CINEMA LOUDSPEAKER KNOWLEDGE

Speaker spacing behind acoustically transparent screens

How far should speakers sit behind a woven or perforated screen, and why screen material changes high-frequency response and comb filtering.

Woven and perforated screens behave differently

Both screen types trade a small amount of acoustic transparency for the enormous placement advantage of putting the speakers behind the picture. The exact attenuation and reflection behaviour depends on the material and perforation/weave structure.

Why distance matters

Placing a loudspeaker too close to a reflective/perforated surface can create repeated path-length differences between direct and reflected sound. More spacing can reduce some of these interactions, but the correct value is screen-specific.

Toe-in and screen clearance

Angled L/R speakers need enough depth that the cabinet and waveguide can toe toward the seats without crowding the screen material.

Equalisation can correct level, not geometry

High-frequency attenuation through a screen can often be equalised. Comb filtering from poor spacing or reflections is not solved as cleanly with EQ.

Coordinate screen and speaker together

Choose screen material, speaker type, baffle-wall depth and spacing as one optical/acoustic specification.

PROJECT-SPECIFIC ADVICE

Apply the principle to your room.

Send the dimensions, screen, seating plan and target channel layout.