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Hi all, 

 

My basement is currently under construction and I’m working on my surround sound system setup. The aesthetics of the space comes first - I don’t want speakers everywhere, which is part of the reason I’ll be going with Sonos. I’ve drafted a little plan and rendering outlining my intended layout and hope to get some feedback. 

 

My current plan is the Beam, Sub Mini, and two Ones. The Samsung Frame TV is on a sort of bulkhead structure, and the beam would sit on the lower mantle part under it. I’d have the sub-mini off to the right of the TV in front of the built-in cabinets, then a One SL on a shelf behind the tv to the right at 40” off the floor, and another One SL sitting on the kitchenette counter in the corner. The CAD plan illustrates this better than I can write it out. There is a ceiling bulkhead behind the couch that comes down about one foot - is it possible to mount the speakers behind and up high on that, or do they have to be at ear level? I’m willing to compromise a bit of sound quality for the looks of the space. Stands are out of the question. Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

3D Rendering of Living Room
 

 

What is the purpose of the One SL on a shelf behind the tv to the right?

For the surrounds, I would place a One SL on the kitchenette counter in the corner and another One SL (wall mounted or placed on a small table or wall shelf) at around the same height as the kitchenette counter on the opposite corner. And then angle them towards the sofa like this:

 

There are truly invisible speakers that can be incorporated into the walls. In this application you would use a pair of SONOS AMP’s and an active, invisible subwoofer. Properly installed, you’d need to probe the walls, inch by inch to find the speakers.

What is the purpose of the One SL on a shelf behind the tv to the right?

For the surrounds, I would place a One SL on the kitchenette counter in the corner and another One SL (wall mounted or placed on a small table or wall shelf) at around the same height as the kitchenette counter on the opposite corner. And then angle them towards the sofa like this:

 

Hi! I see my error by omission here! The little orange boxes ARE the One’s! My bad. 

There are truly invisible speakers that can be incorporated into the walls. In this application you would use a pair of SONOS AMP’s and an active, invisible subwoofer. Properly installed, you’d need to probe the walls, inch by inch to find the speakers.

Hmm, I’m intrigued! How much sound quality am I sacrificing with this option? And how much money in comparison haha. I’ll do some research! 

This arrangement should be done by an experienced professional. In terms of quality, this would not be absolute state of the art home theater, but neither is ARC. This invisible arrangement would not offer DOLBY ATMOS, but it could tolerate the “live” acoustic environment of the space better than conventional speakers. Be sure to use a pad under that rug.

This arrangement should be done by an experienced professional. In terms of quality, this would not be absolute state of the art home theater, but neither is ARC. This invisible arrangement would not offer DOLBY ATMOS, but it could tolerate the “live” acoustic environment of the space better than conventional speakers. Be sure to use a pad under that rug.

Okay, fair enough! I’ll probably not do invisible then for budget reasons.. but definitely keep it in mind for client projects (we do Interior Design).

Any other comments on the arrangement itself?

The room is likely very “live” (lots of reflections). This results in older sounds bumbling around in the room for a while as new sounds are emitted. In the extreme, it’s a sonic mess. This is why I suggested a nice thick pad under the rug. Adding a tapestry (backed by a pad — ‘pad’, get it?) will help. Your placements are reasonable. Many people place the surrounds adjacent to each end of the sofa. This is not ideal. Your placement is much better.

Appreciate the advice! We will definitely be putting a quality luxury pad under our carpet but initially, that was for comfort and extending the life of the rug, but I’m glad to know it’ll help with the sound as well now! We could probably do some sort of knit canvas on the wall behind the couch in an attempt to deaden the sound as quickly as possible too. 

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