i have used several variations on speaker placement - but first - are you using 4 of the exact same speaker - this is a must.
second - do you have a listening chair or sofa or..i dunno...beanbag? this is going to be your focal point. unlike 5.1 theater mode - where you want bullets buzzing by your head or objects whizzing around you - i dont see the need for a set of speakers to be behind you - called the rear channel, i know but i have always thought it misleading to call the rear channels...well, REAR. rather - right "one" and right "two" - and left "one" and left "two".
for quad QS and quad SQ - i am no expert - Doug g is the cd-4 go-to guy - i use sansui qs synth - and i have said this before - and i dont mind repeating myself - i like it. it decodes a stereo input into quad - it somehow takes frequencies out of the original signal and amps it up and sends that information to the right "two" and left "two" speakers - so the same Black Sabbath "iron man" you have always heard in stereo - decoded through the sansui qs synth mode will find the sounds hidden in the original recording - and amp them up - so iron man now has sounds - nuances always there - but unable to get a grip on - so it sounds better than ever before - however, i have a quad slob rebuild qrx9001 with the blend resistor removed - and when i had my speakers spread throughout the room - unless i remained seated with all 4 speakers pointed right at me and balanced out (which sounds good) i would get up to boogie or air-guitar or chase a kid out of the room and i would hear the weirdest sound out of whatever speaker i was closest to - this got old real quick-like. so i use both 'A' and 'B' sets of speakers at one time ....'A' and 'B' right one/two on the right (4 speakers) -- and on the left - the same thing - 'A' and 'B' left one and two - i know it is eight speakers total - all pioneer cs99a's - so in effect - i have stereo - but with sansui quad qs synth sound...it is fearless in its attempt to bring more to the table.
however - from what i understand about qs and sq - the speakers were meant to be separated - the recordings are made with four tracks - so it was intentional to have the drummer here - the guitarist there and...you get the picture - the sounds were meant to be separate - so to position your speaks in a way that you get all those individual sounds to hit you right in the face is important. i dont see the need to ever have a speaker set behind you - god gave us ears pointing forward so you could look at what you are hearing - and so thats why i say keep all the speakers in front of you - but spaced apart in a way that they all have sound that collides perfectly...right in your face. since the rear channels, right two and left two, are weaker...usually - i do see the need for right one and left one to be more in front of you - lets call that - 12 o'clock - but further away from you - and left two and right two can be in a little closer and in positions i will call 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. but then there is the balance control to help balance out what your wife will find impermissible - "youre not making a stonehenge of speakers around the room!" so the speakers often get pushed flat against a wall...so the balance controls are used. sometimes the right "one" and left "one" set of speakers will have an independent volume control and a volume control for left "two" and right "two" set of speakers - this will help to balance out perfect speaker placement over normal function and design of a normal living room versus a sound studio - or listening room. so if you got no kids and you got a tolerant wife - put the speakers where they are facing you and give you the spatial quality that YOU like - youre still going to monkey with the volume and independent balance controls - but if in a normal home life with the family - put the speakers as close to perfection as possible and really use the balance and different volume settings to iron out the issues with good, but not ideal, speaker placement.
here is 5.1 -
http://www.bolo-digital.com/pages/Postproduction/post.html
here is quad by some standards - i disagree -
http://tot.sat.qc.ca/down/nslam/doc/DOC_HTML/quad.jpg
here is what sq and qs prefers -
http://www.wendycarlos.com/surround/10)srnd.jpg
wendy carlos agrees with me - this is the worst speaker placement -
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:59&biw=1360&bih=613
and this is a great video on how to set up everything you need to know - with a semi-naked woman giving the "how to" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOU8GIRUd_g
the wendy carlos sight has some insights
take care - and post what you find best
william a reid