Surround Loudspeaker Placement
• The loudspeaker arrangement for surround sound
monitoring may comprise three front channels and two
surround channels, each placed upright on stands an equal
distance from the listening position.
• A sub-woofer is often used to improve the system’s low
frequency response. A typical setup may consist of five
HHB Circle 5 loudspeakers with a Circle 1 sub-woofer.
• Ensure that all five loudspeakers are positioned at the same
height - ideally, this will be so that the tweeters are level
with the listener’s ears.
• Due to the consistent sound quality of the HHB Circles, it is
possible to mix Circle 5s and Circle 3s in the same
surround setup. The front three speakers, left, centre and
right, may be Circle 5s, with a pair of Circle 3s used for left
surround and right surround.
• Widely used in films and pop music, extreme low
frequency effects, as produced by the HHB Circle 1, are
often felt rather than actually heard.
• Since the Circle 1 sub-woofer will only produce low
frequencies, often with a wavelength of up to ten metres, it
is often hard to localise, enabling the speaker to be placed
on the floor or slightly to one side of the listening position
without altering the overall spatial image.
• Distance from the listening position to each of the
loudspeakers should always be the same. If the listener is
at the centre point of an imaginary circle, the speakers
should all lie on the circle’s circumference.
• There are no hard and fast rules as to the exact placing of
the left and right surround loudspeakers - this circular
diagram is merely intended as a guide. In fact, many
recording and mixing studios have their surround
loudspeakers mounted on moveable trolleys, enabling each
client to place them in their preferred position.
15
C
L
R
SUB
RS
LS
Figure 10
Suggested surround
loudspeaker placement
