# 50" plasma speaker placement



## Kurt1968 (Oct 15, 2009)

Going to be purchasing a 50" Plasma. I have inwall speakers to go around it. Just wondering how to place them. Like how far from the sides of the Tv. Also where to place the center channel top or bottom. One more question how high to mount tv off of floor.


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## wiz561 (Nov 11, 2008)

It will be interesting to hear about how far to mount the speakers. I'm thinking of getting in-wall speakers...but if I have, say a 42" tv and want to upgrade to a 55", I would have to move the speakers in the future. What if I get a 55" tv now and then a 65" when they come out in a few years? So yeah, it will be interesting to hear about this.

I'm *wondering* if you should just mount the speakers on the outside edge and the center one up high....kind of like they do in theaters... but i'm no expert here.

About the mounting height of the tv, here's what I did. Sit down on your couch and take a laser and shoot it at the wall at about eyeball height. Center the tv a few inches above it. At first, I thought it was low, but it's nice to look forward at the TV and not get neck cramps. 

Also, check out crutchfield.com. They have some good advice for installations.


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## mikaljones21 (Mar 5, 2010)

*Speaker Positions*

The TV mounting height depends a bit on the ceiling height. But generally speaking with a TV the size of yours about 36" inches from the floor to the TV bottom should be a good place to start. If it looks a little too high I would go down closer to 30" floor to bottom instead of up.

Place the side speakers centered on the height that the TV is mounted. If the speakers are not as tall as the TV then center them according their measurements. This will place the stereo acoustic image dead center on the TV.

The lateral positioning of the main left and right speakers is a little tougher. How far apart you can go really depend on your room width. I think at least 3 feet from the side walls but a minimum of 7ft apart to a maximum of 12ft. Obviously, you want them centered on the TV, or rather the TV set dead center between the Main L/R speakers. The reason for the width is to achieve a wide sound-stage. This is probably more my personal preference than anything else. But it will tend to make music sound better if you are just playing a CD on your system also. But I think it helps on movies too.

I would put the center channel under the TV instead of above. The carpet usually does a better job of absorbing the first acoustic reflection than the ceiling does. Unless you have no carpet and an acoustical ceiling then you may want to reverse that and put the center above the TV. 

Here is an article that backs up what I am saying. 

Make sure to set your delays in your receiver setup or pre/pro because in wall speakers are set on a flat plane. Which means that the left and rights will be further from your ear than the center channel.

Hope this helped..


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

I disagree about using an inch measurement for TV placement, unless you buy a tilt-able mount. Your TV should be mounted at comfortable eye level when you are sitting in your furniture. A compromise can be between eye level when sitting and eye level when standing. 

For most people this puts the television 'lower' than aesthetically pleasing for the wall - but it is MISERABLE to watch a television that is mounted to high (again, unless you buy a tilt-able mount). The perfect example of this bad installation height is when people mount TVs above fireplaces - it is LITERALLY a pain in the neck.


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## mikaljones21 (Mar 5, 2010)

Leah Frances said:


> I disagree about using an inch measurement for TV placement, unless you buy a tilt-able mount. Your TV should be mounted at comfortable eye level when you are sitting in your furniture. A compromise can be between eye level when sitting and eye level when standing.
> 
> For most people this puts the television 'lower' than aesthetically pleasing for the wall - but it is MISERABLE to watch a television that is mounted to high (again, unless you buy a tilt-able mount). The perfect example of this bad installation height is when people mount TVs above fireplaces - it is LITERALLY a pain in the neck.




I agree with you but with a 50" TV that will usually be somewhere between 30" and 36" inches measured from floor to the bottom. But under some circumstances you are right. That range may not work in all cases. 

My above statements are taken with a viewing distance of 12 to 15 feet. I guess I should have mentioned that.


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## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

Good point on the viewing distance. You really ought to measure out your viewing distance, too.


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