Please Help with speaker type and location [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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hax3
05-16-2006, 06:27 PM
Hello... just wanted to get opinion on what type and where to place
speakers in my house..

I'm planning on setting up a room for music audio.. the room size is
8.5 x 18 the layout is this
http://img482.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dining8hf.jpg


I'm not familiar with audio/stereo system.. so I'm not 100% sure what
type of speakers I can use..


I'm just wondering since it's a long narrow room (will be just a dining rm),
should I...


1) place In-wall speakers in the back wall (8.5 ft length) - wall that's shared with the washroom?

or

2) place 2 x in-ceiling speakers instead that is 6" apart from the
centre of the room (ceiling is 18 ft long)?


Also, I read that there are single speakers that can play stereo (as I understand, plays
both L and R) - is it better to place two of these speakers in-ceiling
or should I place regular stereo speakers (one L and one R speaker) - This being a strictly dining rm and for background dinner/party music, is there a big difference between the two setup?


Also, with stereo input speakers - do they have to have 2 tweaters and
2 voice coils to be stereo input speakers? Or any 2-way speaker IS a
stereo input speaker?

Again this is just for playing background music during dinner... basic system is fine...

I know these are pretty basic questions.. many thanks for your time and help.

bfalls
05-17-2006, 05:30 AM
If you want background music in the dining room, I'd go with either the in-walls or ceiling speakers. For me, in-walls are easier to install and wire. I re-decorated my bedroom and installed Legacy 2-way speakers. I wanted the receiver out of sight, so installed it in the closet. Cabling was run from the closet behind the baseboards and then up inside the wall. Installing in the ceiling would have required drilling several wire holes, fighting insulation and putting something around the speaker so dirt and dust wouldn't fall into it. Also painting and finishing would be easier on the wall. The only downfall I noticed is the sound radiates a bit from the wall behind the speaker (your washroom). Not bad for your situation, but may be an annoyance between other rooms.

hax3
05-17-2006, 07:11 PM
Thanks bfalls for your input.. question about what type of speakers.. what should I be looking for?? just any 2way speakers? I was browsing and found speakers with 2 tweeters and 2 voice coils.. what type of speakers do I need??

Thanks again!

hermanv
05-19-2006, 04:16 PM
It's a little dangerous to ask what kind of speakers you should be looking for; ie. 2 way, 3 way etc. 2 way, 3 way and so on, refers to the number of drivers (speakers like woofer or tweeter) per channel. You then need a minimum of two of the 2 way or 3 way speakers for true stereo.

The right question is: How much am I willing to spend on the speakers alone? Then visit a dedicated home theater store (try and stay away from the mass marketers such as Best Buy) who will have many kinds of wall mount or ceiling speakers. Next listen to what they have to offer at your price point. Listen also to cheaper and more expensive speakers to see if you can accept the sound at the price point you have choosen. Many people will bring their own familiar CDs with them for this listening. These stores are found in the bigger cities and probably are a little scarce in small towns.

Be aware that there are many car stereo speakers advertized as two way, three way and I think I've seen five way. Many are junk, the listening environment in a car is too different (small, noisy space) to give much insight for home speakers.

After hearing what is possible you may wish to review your budget or change your expectations, good sounding speakers are rarely cheap.

Since the system you build will likely last many, many years, it's worth investing some time and using your own ears to see what can be done. It may be worth taking a wife or girfriend for a listen to your final selection. Most women have better high frequency hearing than men and may find a fault with your choice of speaker for a problem that you can't hear.

All this effort can make the difference between an end result that is merely tolerable and one that is actually quite enjoyable.