Speaker/sub placement..help!

[JeffG]

Okay, this is probably a nightmare of a room to try to set up a sound system. But, its my only room I can do this in!

Please forgive the crude and crowded drawing!

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p309/JeffGoodman/livingroom.jpg

The light blue is where there is carpet. Its almost like a rug, but its carpet. So tile surrounds the carpet and is down the hallway. Also, I didn't draw this in...but behind the couch opens to our "foyer" I guess you should say. So there are alot of open areas surrounding my living room. The red boxes are my best guesses to where I should put the speakers. The fronts, I can't mount all the way into the left hand corner because we have a door there that stays open to the sunroom. I can't mount it behind it...because from what i've read it has to be at eye/ear level. It could be mounted above it, but that'd be a few feet above the center channel (going on top of TV) and a few feet above ear level. So I had to move it inside a little, that leaves the fronts 7-8 feet apart.

The rears are where it gets tricky. I know the rears are supposed to face inward to each other. The only opposing walls I have are 17 apart in the back. Is that too far? Plus, they won't be centered to the fronts. If I had to mount them closer together (like the fronts) they would have to face forward and be sort of in the middle of the wall (wife isn't crazy about that idea).

The sub is gonna give me trouble too. I'd like to be able to put it in the top left corner..but the door again prevents that. I can't set it in the middle of the room by the couch because of the tile. My only option, that I can see is at the corner of the living room and the hallway. I know not ideal, but I have no other ideas.

ANY suggestions are very welcome...thanks so much!!!

[amdeutsch]

Looking at the layout and the space left between the sub's proposed location and the couch I'd see if you could move up the couch a bit and place the sub in the couch/chair corner on the carpet for nearfield effect.

[JeffG]

Yeah I had thought about that...but the only problem is, where the TV and the proposed sub are sitting...thats tile. Starting at that blue box is carpet. So, i'd have to have a wire running over the tile in order to do that.

[Pete_Hsu]

Jeff, how about putting a carpet throw rug up front so that it covers the section of tile where the cable would run across?

[KFB]

Yeah I had thought about that...but the only problem is, where the TV and the proposed sub are sitting...thats tile. Starting at that blue box is carpet. So, i'd have to have a wire running over the tile in order to do that.
Are you on a slab or do you have a crawlspace? Is it possible to run your sub cable under the house?

[JeffG]

Jeff, how about putting a carpet throw rug up front so that it covers the section of tile where the cable would run across?

Well, I don't know if i'd have the wife approval to do that! We'll see if we can.

And yes, we are on a slab, so I can't run it underneath.

What about the speaker placements? You think the back speakers are too far apart compared to the fronts? Will that make it sound distorted? Thanks!

[Pete_Hsu]

Hey Jeff,

The rear speakers don't have to directly face each other. You can mount them on the rear wall with good results.

[JeffG]

Alright, I might see if my wife could go for that. If not, could I still place them in those corners without hurting the sound too bad? If I do decide to mount them on the backwall facing forward, should they be equal w/ the fronts or a little outside of them? Sorry for all the questions, but much apreciation for the help!

[Pete_Hsu]

Jeff, it would probably be ok to place them sideways and still get decent results. If you mount them on the back wall, then try placing them in line or slightly outward in comparison to your front channel speakers.

Sincerely,