Finally I have my wire free setup. All wires hidden. Sockets, receiver, console and center speaker are in the cabinet. The cabinet is a custom designed one to match exactly the layout. TV conduit was already there. TV is a 77“ LG OLED, mounted with a slim Vogels wall mount with only 1.5cm thickness.
Because OP cares more about hiding wires than they care about sound.
The wires for the front surround speakers were already installed in the house we just bought. Didn’t want to mess with it.
Maybe it was meant for Height speakers and the person before also had standing speakers?
I believe this is the correct answer.
No this setup was built in 2002. I don’t think they had 7.1 in mind.
Yeah, DTS-HD in 2004 was probably first, and I believe Dolby added heights in 2009, so then it's not that. It's definitely what I would use it for though.
The placement of the smaller speakers are close to how Yamaha describes the placement for the height speakers. This does depart from Dolby’s recommend location and isn’t part of a 7.1 Some floor standing speakers would look nice too
It looks like the original owner had tower speakers. I would invest in a super nice LCR speakers that are a polished white. You can get by with just the towers as well, but I would do that and get rid of the little black speakers. Otherwise it looks good!
Looks clean, but why put them so high if you don’t have to? I have a front setup in the ceiling because I couldn’t get them on the wall or on stands due to an odd setup, but I’d love to have them next to the tv instead of up high.
The wires for the front surround speakers were already installed in the house we just bought. Didn’t want to mess with it.
Ah, makes sense. Inertia is a powerful force. Well, if you ever feel like adding another set, could convert the ones you have to front height speakers and add a left and right channel to each side of the TV and really fill out the sound and bring those channels more in-line with the visual.
There's no such thing as front surround speakers. They were probably wall mounted stereo speakers for music, not movies
Looks good, but man, speaker placement was a massive sacrifice for the sake of looks. The fronts are way too high, and that center, in addition to being too low, is going to be in standing wave city inside of that enclosure. There's plenty of room for floor standers or bookshelves + speaker stands and the TV could've gone up a bit higher to put the center channel on top of the cabinet.
Appreciated but the speaker wires were already installed in the wall.
It's weird that you're getting downvotes for this. Every setup has some compromises. If I were starting with a blank canvas, yes I'd lower the left / right. But if the speakers were already cleanly wired like they are in your case, I'd use those spots! You won't be able to tell 90% of the time.
Probably getting downvotes because there's plenty of space for normal height front speakers, and he could still use the currently wired speakers as front heights.
Thanks for the comment. My focus was not a 100% sound but a nice clean look in the living room. Thought some might enjoy the clean look as much as I did. Maybe it is the wrong channel.
Well, this is a home theater sub where people are focused on the best picture and sound they can get and those fronts are definitely not ideal in terms of position. That’s why you’re getting this kind of feedback.
Yeah, learned the hard way. Guess this setup has no business in an audiophile Reddit.
If you’re ever looking to upgrade your setup and need some advice, please come back. People in this community are knowledgeable and happy to help! :)
It looks good! You made it work with what is already there and I think the issues people are having with it is you have the wires there to make that room sound incredible! As a theater designer, this is a “before” picture I get sent with people asking for better sound. If you are happy, that is what counts. You have the best TV on the market. You have the wires already present to really create an immersive experience with great audio as well.
Appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Speaker setups nearly always have compromises. The only way to truly get the most out of them is to literally build a room around listening, down to what materials you put in the walls. I don't think anyone here is recommending what it takes to go 100% on sounds. Just better than this. One of the biggest rules of speaker placement is tweeters at ear level. That's often the starting point, along with distances to the boundaries (within reason).
The other commenters are right. If you're happy that's all that matters. Using wiring that was there just because it was there isn't really a great reason, but it would make for easy and clean height speakers. You've got tons of room to put in some much better fronts at the right height. The center obviously would be more work to setup more properly or.upgrade to something more substantial.
Enjoy your setup either way!
Thanks! Is a bigger/better center that much of a difference? Always had problems with understanding dialogues.
Well, I'd start with placement. Higher frequencies are more directional (that's why tweeters should be at ear level). Your center down so far is going to result in less higher frequencies making it to your ears. Additionally, putting it inside of an enclosed space like that is going to make things sound muddy (I assume that speaker is sealed at least; ported speakers are the worst to put in enclosed spaces). Your best bet would be to not only have your center channel on-top of your cabinet, but grab some isolation pads/pucks/stands to put underneath it as well (well, at least with a more full-size center; it probably wouldn't make an audible difference for something very small). When the vibrations of a speaker cabinet transfer into furniture (which has its own resonances), it muddies up the sound a bit. This is why better speaker stands are often high mass: to help dampen these unwanted transfers of vibration. IsoAcoustics is my go-to brand for isolation products and I've been using them for many years at this point.
