speaker placement observation

[just-some-guy]

it was said here, that placing the speakers forward of the display is ideal. i am assuming that is for sound quality.

i have never placed mine forward, always flush. because i am sure there are some light reflexsions coming off the speaker cabinets, distracting from what is on the desplay. am i missing something ?

 

[john72953]

My own personal observation on this is as follows:

If your speakers are next to your display/stand, then move them forward. If they are spread apart wider, I see no advantage in placing them forward of your display.

Speakers require room/space. They do not like to be tucked up against anything and that includes the wall behind them (especially).

John

 

[Chitown2477]

I agree that placing them slightly forward improves the sound stage. I also tilt the fornt left and right in towards the center slightly.

 

[john72953]

I agree that placing them slightly forward improves the sound stage. I also tilt the fornt left and right in towards the center slightly.

I would personally only recommend "experimenting" with toe-in of speakers once you get beyond 6-7 feet from centre of speaker. My fronts are set 7 ft apart and I don't use any toe-in. They are placed to fire head-on! I wish I could experiment with a wider distance, but my space doesn't allow for it.

Speakers with wide off-axis dispersion (like mine) should be tested at various widths apart in a straight-line configuration before considering toe-in. If you employ a toe-in configuration at 6 ft or less you will lose soundstage and presence. Just IMHO!

John

 

[DD66000]

I would personally only recommend "experimenting" with toe-in of speakers once you get beyond 6-7 feet from centre of speaker. My fronts are set 7 ft apart and I don't use any toe-in. They are placed to fire head-on! I wish I could experiment with a wider distance, but my space doesn't allow for it.

Speakers with wide off-axis dispersion (like mine) should be tested at various widths apart in a straight-line configuration before considering toe-in. If you employ a toe-in configuration at 6 ft or less you will lose soundstage and presence. Just IMHO!

John

Wider spacing between speakers isn't better, if it means having the speakers stuck in the corners. The widest soundstage comes from having the speakers well away from the side walls.
I have an 8 ft spread (toe-in) between my mains and another 58" from the center of the baffles to the side walls. The resulting soundstage is considerably wider than the soundstage produced in a HT showroom, I was in this past summer, that had the speakers spread about 11~11.5 ft, in only a 13 ft wide room.

Even speakers with wide dispersion may benefit from toe-in or you may notice no difference at all. But if the spread is only 6 ft wouldn't serve any purpose.

 

[3db]

Even speakers with wide dispersion may benefit from toe-in or you may notice no difference at all. But if the spread is only 6 ft wouldn't serve any purpose.

Not true. My speakers are spread roughly 6' apart and I find toe in helps reduce the 2ndary reflections from the side walls.

 

[DD66000]

Not true. My speakers are spread roughly 6' apart and I find toe in helps reduce the 2ndary reflections from the side walls.

Well, now you're talking room width, as in narrow. In my room, if I placed the speakers 6 ft apart that would leave a distance of almost 6 ft to the walls, as my room is 17.5 ft wide. And at that distance there is going to be, at best, minimal reflections. And they would arrive at the seat so late that my brain would ignore those sounds.
Even with my current setup of 8 ft spread I still have almost 5 ft to the walls. And that still leaves a 6.5 ft difference between the travel of the direct sound and the reflected sound.