Room placement is important but there isn't ever a single best position for them because we all have varying goals. Some examples:
-- best for flatness of response, without applying EQ, for the more critical 40-80Hz range, heard at listening chair X
-- best for flatness of response without applying EQ, for the more critical 40-80Hz range, heard at listening chair Y
-- best for flatness of response without applying EQ, for the more critical 40-80Hz range, heard at listening chair Z
- best for smooth integration to the mains at the currently selected crossover freq.. . . for X, then Y...then Z
- best for smooth integration to the mains at the currently selected crossover freq.. . . on average
- best for specific music such as deep pipe organ
- best for watching Edge of Tomorrow, early release version, from seat X, Y, Z, on average
- best for highest output level regardless of flatness. . . X, Y, Z, on, average
- best for highest output level specifically in the less musically important 20-40Hz range
- best for "that scene I like where the Death Star explodes"
- best for highest output level specifically in the infrasonic range
- best for "giving me the kick I like in electronic music"
- best for low level listening. . . X, Y, Z, average
- best for not disturbing the next room occupants
. . . and then there's the most important method described by the inventor of the very first sealed box (specifically acoustic suspension) loudspeaker (the AR-1) and then later the first dome tweeter speaker (the AR-3), Edgar Villchur:
"There are so many variables involved in placing speakers in a room that prediction of performance on a scientific basis is extremely difficult. One quantitative approach is to take the square root of the area of the triangle formed by two stereo speakers and the midpoint of the listening area, note it carefully, and then have your wife tell you where the speakers sound best."
HA-HA!
