SL3 Home Theater Placement - Small Room Question

[zatzkin]

Can SL3's work in a 12 x 18 room close to side walls?

Hello All,

I'd greatly appreciate some help from whomever might have some sugestions here. I'm very new to ML speakers, and just got a pair of scripts, SL3's, and a Theater center. I'd like to use these in a HT Setup with a screen that's not acoustically transparent, and 87" (viewable area) from left to right. My problem is this: The room is 12 X 19, and calculations say that I need to put the SL3's (as L / R)'s, 3 ft from side walls, and 5 ft from back walls. I'm using the short wall as the front of the room b/c if I used the 19 ft wall as the front, the listening seat would be butted against the rear wall, and so we couldn't use any rears. I've also read this is a bad thing (seat against back wall). So my concern, is that if I have the speakers 3' from side walls, and their 1 ft across, that leaves me 4 feet in the center between them, and not enough room for the screen. Does anyone have suggestions on room treatments or other tricks that would allow me to get good imageing and soundestaging and still put the speakers closer to side walls? Mutch thanks to all for looking. I also have read the faq, so if this is covered somewhere else, please kindly direct me there.

Thanks,
Brian.

 

[Tosh]

In your situation I would be more concerned with their distance to the front wall, and let their distance to the side walls fall where it needs to be to still have a clear view of the screen from the outermost seats. Start there, and then come back to play with toe and rake.

 

[JonFo]

Hi Brian, in that sized room, and if looking for HT use, I strongly recommend using some room treatments to both give you increased placement flexibility and much improved acoustics for your intended use.

If placing RealTraps MiniTraps HF just behind the SL's and then again on the front side walls between speaker and front wall, you should then be able to place the speakers at 24" to 36" from the front wall and a foot or so from the side wall.

And you are correct, using the short wall for 'front' is your best option.

A small room like that will have some bass modes, so please consider some Mondo traps in rear corners or along ceiling / wall to dampen those modes. The friendly folks at RealTraps can help you plan out a set that meets you needs and budget.