Surrounds. Use mounts or Keyholes? - Blu-ray Forum

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 03:53 PM

This weekend I am working on getting my rear surrounds positioned behind my sofa. I found that they actually sound better pointed straight out rather than down towards the listening area. I have them on mounts now, but think they would look cleaner if I used the keyhole to mount them.

Is there a sound advantage to the little bit of breathing room the mounts provide between the speaker and the wall? Or since the surrounds don't output a lot of lows anyway, would they sound just as good or better on they keyhole?

jomari · 11-15-2008, 04:41 PM

im confused by your sig tho,

it says you have F1's as your surrounds right?

im not sure you can mount or use keyholes for those for that matter..

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomari

im confused by your sig tho,

it says you have F1's as your surrounds right?

im not sure you can mount or use keyholes for those for that matter..

LOL. I do have F1's for surrounds. I have the S1's for my rear surrounds.

jomari · 11-15-2008, 05:03 PM

hmm. so whats the F2s then?

anyways... back on track...

id rather use the keyholes on them. instead of a speaker mount. simply because they were 'built' that way, using the walls to further 'enhance' the said sound coming from the rear speakers.

keep em up a tad higher than the listening area to avoid locating the said speaker.

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 05:07 PM

The F2's are my fronts. I originally had the S1's for surrounds, then I came upon a great deal on teh F1's so I'm using those as surrounds, and I'm moving the S1's to the rear surrounds to make a 7.1 system. Thanks. I'm halfway through taking the mounts down now.

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 06:28 PM

It came out pretty fabu if I do say so!

jomari · 11-15-2008, 06:57 PM

cant see pictures folks (folks being robinandtami so to speak).... i hope it made a difference. dont forget to put the 'rubber' thingy to avoid reverbation/noise.

now go get your spl meter and do some spectrum test!

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomari

cant see pictures folks (folks being robinandtami so to speak).... i hope it made a difference. dont forget to put the 'rubber' thingy to avoid reverbation/noise.

now go get your spl meter and do some spectrum test!

Weird, it's showing on mine. Oh well, just go to my HT Gallery if you want to see it (see left under my name.) I won't need the rubber thingies because I mounted the speakers on top of some home made acoustical tiles.

jomari · 11-15-2008, 07:06 PM

im at work thats why it didnt show.

did you say acoustic tiles!?!?

I LIKE!

as you can guess who the author of the acoustic thread is...

just saw your gallery, i WAS hoping to have them placed where the 'light sconces' are, but then again, the WAF is always in play. besides, as long as it has enough room for spatiality, you're set.

nice rooms! three thumbs up!

may i comment further btw? i dont like ruining galleries with comments. but wouldnt want to give unsolicited advice.

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 07:11 PM

Yes, I make my own because they are butt cheap and I think very attractive. I just get hanging ceiling acoustical tiles and cover them in batting and fabric that match my decor. I'm sure they aren't quite as effective as some commercially made ones that are very expensive or some of the DIY ones that are tons of work, but they only take about 10 minutes each and when you break down the costs they are less than $10 each. I figure that if curtains and throw pillows help, these must at least help some; and even if they don't I really like the looks of them.

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomari

im at work thats why it didnt show.

did you say acoustic tiles!?!?

I LIKE!

as you can guess who the author of the acoustic thread is...

just saw your gallery, i WAS hoping to have them placed where the 'light sconces' are, but then again, the WAF is always in play. besides, as long as it has enough room for spatiality, you're set.

nice rooms! three thumbs up!

may i comment further btw? i dont like ruining galleries with comments. but wouldnt want to give unsolicited advice.

Before I came up with the idea of going 7.1 and putting my rears behind the couch, I was going to put panels directly behind the sconces to make them pop more. Now I can't because that would be just too much.

And dood, I am ALWAYS open to advice. I'm still pretty new to a lot of this.

jomari · 11-15-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinandtami

Before I came up with the idea of going 7.1 and putting my rears behind the couch, I was going to put panels directly behind the sconces to make them pop more. Now I can't because that would be just too much.

And dood, I am ALWAYS open to advice. I'm still pretty new to a lot of this.

well, its not really about the surrounds, heck it works for me.

im more concerned about your front soundstage.

1. one of the best purchases ive had in my HT setup cost me only $40 bucks. theyre called mopads, and you can get them at guitar center or online if you'd like.

mopads are well... simply put, they decouple your speaker from the floor/stand you place them on, isolating them to give you an accurate reproduction of the sound itself.

id suggest to use this for your center speaker, and hear it open up tenfolds.

here you go

2. place your fronts a tad farther from the wall, in this case id move em about 6-8 inches away from it, and also move em around 4 1/2 inches away from the set, and angle em towards your sweetspot.

just experiment. see the difference. like em? dont like em, see if it does make a difference.

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 07:49 PM

Thanks for the suggestion. Just this morning I was thinking about looking for carpet spikes for my towers, but was uncertain if the threading in the feet was pretty standard for speakers or not. It doesn't look like it in the pics, but each of my front towers is about 8" off the wall and the side towers are about 12" off the wall.

