they are placed above and behind or to the side of you, as these have drivers that fire from the sides. (not the front as in conventional bookshelf speaker's) This means they give you a more diffused sound and spread the sound out a little more that fills the room, but can be difficult to position, unless you have a very understanding partner. Yes that's you my dear wife.

If you look in your local cinema you'll find that they use these type of speaker's as there are more seat's so it need's to fill the room.

 

Fig 4. My Mission 77ds Dipole Surround's

 

THE SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT

Creating slam and hitting you smack in the middle of your chest is the main job of the subwoofer, a building explodes, a wave crashes into the beach even a machine gun cracking bullet's should be felt. this my friend's is the job of the subwoofer.  

You can pretty much position this near enough anywhere as bass is non-directional, but most people swear by it being next to them or in front alongside the main front three. To me it should go wherever it sounds best. Yes you can tuck it out of the way if you want but the bigger and more expensive one's tend to be a thing of beauty and for me I would have it on show, hell you can even use it as a side table. Just be careful as just plonking it in the corner of the room or close to a wall can make it produce a boomy effect and you start to lose any kind of slam and impact. about a foot from the wall is a good rule of thumb but most importantly experiment. When you can get your trousers to physically move from the amount of air being pushed from one of these it really is mind blowing.

 

Fig 5. The Q Acoustics 1000Si Subwoofer

 

Next  'What's A Receiver Or Amplifier'