Once you've got your center channel setup better, if you are still struggling with dialogue, then yeah, it would be a good time to consider upgrading. Your center might be struggling to put out the lower frequencies of dialogue, so those might be hard to overhear over your other speakers. A better center channel will essentially give a more full-range sound with a nice even frequency response over that range. This does come back to the point about placement though. The lower the frequencies, the more likely they are to interact with boundaries, so a larger center that can put out more lower mids might end up sounding worse in that enclosed space you have your center in. So, back to my first paragraph, it really starts with improving your placement first, then considering upgrades. Remember, the best speakers in the world can be made to sound like garbage with poor placement or acoustics.
Best of luck with your setup!
The "experts" on here are brutal. I think some of these people sit on the floor or are only 3 feet tall, their TV's are so low on the wall. The lack of understanding for people's different situations is frustrating. Some of us who just want to learn some new things, see some cool ideas and share our experiences could really do with less snark and more encouragement.
Thank you very much for your comment. Happy so see some ppl with the ability to differentiate.
Those speakers are so tiny why not just get another pair and sit em on the tv stand for L and Rs? Keep the top 2 for Atmos heights. Or is that still too ugly for you?
Why bother with surround audio at all if you're just going to do it completely 100% wrong?
Sorry, I didn't wanna pile on but damn man you brought this on yourself...
You're being down voted for not wanting to f** around with speaker setup?? Damn weirdos on this sub.
Reddit in a nutshell
Why are the speakers so high?
Guys using 3 old mobile phones for speakers 🤣
But seriously man, get at least bookshelves, a real center, some stands and cover up this mess. But if you're fine with those phone sized speakers for ants, at least place them properly.
Seriously, the built in TV speakers would probably out perform those lol
Optimal speaker placement has Left and Right speakers at the same height (ear level) as Center.
You have your center at the lowest possible point, and your Left and Right at nearly the highest possible point which is dramatically far from an ideal location. It’s about as wrong as you could place them if you purposefully did the exact opposite of what Dolby recommended.
Not purposely: The wires for the front surround speakers were already installed in the house we just bought. Didn’t want to mess with it.
Neat job of hiding wires. Worst job of speaker placement I've ever seen. How are you cooling that receiver?
Speaker cables were already installed. Didn’t want to open the wall up. Open the cabinet while listening.
For as clean as the setup is, I'm not a fan at all of your center setup. It's so clean, but you need to have the drawer open to watch TV? I'd actually get a "soundbar style" thin, wide speaker to mount under the TV. It wires up just like a normal center speaker.
Are you really here in this sub, recommending a soundbar setup? Anyway… He has plenty of space for something better. Just have to buy a full set of speakers and place it correctly around the room. If he’s nice with opening a door(that’s not a drawer) while watching movies, what’s wrong with it since this won’t impact in anyway? Even heat dissipation would be good (enough space on top of the receiver)
No i'm not recommending a soundbar setup. You didn't read closely. There are center channels that are thin that have a soundbar "form factor" but you just hook them up like a normal center channel, and then you keep your left / right. This would get you a normal height center channel and the lack of needing to open the drawer to listen to TV audio.
Ah, ok.. I don’t remember reading what you wrote as clear as it looks now, sorry. Put that way of course it’s a nice chance..can you please recommend a model of some ‘above decent’ speakers with that form factor? I’m interested for job applications.. About OP’s setup: in this case he should anyway keep that door open or the receiver would fry; and before than the center channel he would need LR speaker and a SW since they’re missing; Oc, what you suggested would be the first next investment…or rise the tv just a little bit(somewhere I also wrote he would have plenty of room inside the upper drawer😝)
There are both passive soundbard for example this from MA: https://www.monitoraudio.com/en/product-ranges/soundbars/sb-3-passive-soundbar/
And there is a Polk one in that form factor that is not meant as LCR but center only.
Ofc they suffer from the same issues as any other soundbar so I would not exactly call any of these decent.
Looks nice but I dont see the theater
I think that's the point.
Of the sub?
Of the specific room in this post.
Probably needs a usb fan hole cut into the back of the cabinet, would definitely be fine then. No way I’d mess around and melt my AVR in a sealed cabinet without airflow.
