Hello! I'm in the midst of a new home build and I'm trying to figure out what would be the best path forward for rear surround speakers in the room where my main TV will be set up. It's not ideally shaped, unfortunately.
Right now I have a Sonos Arc, but I'm not sure if it would be best to pair this with two speakers like One SLs on speaker stands set up behind the couch, or if it would make more sense to do a set of in-ceiling or in-wall speakers. If I did in-wall speakers, the back right would be further back than the back-left.
Any recommendations on what may work best in this space? Thanks!
Page 1 / 1
I’d do what you said. Arc under the TV set, Sonos Ones on speaker stands behind each side of the couch.
Ceiling speakers are problematic for use in home theaters, and often not recommended. Great for music, not great for home theater use.
I would go with two One SLs on speaker stands (see photo). You should be able to easily hide the power cables under the couch.
An issue with speakers behind the couch is proximity to the listeners. For a listener at either end of the couch, the nearby speaker will dominate. The center seated listener will experience balanced surround. If a single listener is typically lounging on the couch, the surrounds could be balanced to favor the listener’s typical orientation.
I recommend preparing for potential future developments by installing wire for four ceiling speakers, but only document their location at this time, don’t install anything.
I’m also anal about network wiring. Install lots of network ports scattered throughout the house and run some fiber for critical locations, such as TV sets and an office cluster of equipment. The fiber will be “dark” for a few years, but eventually it will be welcome. Ceiling WiFi access points are more potent, if you go this route, wire now. Another reasonable approach is non ceiling, wired access points in most rooms. Regardless of overall potency, a nearby access point will be more effective than a distant more potent access point.
