speaker location

[nrh1703]

I'm doing a refurb in my flat and need to tips on regarding speaker location. I'm not going for 5.1 or anything overflowing with speakers, just better sound than my TV (sony 40" w905a) has at the moment and something that will work for music when i'm not watching TV. I was at first thinking of two decent floor standers but not sure i have the room to keep them away from the walls/corners.

The plan below (missing the width dimension of around 5m) shows what i'm likely to have in terms of layout but i can't figure out where to put the speakers. If there are good enough sound bars out there it makes life a lot easier but when I looked/listened a few months ago none of the sound bars impressed me (admittedly I didn't check out the Sonos range at the time).

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

cheers

 

[lucid]

The plan is useful, thanks. But what do all the symbols mean specifically? Obviously the circles are speakers, but are these in-ceiling speakers and what's the purpose of the black triangles? What are the pink icons on the walls for, and why are there connecting lines back to one of them?

Also....

• how many speakers do you want in the room?
• what's the source and amplification you have in mind?
• are you planning to have a sub or have the (presumably) in-ceiling speakers got to be decent for bass on their own?
• what's the budget?
• what research have you done already to come up with a budget? (name the products you have looked at for pricing)

 

[nrh1703]

Thanks for your response lucid, it's actually a wiring diagram (the only diagram I've got so far). The symbols are:
Large circles = pendant lights
Small circles = table lamps
Pink icons = light switches
Purple icons = power sockets
Blue icons = rj45
The lines between symbols denote which lights are controlled from where.

Regarding your other questions, I was thinking of ideally not more than two speakers (kef q/r series maybe) hooked up to an AV receiver yet to be determined (the marantz range seemed to cover all bases). I wasn't planning on a sub from the start but provision for cabling it should one be necessary later.

Budget-wise the less the better but my main concern at the moment is to determine positions so if wiring needs to be run it can be done at this stage of the project. If I don't have money for the kit at the moment I can buy later, don't want to be casing cables in walls at a later date.

cheers

 

[lucid]

Thanks for the extra info.

If the thing measuring 1590mm wide is a fireplace and chimney breast then there's not really a great deal of room for a corner layout. The only advantage is that is keeps the walk-thru area between the double doors and the end of the sofa relatively clear. In achieving that though it creates a whole load of other problems. Have you considered using the flat wall instead?

Unless there's some extra information you haven't yet shared with us why it must be a corner layout, then I'd suggest that the flat wall gives you more options and lower costs. There's no benefit to chasing in the cables on the flat layout since the runs are fairly short and they'll be concealed mostly by a cabinet beneath the TV. Speaking of the cabinet, you don't lose so much space compared to the right angle corner unit in your original plan.

If you still want the option of reverting to a corner layout at some point in the future then maybe chase in some conduit with draw strings so that cable can be pulled in the future. Finish off the fronts of the single gang dry lining boxes with blank face-plates.

Coming back to the flat wall layout, the only thing I would change is perhaps the seating arrangement of the sofas. The room as designed(?) at the moment looks to be based on accommodating 6 people. Go for a corner sofa (3 + 1 + 2 seats) and lose the corner table. You'll be able to seat the same number of people and open up a wider access way between the speaker and the sofa.

 

[nrh1703]

thanks again for your input lucid. i had initially thought of putting it on the open wall you suggest but i like having the open space to walk through. having a couple of speakers there will create too many obstacles to reach the main seating area.

i'm not a fan of corner sofas (the corner seat is never really usable) but could look at other options to open up enough space to make the floor standers viable.

cheers

 

[Pug]

your sofa looks huge for the space to be honest. Do you need that much seating?