Definitely worth adding to the system. You can’t have an Arc and two subs without surrounds too. Era300s are of course best but more expensive and more bulky. If the space and budget allows and they won’t look out of place then get them. Otherwise the Era 100s.
They should be just to the left and right of the viewing area, at ear height, turned slightly in. I wouldn’t have them too far from either side of the viewing area or the surround soundscape might be a little wide.
Hey, I’ve actually done something very similar in a slightly smaller room, so hopefully this helps.
Using the Era 100s as surrounds in the corners can absolutely work — especially if your priority is aesthetic balance and preserving floor space. I mounted mine about 12–15 inches above ear level and slightly angled toward the main listening position using the Flexson mounts (great choice, by the way — solid build and that swivel makes a surprising difference).
Yes, it’s not the textbook Dolby placement (ideally you want them directly to the sides or slightly behind at ear level), but in real-world setups like yours where the couch is against the wall and space is limited, the corner mount solution is often the most practical.
What I noticed:
You’ll get a more diffuse surround field — which isn’t bad, it actually feels more cinematic in smaller rooms.
Dialog clarity and front soundstage still remains the Arc’s strength, but the Era 100s definitely add a sense of immersion, especially in action scenes or atmos-enabled content.
If you’re using Trueplay (especially iOS device tuning), it does a solid job compensating for less-than-ideal placement.
In short — yes, it’s worth adding them. The improvement in spatial feel and rear effects outweighs the minor compromise in “ideal” placement, and the Era 100s still sound great even off-axis.
Let me know if you want pics of the setup or angle suggestions. Happy tinkering!
@Safal gupta
Use sentences from your own brain, which you’ll find uses fewer em dashes.
My surrounds are positioned horribly, still sound better than no surrounds.
Perfect placement is a goal, not a requirement and the 100s are more flexible in placement as they don’t have the additional drivers the 300s have.
