[tinman, I'm not a cheapskate] Where to place REAR speakers?

Dolby Labs would disagree with you.

 

Check out the Cardas formula. This is a nice mathematical method to setup your room.

 

Or you can buy a receiver that does the calcs for you and adjusts output accordingly... Pioneers do this (so do others).

 

http://www.saveyourhd.org/

 

Just messing with you...My kids would love it too...If its upstairs, you should have no problems going into the attic and wiriing...

 

you don't say whether you have dipole rear's or not, so assuming they're standard forward firing speakers, including the rear center, i would place them on the side walls, slightly forward of the listening position, but angled so the sound bounces off the back wall, roughly a 45 degree angle from the side- same with the center.

in a pinch, one could also place them behind the couch, but firing straight up towards the ceiling. in either case, you'll need to adjust the levels accordingly.