Preferred Surround Speakers Placement:

Unlike the front speakers, the job of the surrounds in a home theater is to create a cloud of non-localized sound that envelops the viewer. It is this diffused rear sound field, which actually makes you feel like you are in the middle of the movie action.

Though preferred surround speaker positioning is very much dependent on personal tastes, yet there are a few home theater speaker placement issues worth taking note of:

Surround speakers should ideally be placed alongside and slightly to the rear of your main seating position. This will help mimic the sound field as originally recorded in dubbing theaters when mixing movie soundtracks.

Sidewall placement is preferred; this helps create a seamless, enveloping soundstage over the whole listening area.

If sidewall placement is not possible, try to make use of appropriate speaker stands.

Position the speakers two to three feet above your seated ear level; this helps create the most diffused enveloping sound field in the listening area.

In the case of 6.1 and 7.1 home theater surround sound systems, distribute the surround speakers such that these are preferably wall mounted on the sidewalls and the back wall. This kind of home theater speaker placement would further enhance the enveloping effect.

Surround speakers First an important note. It's our belief that the goal of home theater is not to make the viewer believe that they´re in the movie theater; it´s to make them believe they´re in the movie. So we believe that the surround speakers should be able to create all those atmospheric location sounds without being easily localized. This has a major impact on where the surround speakers should be placed for best operation, understanding our goal. You'll find several different types of speakers used for surround applications and the best location for each type is generally different.

Dipoles For Dipole surrounds the ideal location is directly adjacent to the prime listening position, starting a little above ear height when seated, to approximately 18 inches down from the ceiling. They work best right up against or mounted to the sidewalls. Dipoles may be placed rearward of the prime listening position, and in fact, can be located on the back wall if absolutely necessary. But such positioning may compromise the involving, non-localizable aspect of a dipole's surround field. If you are relegated to ceiling placement, make sure to orient the speakers so the apex or the part of the speaker between the two sets of tweeters and woofers is right above the listening position. The speakers will be running lengthwise, firing toward the TV and the back wall. The ceiling position is not the ideal position; however, it will still provide a sense of ambient information and diffuse sound provided the speakers are positioned correctly.

Bipoles These speakers can be placed similarly to Dipoles, and can even be placed forward of the listening position as well. But it´s typically more difficult to get a Bipole to deliver a non-localizable sound field unless they're located fairly high on the side walls, well above seated ear level. Bipoles will work OK on back walls, and on the ceiling too, but once again, there will be compromises in the believability of the surround effects that they generate from these locations.

Monopoles Also known as direct radiators. When used for surround speakers they should be placed relatively high up on the rear or side walls, with the tweeters aimed other than directly at the listeners. This helps to create a more believable "surrounding experience" and makes this type speaker less localizable.