Planning Room Setup

[Vorian]

I've attached what I'm planning on doing in the room. I'm new to surround sound and home theater in general basically.

What I have now:
Large entertainment center with 61" Samsung DLP
Pre-Wired In-Ceiling Speakers (2 front / 2 back) with termination plate behind TV (Only planning on using back)

What I plan on purchasing as I can financially:
Enthusiast 1 Package
Onkyo TX-SR805 or TX-SR875

Basically, my intended setup is in the attached mockup jpeg. I'm planning on using 12awg wire and banana plugs from monoprice.

Based on those facts (and I can answer any more questions if necessary) is my speaker/sub setup OK, and if not what recommendations would you have. Also, is the Enthusiast 1 package big enough for my room. I calculated the cubic footage at just over 2250 (which would place it in that category but I want to double check.) I understand the side speakers are not in optimal placement on my mockup, but I'm undecided on how to implement those or if I even will. The problem I see with this room audio wise is the wide open wall on the right side. Unfortunately, this is the only room in the house that can accommodate my gigantic entertainment center so I'll have to make due. Currently I have no receiver or speakers other than the 5.1 creative labs speakers and sub connected to my HTPC, in a tiny apartment. This house, along with my audio upgrades can only be an improvement, but I'd like to get things setup optimally the first time.

To clarify some things in the picture - The VTF-1 would go inside the entertainment center and fit barely according to specs for having it in an enclosure (which is why the VTF-2 MK3 wouldn't work in that position.) Also, the HC-1 would go roughly 1 foot above the TV on a shelf, with the placement of the HB-1 fronts undecided - either on top of the entertainment center on the far left and right, on the shelf in the middle to the left and right of the HC-1, or directly behind the TV's left and right speakers (which is what I am doing now with my computer satellites.)

The room is 13' 7" x 18" 6" x 9', as shown in the picture (excluding height) if that helps at all.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Pete_Hsu]

Great picture Vorian!

Would it be possible for you to put the VTF-1 sideways behind your couch (in the nearfield)? Either that or the upper right corner would give much better impact vs. putting the subwoofer in the entertainment center.

[Vorian]

Thanks Peter - The picture was just a scan of the builder's model specs and probably not close to scale with my quick shape placing in MS Paint.

The house is still being built (so I'm planning a couple months in advance) but I don't see why I couldn't put it over there. I'm assuming you are referring to the far corner behind the couch and recliner, as I'm unsure what effects the sub would have on the window, and I seem to recall placing it away from open areas, which my kitchen would be on the other side.

As I have very limited experience with home theater, what connections does the HSU sub have? Is there just a sub cable that goes to the receiver, or is each speaker connected there as well. My understanding would be, sub wire (digital coax?) connected to receiver. speaker wire connected from speakers to receiver, but not to sub.

Basically, if that is the case, I could get a long run of digital coax and add a keystone jack for it in a nearby wallplate and then run it up back through the floor to another keystone jack where the speakers would be coming in from the wall. As things are wired now, the in-ceiling speakers are going through the wall obviously to a termination plate directly behind my entertainment center. If I was required to wire them up to the sub instead, it would seemingly defeat the purpose of having in wall wiring but I suppose at worst I could run extra (higher quality) speaker wire under the floor.

[Pete_Hsu]

Vorian, do you have windows lined all the way along your back wall? I would lean towards placing the subwoofer sideways directly behind the couch, or putting it in the rear corner closest to the couch and table. For a look at connections, feel free to take a look at the VTF-1 owners guide (on product page on this website), which describes in good detail ways to hook up the subwoofer.

Have a good one...

[Vorian]

There are a couple feet to the left of the three windows and a couple to the right, with the right side then going into the kitchen area (which immediately has a large glass sliding door.)

I checked the manual and I think it is what I assumed. I'll simply place the sub behind the couch in the corner and then run the interconnect cable underneath the floor up to the receiver.

Do the windows in the back (3 white blocks) affect the sub at all?

The open kitchen bothers me as well, but because that whole wall is open, I think the effects would be the same regardless of the sub being in the front or back.

EDIT: Not sure if the picture makes it obvious, but besides the three back windows, the large object on the left wall is a fireplace.

[Pete_Hsu]

Thanks for the explanation. I think you should keep the subwoofer away from the kitchen opening. So the best placements would most likely be sideways directly behind the couch, or in the upper left hand corner. It shouldn't be a problem having windows close to the subwoofer, as long as there are no objectionable noises or rattles coming from the windows.