The cabinet is mounted on the wall. There is no back 😉
The wall is the back…
Then 2 fans to go through sidewalls to properly vent your AVR. If not, you will likely take years of life off your AVR due to excessive heat. Definitely monitor the temps in the closed cabinet if you’re trying to do this without install fans. Holes are easy to make and fans are cheap. Set it up right to begin with and never have to think about it again.
Since the center speaker is also in this cabinet I open this section when using the receiver. Design choice. I’m fine with it.
Lower them 4 ft and use masking tape then paint with touchup I used to run fronts this high years ago then again I also had towers on the floor as well never do this alone 😂 just get towers and switch these to front heights
Well, the tv's not too high for once, but I can tell this room sounds terrible just by looking. Audio wise I have absolutely nothing positive to say about this.
You don't actually need to use the wires they put in the wall just because the previous homeowner decided to put their speakers in the dumbest place imaginable.
I understand the temptation to use the "features" in a new house, and installing new conduit is too expensive, but if you don't get a pair of wire nuts and some speaker cable and get that center speaker out of that cabinet, you're well, you're fucking up.
Conduits were for 2 height channels (those speaker your placed there, can’t even be good for something else). Surely the previous owner had two full range tower placed beside the furniture.
Didn’t you find some conduit for subwoofer? Otherwise I can’t believe you can use this setup looking how small speakers are..
At last you can get along with central channel being too low. You could at last place it (when you buy a real one) removing the upper drawer.
Edit: I looked better at you setup. It’s not an home theater, but more a lo-fi game console setup.
So, I correct myself.. you did a great job, but posted in the wrong subreddit! Enjoy
Thanks, maybe you are right. It suits well for my Netflix and Xbox sessions. Never had a Hi-Fi setup in mind.
Ok, anyone is happy his way… personally I could understand playing xbox, but would find really hard enjoining netflix this way. I imagine you can keep volume quite high all the time, to understand dialogues and don’t bother missing others stuff in soundtrack..It could also be we like different content type. Don’t get me wrong for me criticizing..I remember you again to read the subreddit name🤷🏻♂️
I learned the hard way 😉 Dialogue have always an issue. But it’s not easy as taking a bigger center isn’t it?
Thanks for the advice.
The previous owner probably had the TV higher so the speakers were placed properly. Why so much dismay for others choices? People don't mind being taught proper placement but they certainly don't like being spoke down to. As Mary Poppins said, "A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down". Don't try so hard to make people feel dumb.
Dude I don't fucking care, it's wrong and it sounds bad.
If the previous owner put his tv like 15 feet in the air, he was an idiot and his neck probably hurt all the time.
If you don't like how I talk to people, good. Leave and take your lame, preachy bullshit with you.
Cleanest 0.1.2 setup I’ve seen in a while
Those uneven speakers would drive me up the fucking wall!
speakers too high
My brother in Christ please get some towers or bookshelves and use the mounted speakers as heights.
Oh boy... I'm starting to really hate minimalism.
Looks clean as hell. That’s my next project for my new tv. I still have a solid wire mess that needs organizing 🙈
Man, you and your clean setup sure stirs up some shit, don’t it?
Looks like
With a custom cabinet and wall mounting the tv you could have found space to mount and properly place the center under the TV and not on the floor in the cabinet. You also lose the clean look when you open the drawer to be able to hear the center.
You're also limiting your upgrade options, most better centers aren't that small.
L/R speaker placement is way too high and once again upgrade options are limited if you wanted some better bookshelf speakers or towers.
I still can place the center under the TV. I left exactly 11cm space for the center (height of it). Currently I like it how it is.
Then you should move it because it's much better placement for the sound.
Also to my other point most center speakers are not that small. It would have been better to have planned for more room to allow you to upgrade.
Edit: the center is also not really on center.
People post this kind of thing here knowing that they're going to get dragged for it, right?
No, this place is just full of elitist assholes
I mean, yes absolutely, we don't all have thousands of £s to spend, but know your audience
I understand those who post should know their audience, but why do the elitist make such an effort to shame and belittle instead of encourage those who don't know or haven't learned what they don't know yet?
Wow. OP taking some serious downvotes…
Looks clean OP.
As others have stressed… L/R speaker position is less than ideal. But I understand you moving with what you had, least course of resistance and all.
Bookshelf on stands or smaller towers would fit nicely in the set up and small patchwork on the upper speaker area may be in your future.
Either way. Hope it works out well for you and again, sweet clean decor looks great. Enjoy!
Thanks for the advice! Currently I am very happy with it.
I mean, congrats on the wire-free part, but otherwise, your setup leaves a lot to be desired. I guess if you favor visual over audible, you've succeeded. But it's very far from ideal from an audio perspective.
