Mon Mar 21, 2011 10:30 pm
Re: I hope I never lose my sense of humor.
OconeeOrange wrote:Yea, some us do realize what you are saying.. Not me, because I have no good gear to place and am coming to learn.
Speaker Placement
There could be undreamed of performance lurking within your system, just waiting to be tapped! What's that you say, better sound than I have now? Most likely, yes. While some of you have been fastidious in your approach to speaker placement, the plain truth is that most of us do not know how (or do not take the time) to properly position our loudspeakers.
To preface, let me say that an article on "correct" speaker placement may be impossible to write. We're talking about precision here. Difference of less than ¼" will be audible in better systems to careful listeners.
With regards to soundstaging, you'll find that depth is dramatically influenced by rear wall proximity. Increasing the distance from the speaker to the wall behind will increase soundstage depth.
You'll find that the side wall distance will affect both soundstaging and tonal balance. In general, proximity to the sidewall will more influence midrange balance while the distance to the back wall will have more impact on bass.
Distance between the speakers will be determined by the distance to your listening position, Some manufacturers recommend a specific measure for speaker separation. Use this measurement, if available and your room permits, but remember that any recommendation is only a starting point. You'll find that increasing the distance between the speakers will widen the soundstage (until, at some point the center image falls apart), decreasing the width will narrow the stage and increase center focus.
Toe-in depends on three factors: the particular speaker you have chosen, the room and your personal preference. Some speakers sound best with little or no toe-in, others may require a great deal to perform properly. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations or, lacking those, start with no toe-in and begin turning the speaker inward (pointing more toward the listener) until the right amount of center-fill is obtained, without sacrificing soundstage width.
Adjust the position of the target itself to correlate with the speaker manufacturers recommendation In general, more toe-in increases center focus, but reducing stage width. Less toe-in widens the stage, but center focus will be sacrificed if you go too far. Sometimes it's a balancing act based on the room, the speaker and the preference of the listener.
Exact distances are critical! Always use a tape measure, half an inch can make all the difference in the world.
Bear in mind that the best location for creating a spacious soundstage, may not be the ideal location for bass. We are searching for a balance, a compromise of parameters that comes closest to our personal definition of ideal.
When setting up new speakers, don’t rush through the process. Take your time and slowly find the ideal location over a few weeks of listening. Pressing to find the right position can be very frustrating. Also note that the sound of the speakers will change during break-in. Play the speakers for at least 100 hours before fine tuning placement.
If you’ve already placed your speakers, but did not put much effort into the process, spend some time tweaking your speaker set-up. I think you’ll be very pleased with the results.
Damn we are going to have fun !!!
Glad you are wanting to learn! I cut, pasted, and re-colored some of the highlights of your post that I am praying will catch some peoples attention and encourage them to read the rest of your post!!! There is some great/critical info in here and some of what is in here are RULES not guidelines for getting what your speakers/system are actually capable of! If everyone took this to heart and did everything they possibly could to follow the rules and guidelines for proper set up I guarantee that the cable debate would no longer exist as a debate or argument. It would turn into a fun Q: and A: session with people asking about each others systems like how much higher the cymbals sound than the kick drum in Hotel California. I can not commend you enough for posting this! Hopefully because it was not originated by me it can be taken for being as important as the author says. Nicely Done!
Rainman
Question: Do you know why turds are tapered on the ends? Answer: So your asshole doesn't slam shut..
Carver- SDA490t, SDA450, 2 TFM45's, TFM15, CT23, CT28v, CT27v, Linn Kaber speakers, Sunfire crm2's, PS Audio Statement speaker cables and I/C's, A.P.C. power
Carver- SDA490t, SDA450, 2 TFM45's, TFM15, CT23, CT28v, CT27v, Linn Kaber speakers, Sunfire crm2's, PS Audio Statement speaker cables and I/C's, A.P.C. power
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
