Garage Speakers

[Propflux01]

I've got a 30'X40' shop with a double garage door. I have 4 bookshelf speakers that I want to mount on all four sides. Two on the garage door side, the other two on the opposite wall. Now, here's the question: I need opinions on what would be better for overall sound. Having the Left channel driving two of the same-walled speakers and the Right channel on the other two? Or Left/right on one wall, left/right on the other, as well? My thoughts are leaning towards the left/right on each wall, as that way, movement in the shop will allow the music to appear in stereo pretty much in any position in the shop. However, having left channel on one side, and right channel on the other side, would allow a broader soundstage, at least until I walked towards one side of the shop. Suggestions?

 

[tbm5690]

I'd stick with 2 larger speakers mounted to carry sound throughout the space. Multiple speakers on the same channel always complicates things if you care about sound quality. I have a 2.1 system mounted high in my 30x25 garage that sounds good and carries well into the driveway when I'm out there detailing.

 

[Quattro Pete]

I'd probably do L/R on each wall.

What speakers are you using? What amp?

Have you thought of adding a powered subwoofer?

 

[earlyre]

as other said, what's driving these speakers?
4 speakers, i think of it like a car stereo.
in which case, where's the "Front" of the garage? a workbench, or some such where you'll be listening the most. Reference L/R off that.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I think that even high end bookshelf speakers will be challenged in a space that large. I have a two and half car garage and use a pair of 1987 Boston Acoustic A60 speakers wired to my primary 2:1 system with a speaker control and it does a decent job.

 

[Nukeman7]

I've got a 30'X40' shop with a double garage door. I have 4 bookshelf speakers that I want to mount on all four sides. Two on the garage door side, the other two on the opposite wall. Now, here's the question: I need opinions on what would be better for overall sound. Having the Left channel driving two of the same-walled speakers and the Right channel on the other two? Or Left/right on one wall, left/right on the other, as well? My thoughts are leaning towards the left/right on each wall, as that way, movement in the shop will allow the music to appear in stereo pretty much in any position in the shop. However, having left channel on one side, and right channel on the other side, would allow a broader soundstage, at least until I walked towards one side of the shop. Suggestions?

This is a really easy problem to solve in a real world application like you have. Go ahead and mount the 4 speakers in the corners of your garage shop and hook up the wires in left/right configuration as you described above for each wall. Operate the sound source and see whether you like the soundstage. Then, you can simply swap wires in the back of the amp/receiver output connection terminals to test the other configuration and decide which one you prefer.

 

[Propflux01]

What is driving them is a 20WPC amp. Currently they are running two 12" 3 way off brand speakers, but they just don't cut it for sound, and it all sounds like it comes from one area. They will get replaced regardless, but I had thought the 4 speakers would more 'centralize" my sound.

 

[Malo83]

I'm running 2 JBL S26 Studio speakers and an old Kenwood 12" sub off of a cheap Sherwood receiver. 2 car garage, speaker A is my garage speakers and speaker B runs my patio speakers. Have an old BluRay to play my CD's and a VHS player to watch old recorded NASCAR races.

 

[tshephard]

If you will be moving about (doh!) - let the gear create mono, and A+B 4 mono outs.
If you have an ear for sound you would always notice missing parts, balance issues, etc.

 

[DriveHard]

Line arrays and a powered sub for an area that big IMHO.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I've got a 30'X40' shop with a double garage door. I have 4 bookshelf speakers that I want to mount on all four sides. Two on the garage door side, the other two on the opposite wall. Now, here's the question: I need opinions on what would be better for overall sound. Having the Left channel driving two of the same-walled speakers and the Right channel on the other two? Or Left/right on one wall, left/right on the other, as well? My thoughts are leaning towards the left/right on each wall, as that way, movement in the shop will allow the music to appear in stereo pretty much in any position in the shop. However, having left channel on one side, and right channel on the other side, would allow a broader soundstage, at least until I walked towards one side of the shop. Suggestions?

I suggest some Bose 301 speakers.

 

[Schandyman]

I’m guilty I caved and stuck an Amazon 1st gen echo in my garage. It’s doing the job but I may upgrade down the road to a 2.1 system.

 

[RoadDukie]

Somewhere I remember reading (many years ago), that in an application like yours the speakers should be oriented as such:

Front: L - R
Rear: R - L

YRMV