Sorry to burst your bubble. I'm sure you posted this out of pride.
Well I always appreciate constructive feedback. I know it’s no audiophile setup. Yes a bit of pride and maybe some inspiration for others for the look of it. Speaker setup sucks, I know now. Currently I am fine with it and so there is a upgrade path for later.
If you could move those speakers down to ear level and live with the center speaker on top of the cabinet, you would improve things w/o any new purchases. Then over time, look into getting some bigger and better speakers and sub as upgrades.
If you do move the center, the front edge of the speaker should be flush with the front edge of the cabinet to reduce reflections.
What’s the unit?
Which one?
The tv/media unit
TV is LG OLED 77C49, the receiver is an Yamaha RXV.
I meant the cabinet
It is custom made by a German cabinet manufacturer.
One day..... sure I have a great atmos setup, a great oled, but it's a complete wire mess.
Change the left/right on the wall to front height speakers. Take out the middle drawer and put a real center channel there, tilted up and acoustically decoupled from the shelving. Then some left/right speakers on stands next to the shelf (might try to pull the table/chairs back towards you). Might be able to fit a compact sub in the left corner or wirelessly in the back of the room. You can still make it look clean regarding wire management and white cabling (or in wall).
I am usually nice about stuff like this, but this is possibly the worst setup I’ve ever seen. You might as well just play everything through the center and use the center as a faux soundbar
Get some white speaker fabric , and some vinyl wrap for a cleaner look
How do I bring the speaker wire together through all the studs? Wanted to do some speakers but wasn’t sure how to w out access above the wall in a two story house etc
If you're serious, you cut just above your baseboard and remove it. Using an arbor to drill thru the studs in that space you just made low on the wall. Where your wall speakers will be cut a spot between the studs if in wall speakers otherwise just drill a hole large enough to feed your wire and run it down to the floor and then thru the holes you drilled earlier. Nail the floorboard back on and touch up and paint.
I’m serious lol. If it’s just speaker wire behind drywall/wall mounted speakers, where do i pull it from / make a hole to bring it out and into an amp? Appreciate your answers🍺🫱🏿🫲🏼👍🏻
The amp is a starting point and the speaker is a starting point! There are wire pulling tools you can find cheap that is nothing more than a plastic hook on a six ft plastic rod. Drill a hole behind the amp and from that hole, pole the line puller down the wall to the floor. Attach your speaker wire to the hook and pull it back up thru the wall to the hole you cut out behind the amp. Obviously you can attach your speaker line to the amp at this point. Secondly the same approach is followed for the wall speakers. Run the wire thru the studs you drilled thru after you removed the floorboard and reaching down the wall with the wire puller thru the hole behind the speaker, attach your speaker wire to the puller and bring the wire up thru the wall and attach to your speaker. That is the simple solution, but let's be real, there are wires and insulation in the wall and sometimes even support 2x4's in the wire. Be patient and it will work. Check online for videos that show how to add an outlet to a finished wall, it will show far better than my descriptions are probably coming across.
This house has no studs. It’s build from solids stones.
Very clean and beautiful. Which brand?
Of which part?
I think it'd be better if you saw some wires and had proper left and right placement than having no wires and having the speakers way up high.
Everyone who is criticizing this guys setup . Would you be kind enough to post images of yours? Please and thank you. Speakers are iffy but overall it’s solid, nice telly too
Thank you very much!
Agreed, the negative vibes especially without constructive criticism is pointless. The elitist are out in force.
That is the dumbest place to put your speakers. Put them on the cabinet. That's also a nice spot for your receiver to overheat.
Lmao this is embarrassing but clearly op doesn’t actually watch the tv
Clean.
That was the goal. Thanks.
Can’t believe I’m reading “put the tv HIGHER to put the center channel on top of the cabinet”
I hate that look when I see it. It looks god awful. I think this looks great.
And I’ve had AVRs in cabinets for years without “melting” ffs it’s not that big a deal.
Turn the fronts into atmos and get bookshelves for LR and you’ll be fine.
Thanks for the feedback!
I mean I'm usually against gate keeping but this isn't a home theatre... It's a TV with 2 little computer speakers mounted on the ceiling.
Nice work!
Thanks!
Clean...
Cute speakers 🔊
How high is that TV? It looks clean and amazing.
Thanks. Center of the TV is exactly on the height of my eyes while sitting comfortably on the couch.
What height is that for? Also, where will you put centre channel?
Looks great. Where'd you get that cabinet? Looks like it might fit my beast of a reciever. 😁
Clean minimal setup, what’s up with the speakers? That’s a strange position for the fronts 😅