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1961 Surrounds or Bookshelves

Andrew Littlefield
Community Member

I am getting ready to replace my current 20 yr old Jmo speakers with 1961 Arendals.  The question is do I use the Surrounds or Bookshelves for my surround speakers?  You can see from the picture that my current surrounds are mounted on wall and near the rear wall of the room.  I can move them a bit further off the back wall while still being slightly behind the sitting position but not by more than maybe 6 inches.

In this situation which is better – Surrounds or Bookshelves?

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All replies (22)

Luis Vazquez
Active Member

Personally… if you can’t move things further from the rear wall, then I would go with the bookshelves as the surround speakers have side firing drivers (see image below) and those drivers would be, in my opinion, too close to the rear wall / corner and therefore create unwanted “echoes” or other issues.

Andrew Littlefield
Community Member

That was fear.  Any idea how far off the wall before the echos won’t be an issue?  I can probably come out almost a foot and still be even with sitting position.

the only issue with bookshelves is waiting for them too get restocked

Jurgen Hooglander
Community Member

Go for the surrounds and mount them next to the sofa on the back wall.

Or on the side wal 50cm away from the back wall

Andrew Littlefield
Community Member

No good spot on the rear wall with moving stuff or having them be almost directly above where i sit if I come in 50 cm from the corner.

 

if I go 50cm down the sidewall I am just slightly ahead of where my head would be

 

i sent the same question into support and they suggested bookshelves or using the height speakers.  With the height speakers they would be aimed at the sitting area.

They also suggested putting heights on the ceiling with the narrow part facing each other and spaced to each end of the seating area

Luis Vazquez
Active Member

You can certainly use the Heights if the bookshelves are out of stock; in the future if you want to try Atmos, you can use the heights for that purpose and then order the bookshelves or surrounds if you can move things around in the room.

Andrew Littlefield
Community Member

I was planning to do Atmos later this year.  If I use the height speakers for surrounds what benefit would I get swapping them for bookshelves at a later date?  The height speakers as surrounds would be aimed towards the seating area, whereas the bookshelves would br aimed straight out from the wall

Luis Vazquez
Active Member

Heights vs bookshelves for surround duty… no difference that I can think of; simply providing the option as you were originally looking at bookshelves vs surrounds.  Since all of these come with built in vesa 100mm mounting points, you could purchase different mounts and therefore angle, swivel, etc. any of these with ease.  Just additional options… nothing more.

Either way you decide, please keep us posted…

Andrew Littlefield
Community Member

I went to order but now the center won’t ship for a couple weeks – delivery estimate is when I am out of town again.  So I guess I am waiting a bit longer

Luis Vazquez
Active Member

Certainly a bummer… fingers crossed everything is back in stock when you return.

Andrew Littlefield
Community Member

Yeah I am currently at an AM conference in Chicago and was checking shipping dates daily until they matched with when I would be home.  Everything was 24-31 Mar except the center which was 12-17 Apr.  it was a very sad day

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