Unit System:
Imperial (ft/in)Metric (m/cm)

 

Room Length:

 

Room Width:

 

TV Size:

 

Speaker Driver Size:

 

Speaker Port Type:
SealedFront PortedRear Ported

 

TV Resolution:
1080p4k

 

Calculate

Reset

 

 

 

 

 

A Mention On The Center Speaker & Surround Speakers

---

Though I didn’t mention the center channel or surround speakers in the calculator since this was focused on the front soundstage, I wanted to give some quick tips on those too.

 

The Center Channel As Part Of The Front Soundstage

---

So I didn’t mention the center speaker in the tool partly because it’s placement is simpler being that it’s in the middle of the 2; but also because some may choose to forgo one all together.

This is what’s known as a phantom center where the left & right speaker reproduces the effect that would otherwise come from there.

It’s really up to you since for me personally, I’ve heard really good setups where this effect is done exceptionally well.

But then other instances where the center channel really helps tie things together.

But for placement of the center speaker, ideally it should go in the middle between the 2 speakers, at the same height so they’re all uniform.

Since the front left & right are typically best at ear level when seated, you’ll want the center to match that height too.

However if that’s not possible due to the TV being there, it could be placed slightly underneath the TV and angled up as long as it’s in the open with ventilation and not in a cabinet or anything.

Obviously you don’t want it set too low either – otherwise that effect of a wall of sound can get lost.

There’s also the aspect of toeing in or toeing out the front left & right, as from my experience, can make a pretty big difference too.

Even that’s going to depend on things like nearby side walls, or other reflective materials near it since the reflections can play a part too.

But you can start with them at about a 10 degree angle toed out, listen to their output, then adjust from there.

 

The Surround Speakers Placement

---

Now for the surround speakers, the height of the seating position also matters since you’d want to adjust the height of those to account for that.

But more specifically, I’ve found that adjusting them slightly higher than the front speakers and the ear level when seated allows for a pretty good cohesion.

I like to start at 2 feet above ear level then go from there; but it’s definitely subjective since again, it’ll depend on the room and setup.

Their placement can be slightly more difficult since some rooms are irregular in shape, but try to place them directly at the sides of the listening position with some space so the audio for all the speakers blends properly.

It also depends on the type of surround speakers too since something like a dipole speaker could interact differently with the acoustics of the room than say a monopole speaker.

For example my one set of dipoles sounds better to me closer since it gives that diffuse effect that sounds good to my ears personally.

But then my front facing speakers when I used them as surrounds, I preferred them slightly farther away.

So I say all that to say there’s not really a strict across the board answer per se, since there are so many variables.

But that’s partly what makes this hobby so fun.

The fact that you can make a system that’s tailored to your preferences.

So hopefully this helps some though, and at least gives you a good starting point on getting the placement of your system just right.

For more ways to enhance movie night too, here’s 11 ways to do exactly that.

https://easyhometheater.net/11-home-theater-tips-for-a-better-movie-watching-experience