Where to position speakers in new apartment


So I finally have an apartment which means I may actually get to hear my system sometime in the next year! The living/dining room where my rig will live is roughly 17 by 20 with windows on one short wall and an open kitchen at the other end (see a floorplan of the place here).

There are two possible setups as I see it: the speakers could go on the short wall with the windows, which would mean utilyzing the long axis of the room; or they could go on the end of the long wall towards the windows, leaving the listening field open on one end.

I'm by no means an acoustics expert, so I was wondering if you guys might take a look and tell me what you think would work better/best for speaker positioning. FYI: the room has 15' ceilings, hard wood floors, and a pass-through cutout to the kitchen; my Totem Forests are w 8 x d 10.5 x h 36".

Sorry if I've left out any vital information, and thanks for all your help. Room treatment fun to follow.

-mattt
mimberman
HT? Just close the drapes completely. You can then lower the screen in front from the soffitt above. ;-)

Kal
Actually, KR, you're a genius, because there is a cut-out in the ceiling and the windows actually extend higher than the ceiling, so there should be room. Only problem is that given the ceiling height, the screen will have to be pretty high up, and also I wouldn't be able to watch TV without closing the shades, since it's a pretty bright room. We'll see what happens.

Goinbroke: thanks for the measurements. I know this is going to involve a good deal of patience and incremental moving, but this setup is so much more idea than my last one, with a wall directly behind my head and no wall on the left side.
This is a very useful thread for me, I'm going through setup decisions now
and have a similar room. Never doubt that deliberations like these go further
than just their participants! Thanks all.
I actually have no video display in that room with the exception of a small 7" LCD for menuing. I like having the city views in the evening while I am listening.

My HT is in another room.

Kal
I agree with your philosphy on the listening room, Kal; however, the only other rooms available for HT are my bedroom and bathroom, and I don't like the idea of having a TV in the bedroom (I'm not even going to begin to bring up my philosphy on the bathroom!). I think I'll end up getting a plasma/lcd and throwing it on the short wall and maybe later I'll add a 5.1 system, but I don't think I'll be integrating my 2 chnl rig at any time.