The center channel has been a small challenge as well. My entertainment unit is semi-home made too. (I'm the queen of taking something free or cheap and trying to make it look as good as I can.) It's actually an old display cubicle from a retail store. It's made of 1/2" MDF. I sawed it in half, painted it, put dvd shelves in it, and mounted a shelf on top for the tv and a shelf between for the center. The center shelf is set at an upward angle towards the listening area. I used to have the sub in there too with the center sitting directly on the sub which totally filled the space and left the unfinished areas covered, but it didn't sound too good. So I've since been looking for a way to hide the unfinished areas.

I'll check out those mopads. If they work better than, and are cheaper than carpet spikes; it'll be a no brainer.

jomari · 11-15-2008, 07:55 PM

personally, i wouldnt bother with the carpet spikes, and just go for the mopads instead. trust me on this one. definitely worth the while. and considering that 90% of the soundtrack comes from the center speaker, id refocus on getting that back on track, instead of just the spikes.

the mopads would take around two-three more inches and raise the center up a bit.

about the LR towers, i just felt it was a little bit too close to the wall. how far is it from the wall tho?

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 08:02 PM

Well I just got out my handy dandy tape measure. The mains are toed towards the listening area. A the closest point they are 6 1/2" from the wall, at the farthest they are 9" from the wall. Each of teh surround towers are at least a foot from the wall.

I'm going to do some shopping for those mopads and see if I can find them for less than the $100 MSRP

Nice, just found them for $40 a pair. Actually looking at the packaging, it looks like 8 of them come in there. Is that right?

jomari · 11-15-2008, 08:13 PM

thanks for the quick reply.

just work with me on those fronts if ever, and move em probably 2 more inches away from the wall. if not, hey, we tried right?

anyhow, the mopads come in pairs, and you shouldnt have a problem with getting just one pair for your center.

like i mentioned earlier, they have been my BEST purchase ever that improved my HT setup. try checking your local guitar center, they carry em too.

do let me know how it goes...

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 08:20 PM

I'll do that. There used to be a guitar center around here; I'll have to check and see if it is still there. Thanks! You've been a big help today!

Oh.... and here is the pic that made me think 8. I don't know if you can see it at work or not though.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/clos...mg_boxshot.jpg

jomari · 11-15-2008, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinandtami

Oh.... and here is the pic that made me think 8. I don't know if you can see it at work or not though.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/clos...mg_boxshot.jpg

i see it. sorry about the miscommunication. its normally sold in 2 pairs. meaning two of the 'feet' for a speaker, thus a total of 4 of em.

the other 4 would be the inclines, that can be used to further change the angle of the speakers at certain angles.

Uniquely · 11-15-2008, 08:42 PM

I see. How dense is this foam? I ask because I have right here in my closet some packing foam that is flat on one side and egg crate on the other. I forgot what came shipped in it, but I save things like that to re-stuff my dog's bed etc. Anyway, it is coincidentally the exact same width as my center. Do you think placing it under my center would give a similar effect?

jomari · 11-15-2008, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I see. How dense is this foam? I ask because I have right here in my closet some packing foam that is flat on one side and egg crate on the other. I forgot what came shipped in it, but I save things like that to re-stuff my dog's bed etc. Anyway, it is coincidentally the exact same width as my center. Do you think placing it under my center would give a similar effect?

its pretty dense IMO, but they make it using a different kind of 'foaming' to oversimplify it.

the way i see it, its an investment. and if you plan just use your packaging foam, by all means, go for it. is it flameproof tho? would it might cause allergy problems within the living room? just points to consider.

again, im not as rich as others around here, but at this is definitely one of the best purchases ive had since my beginning.

im sure at this point you've seen the reviews on the mopads, and hope that this reinforces my opinions on em.

hoping to hear from you afterwards. do pm tho, as i rarely get on board as much as i used to.

good luck

11-15-2008, 03:53 PM	#1
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	Surrounds. Use mounts or Keyholes? This weekend I am working on getting my rear surrounds positioned behind my sofa. I found that they actually sound better pointed straight out rather than down towards the listening area. I have them on mounts now, but think they would look cleaner if I used the keyhole to mount them. Is there a sound advantage to the little bit of breathing room the mounts provide between the speaker and the wall? Or since the surrounds don't output a lot of lows anyway, would they sound just as good or better on they keyhole?

11-15-2008, 05:07 PM	#5
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	The F2's are my fronts. I originally had the S1's for surrounds, then I came upon a great deal on teh F1's so I'm using those as surrounds, and I'm moving the S1's to the rear surrounds to make a 7.1 system. Thanks. I'm halfway through taking the mounts down now. Last edited by Uniquely; 11-15-2008 at 05:10 PM.

