Rear speakers Facing each other?

[rlightfoot]

I have a question that's been nagging me for quite some time. Why is it that Polk, among others, recommends in their speaker manuals that for HT speakers, the rear speakers should be positioned facing each other?

Why wouldn't you position your rears as you do your fronts, i.e., facing you or facing the sweet spot?

My rears sit 7 feet away at a diagonal from my sweet spot.

[jcaut]

The general idea, for home theater surround, is for the rear channels to create a diffuse, non-localized sound field. The best way to acheive this is probably to use dipoles for the rear channels. When using direct-radiating speakers, like say RT25i's, it's best not to point them toward your listening position because doing so would make it relatively easy to pinpoint where the sound was coming from--- Not what you want for convincing surround effects.

Now for multichannel music, I think the most common recommendation is to use direct radiators and place them in the rear corners of the room, facing the listening position.

Jason

[juice21]

well put jcaut.

rlightfoot - have you tired listening to the speakers in these different positions? placing direct radiating speakers above listening height and several feet behind the listeing area facing each other does prove to offer 'diffuse' sound (at least in my application it did). using dipoles for side surrounds was a whole nother ball game. total diffusion of sound. if you have a chance play with different speaker placements in your HT and listen to the differences. if you have a chance, give a listen to a pair of dipoles as well...

[rlightfoot]

thanks for the advice. I have been doing mostly DVD music listening lately and will try aiming them toward listening area. right now they are in the classic HT position - facing each other, on 28" stands about 4 feet behind listening area.

[RuSsMaN]

'Sundown.....you better take care, if I find you've been creepin' round my back stairs..... '

How's Gordon doing these days? Sorry, couldn't resist....

Cheers,
Russ

[TroyD]

"The legend lives on from the Chipewa on down of the big lake they call gitchegumee....."

BDT

[rlightfoot]

That's OK Russman. You can guess I get that all the time. COllege nickname was "Gordo".

But 'ol unk is doing fine.....