5.1.2 Atmos · 12 × 15 ft
5.1 plus two overhead (height) speakers. Positions below assume the screen on the 12 ft wall, a main seat 10.2 ft from it, and an 8 ft ceiling.
Speakers
7
+ 1 sub
Main seat
10.2 ft
from the screen wall
Front spread
50°
between L and R
Front distance
10.2 ft
ears to each front
Computed for a 12 by 15 foot room with an 8 ft ceiling and the main seat 10.2 ft from the screen wall.
Note: Proportions are 1.25 : 1
Not a problem ratio and not a textbook one. The closest published proportion is Louden A at 13% off. Treat the corners, then use the subwoofer crawl to find the smoothest spot for your seat.
Watch: 141 Hz gets reinforced twice
The height and width modes both land near 141 Hz, so that note will be noticeably louder than its neighbours at most seats. This is the frequency to look for if the bass ever sounds like it has one favourite note.
Good: Front stage lands at 25°, inside the target
With the seat 10.2 ft from the screen wall, the front left and right fall inside Dolby's 22 to 30° window, giving a 50° spread between them. This is the one angle worth getting exactly right, and this room gives it to you without compromise.
Good: Height speakers reach 71° above ear level
That is inside Dolby's 65 to 100° window, so the overhead layer will sit properly above you rather than sounding like it is coming from the walls. Aim in-ceiling drivers at the main seat if they have pivoting tweeters.
From the left wall (X), the front wall (Y), and floor to tweeter (Z). Mark these with painter's tape before mounting anything.
| Speaker | From left wall | From front wall | Height | Angle from seat | Dolby target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Left | 1.7 ft | 1 ft | 3.3 ft | 25° | 22–30° |
| Front Right | 10.3 ft | 1 ft | 3.3 ft | 25° | 22–30° |
| CenterDirectly below or above the screen, angled toward ear height. | 6 ft | 1 ft | 2.8 ft | 0° | 0° |
| Surround Left | 1 ft | 11.5 ft | 4.8 ft | 105° | 90–110° |
| Surround Right | 11 ft | 11.5 ft | 4.8 ft | 105° | 90–110° |
| Top Middle LeftTop Middle: nearly directly above, slightly in front of the seats. | 4.6 ft | 9.5 ft | 8 ft | 63° / 71° up | 65–100° up |
| Top Middle RightTop Middle: nearly directly above, slightly in front of the seats. | 7.4 ft | 9.5 ft | 8 ft | 63° / 71° up | 65–100° up |
| SubwooferStart in the front corner for maximum output, then run the subwoofer crawl to fine-tune. | 1.5 ft | 1.5 ft | 0.8 ft | n/a | n/a |
How we got these numbers
Surround formats are mixed for speakers at specific angles around the listener, so placement starts from the seat, not the walls. In a 12 by 15 foot room we place the main seat 10.2 ft from the screen wall (68% of the length), which keeps it out of the worst bass null at the room's centre and off the back wall.
From that seat, the front left and right are placed at 25° against Dolby's 22 to 30° range, side surrounds at 105° against 90 to 110°. Every speaker in this layout reaches its target angle without being pushed into a wall, which is not true of every room this size.
This room's first length mode is 38 Hz and its first width mode is 47 Hz, with a Schroeder frequency around 198 Hz below which the room behaves modally rather than statistically. Two of those modes coincide within 5%, so expect a pronounced peak rather than an even response. Start the subwoofer in a front corner and run the subwoofer crawl to smooth those modes at the seat.
Common questions
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Front left/right in medium to large rooms
A three-way tower that measured within roughly plus or minus 2 dB on-axis at Erin's Audio Corner with real bass extension to about 40 Hz, so it can play full range in a medium room. It shares drivers with Polk's flagship Legend series at a fraction of the price.
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