11-15-2008, 07:06 PM	#9
jomari Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:2	im at work thats why it didnt show. did you say acoustic tiles!?!? I LIKE! as you can guess who the author of the acoustic thread is... just saw your gallery, i WAS hoping to have them placed where the 'light sconces' are, but then again, the WAF is always in play. besides, as long as it has enough room for spatiality, you're set. nice rooms! three thumbs up! may i comment further btw? i dont like ruining galleries with comments. but wouldnt want to give unsolicited advice. Last edited by jomari; 11-15-2008 at 07:09 PM. Reason: before and after looking at gallery

11-15-2008, 08:02 PM	#15
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	Well I just got out my handy dandy tape measure. The mains are toed towards the listening area. A the closest point they are 6 1/2" from the wall, at the farthest they are 9" from the wall. Each of teh surround towers are at least a foot from the wall. I'm going to do some shopping for those mopads and see if I can find them for less than the $100 MSRP Nice, just found them for $40 a pair. Actually looking at the packaging, it looks like 8 of them come in there. Is that right? Last edited by Uniquely; 11-15-2008 at 08:06 PM.

Similar Threads
thread	Forum	Thread Starter	Replies	Last Post
speaker mounts	Speakers	Phoenix Theory	8	11-20-2009 05:59 AM
TV Wall Mounts	Home Theater General Discussion	Aholland06	5	05-10-2009 08:08 PM
Help with VESA mounts	LCD TVs	blueblood	0	01-11-2009 04:51 AM
question about tv mounts	Display Theory and Discussion	splax23	0	03-06-2008 01:41 AM
Wall Mounts	Display Theory and Discussion	chevy0587	5	02-19-2008 11:12 PM

11-15-2008, 04:41 PM	#2
jomari Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:2	im confused by your sig tho, it says you have F1's as your surrounds right? im not sure you can mount or use keyholes for those for that matter..

11-15-2008, 05:03 PM	#4
jomari Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:2	hmm. so whats the F2s then? anyways... back on track... id rather use the keyholes on them. instead of a speaker mount. simply because they were 'built' that way, using the walls to further 'enhance' the said sound coming from the rear speakers. keep em up a tad higher than the listening area to avoid locating the said speaker.

11-15-2008, 06:28 PM	#6
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	It came out pretty fabu if I do say so!

11-15-2008, 06:57 PM	#7
jomari Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:2	cant see pictures folks (folks being robinandtami so to speak).... i hope it made a difference. dont forget to put the 'rubber' thingy to avoid reverbation/noise. now go get your spl meter and do some spectrum test!

11-15-2008, 07:11 PM	#10
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	Yes, I make my own because they are butt cheap and I think very attractive. I just get hanging ceiling acoustical tiles and cover them in batting and fabric that match my decor. I'm sure they aren't quite as effective as some commercially made ones that are very expensive or some of the DIY ones that are tons of work, but they only take about 10 minutes each and when you break down the costs they are less than $10 each. I figure that if curtains and throw pillows help, these must at least help some; and even if they don't I really like the looks of them.

11-15-2008, 07:49 PM	#13
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	Thanks for the suggestion. Just this morning I was thinking about looking for carpet spikes for my towers, but was uncertain if the threading in the feet was pretty standard for speakers or not. It doesn't look like it in the pics, but each of my front towers is about 8" off the wall and the side towers are about 12" off the wall. The center channel has been a small challenge as well. My entertainment unit is semi-home made too. (I'm the queen of taking something free or cheap and trying to make it look as good as I can.) It's actually an old display cubicle from a retail store. It's made of 1/2" MDF. I sawed it in half, painted it, put dvd shelves in it, and mounted a shelf on top for the tv and a shelf between for the center. The center shelf is set at an upward angle towards the listening area. I used to have the sub in there too with the center sitting directly on the sub which totally filled the space and left the unfinished areas covered, but it didn't sound too good. So I've since been looking for a way to hide the unfinished areas. I'll check out those mopads. If they work better than, and are cheaper than carpet spikes; it'll be a no brainer.

11-15-2008, 07:55 PM	#14
jomari Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:2	personally, i wouldnt bother with the carpet spikes, and just go for the mopads instead. trust me on this one. definitely worth the while. and considering that 90% of the soundtrack comes from the center speaker, id refocus on getting that back on track, instead of just the spikes. the mopads would take around two-three more inches and raise the center up a bit. about the LR towers, i just felt it was a little bit too close to the wall. how far is it from the wall tho?

11-15-2008, 08:13 PM	#16
jomari Moderator Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:18 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:2	thanks for the quick reply. just work with me on those fronts if ever, and move em probably 2 more inches away from the wall. if not, hey, we tried right? anyhow, the mopads come in pairs, and you shouldnt have a problem with getting just one pair for your center. like i mentioned earlier, they have been my BEST purchase ever that improved my HT setup. try checking your local guitar center, they carry em too. do let me know how it goes...

11-15-2008, 08:20 PM	#17
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	I'll do that. There used to be a guitar center around here; I'll have to check and see if it is still there. Thanks! You've been a big help today! Oh.... and here is the pic that made me think 8. I don't know if you can see it at work or not though. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/clos...mg_boxshot.jpg

11-15-2008, 08:42 PM	#19
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	I see. How dense is this foam? I ask because I have right here in my closet some packing foam that is flat on one side and egg crate on the other. I forgot what came shipped in it, but I save things like that to re-stuff my dog's bed etc. Anyway, it is coincidentally the exact same width as my center. Do you think placing it under my center would give a similar effect?

Best Blu-ray Movie Deals