Home Theatre Question

Riley The friend is certified to install Focus4 Home Automation systems. He's not so skilled at surround sound,
but he does install his speakers this way every time. He
usually uses Marantz AV receivers and Proficient speakers and says that all of his clients love the end result.
I figured out on my own that this setup is not at all optimal for surround sound. No, he didnt give me any options. At the time it seemed he knew what he was doing. I might just cover up the holes and stick with my 2 channel system, Musical Fidelity TriVista Integrated with Spendor S8e's.

I think you should repay the favor by offering to rebuild his transmission.

The speakers will be firing downward and although they will "work", they will lack placement and interaction with the room boundry to sound as real as could be. They will be out of the way and not affect appearance as much but I would have placed them in the walls around the room but check out some interior magazines like Home theater, etc.

I wouldn't give up on HT so quickly. Film and music video are starting to come into there own with HD and Blue Ray. I'm guessing your nice two channel system is providing you with sound staging, you have a working knowledge of your room, and this is the basis for your concern.

I have yet to hear what was once a high quality resolving and staging two channel system morf into an HT system, but that's me. If your considering all this in the same room I'd give up on using your S8e's as a part of the HT system. Your two channel ain't broke!

Start the HT from scratch. Keep the display well away from the Spendors, if it must go between them keep it well behind them. Consider a modern receiver with room correction and possibly some directional ceiling speakers (sorry I don't know the brand but there out there) or a set of small sensitive wall mounted speakers. I'm using Triangle Comets which are on the large size for the wall but their sensitivity works great with a receivers power, in my case it's a Pioneer SC-07.

There is very little in the way of 7.1 film audio right now and what there is seems to have been produced hastily, but its coming. For now music video, HD Comcast Paladia are great fun and worth the effort IMO.

Thanks for the advice. I'll use 4 ceiling speakers
for the sides and rears, but for fronts, I'll use my Totem
Forest floorstanders, and I'll use a Totem center channel speaker. The Arcam avr350 should do a fine job
with music and movies, and I can biamp the fronts
for 2 channel or add one of my integrated amps with
the HT passthrough feature, Thanks