Front and centre speaker positions

[colin148]

Just installing a new Panasonic 50" with a set of KEF 3500SE speakers.
The wall is going to be clear of everything bar the TV and front speaker system, and we will be sitting approx 5 mtr back.
Cieling height is 2.4mtr.

What height do you think is corrcet for TV installation : centre of wall, or mid screen equal to eye level ?( i.e lower than centre of wall....
and where should the speakers be, we can mount up to 900mm either side of screen but I am wondering if centre speaker should be above or below the screen, angled up/down as required.

any clues?

[Mister Gonzo]

Colin,

In terms of positioning the TV, there have been a lot of discussion about this on the forum. Most people opt to position the screen so your eye level is somewhere between the bottom and the middle of the screen. Again, this is down to personal preference, but if the screen is too high you may find you'll get neck ache looking up at it!

Check out Dolby's website for advice on speaker positioning:

Dolby - Dolby Room Layout and Speaker Setup Guide - Speaker Placement for Home Theater Surround Sound

They recommend that the front three speakers are positioned vertically so they are level with your ears. Most people tend to place the centre speaker below the screen, but again this is personal preference - you can place it above or below, just try to get it as close to ear level as you can.

When it comes to positioning the speakers horizontally, there is advice on Dolby's website when it comes to the angle between the front two speakers and your listening position - the same goes for the rear speakers. I followed theory for my setup, but you may want to group them either side of the TV so it is more aethetically appealing.

Cheers,
Matt

[ruffage]

I'm going to be purchasing the same KEFs, and understand they're quite good at directing the sound, hence my fronts are going up quite a bit higher to the screen, due to keeping it easy to install and giving a wide stereo sound.

Ala orange squares:

[colin148]

Matt, thanks for the Dolby set up link, ill read it with interest.
My wife is looking for the visual appeal of a clean set up, and as such speaker position is important. I have young kids and a dog who will occasionally "escape" into the TV room so low speaker position of the KEF eggs is a worry for anyone knocking them.
I see Ruffage is contemplating the centre speaker being mounted low with surrounds high. Can anyone guide me if this will affect significantly the sound quality? if not, i may go for eye level surrounds and above screen for centre. will this work?