Stereo speaker placement for optimum sound

[ssf]

If possible, try to borrow some local FMs setup and try it out.

@SiR After pages and pages of discussion, I too think that the time has come for you to go from theory to practicals. Time to do what @raghupb has suggested.

 

[SiR]

IIRC the layout of the living room is sympathetic to left speaker (no corner), but not the right speaker (corner).
So depending on the number of LF drivers, geometry and size, you may experience some room boundaries.
Some towers have the LF driver at a lower position than others. So it'll be closer to the corner.
You may be able to get away with side wall reflection because of window/balcony door on the right.
But corner may still interfere. It is very hard to guess if it will happen, how bad, etc theoretically.
Tone controls may mitigate this, but not solve the issue.

If possible, try to borrow some local FMs setup and try it out.
Even if they are stand-mount speakers, different positions will give you a fair idea of how benign or troublesome the corner can be.

Cheers,
Raghu

Welcome your suggestion Raghu !!

But corner may still interfere. It is very hard to guess if it will happen, how bad, etc theoretically.

Will the Wall Acoustic Foams in the corner, side walls and the back walls help to solve to some extent ?

 

[SiR]

For a tower, booming could occur. The distance might not be sufficient.
In the unfortunate event you have a booming issue, dialing down the Bass Control to mitigate it will end up fading the entire low frequency spectrum. Tone controls, controls a group of frequency bands together.

To tame this issue manually, your best bet is a 31 band graphic equaliser. This way you can only kill the suspecting frequency and not the entire low frequency range, like the Bass Tone Control would.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[SiR]

@SiR After pages and pages of discussion, I too think that the time has come for you to go from theory to practicals. Time to do what @raghupb has suggested.

Yes, I'm already into it

Auditioned few and will be doing in the coming days too

Once I decide on the components, will try to procure few components from overseas if possible and that may take sometime due to certain factors

After pages and pages of discussion

There are still lot to know, acquired only less understanding

All these years didn't find time to have a proper hifi / HT settings or engage myself into such forums and discussions, though had great interest for it

 

[ssf]

Yes, I'm already into it

Auditioned few and will be doing in the coming days too

Once I decide on the components, will try to procure few components from overseas if possible and that may take sometime due to certain factors




There are still lot to know, acquired only less understanding

All these years didn't find time to have a proper hifi / HT settings or engage myself into such forums and discussions, though had great interest for it

Hats off to your passion to get a perfect system. My only reason for the above post is that there is no substitute for a personal audition. All the research and theories that we read up will definitely help but it will get you only so far. How a bookshelf or a floorstander will play in your living room and how you will like it will be very different from all the reviews and suggestions that your read and what you will get from fellow members. You might end up being surprised on how little a separate DAC will actually contribute to what you can actually hear in your room. But I totally agree with the conveniences that at separate DAC will bring into your listening space.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

I found this very useful

http://arqen.com/acoustics-101/room-setup-speaker-placement/

In particular, listening position at 38 percent and Option 3 of pulling out the speakers to more than 2.2 metres works wonders.

 

[IndianEars]

This is acute near field listening, as used extensively in Studios, using Sudio Monitors.

Its Very different from home listening, using home speakers, which typically require a minimum distance (9 feet for my speakers) between speaker & listner for the drivers to "integrate" (their sound to merge).

With a room length of even 15 feet, the 38% rule yields a front wall to listener distance of less than 6 feet & listener to speaker distance of about 6 feet or less!

Studio monitors are designed very different from Home speakers, so use this rule with caution.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

This is acute near field listening, as used extensively in Studios, using Sudio Monitors.

Its Very different from home listening, using home speakers, which typically require a minimum distance (9 feet for my speakers) between speaker & listner for the drivers to "integrate" (their sound to merge).

With a room length of even 15 feet, the 38% rule yields a front wall to listener distance of less than 6 feet & listener to speaker distance of about 6 feet or less!

Studio monitors are designed very different from Home speakers, so use this rule with caution.

True, but the principles are useful nevertheless. My room length is 23 feet, giving me some flexibility. I wouldn't go with flush mounted speakers or extensive room treatment. My speakers are pulled out 7.5 feet. ( A useful tip is avoiding the space between 3 and 6 feet). Balance and integration is good almost throughout the room, except when sitting against the rear wall where bass is heavily reinforced

 

[IndianEars]

You have a lovely deep room, seems a pity not to utilise it fully......
With this near field positioning, how is your Sound Stage Depth ? I suspect you would get Much better soundstage depth with the speakers far away from the Wall.

Try the "Golden Ratio" speaker positioning. Could work Very well with your large room....

 

[Fiftyfifty]

You have a lovely deep room, seems a pity not to utilise it fully......
With this near field positioning, how is your Sound Stage Depth ? I suspect you would get Much better soundstage depth with the speakers far away from the Wall.

Try the "Golden Ratio" speaker positioning. Could work Very well with your large room....

Oh, my main take away was to pull the speakers forward from 6 ft. to 7.5 ft. This has resulted in a flatter frequency response and balanced sound throughout the room. The listening position at 38 percent from the rear wall was my starting point but I don't really need to sit there and my listening is not necessarily near field.
In the past I've tried the golden ratio and various other methods. My biggest mistake was to get stuck at a psychological barrier of 6 feet which resulted in significant bass suckout. But moving forwards another 20 inches has opened up those low frequencies as the quarter wave cancellation frequency has moved down from around 45hz to below 35 hz. The sound stage depth is now very good.

 

[prem]

At 7.5 ft, your quarter wave cancellation is happening till about 53 hz. Not 35 hz.

 

[Fiftyfifty]

At 7.5 ft, your quarter wave cancellation is happening till about 53 hz. Not 35 hz.

Prem, in reality it is 7'10". , i.e. 7.83 feet. This gives me the centre of cancellation frequency = 1125/4*7.83 = 36hz.
You and I could be using slightly different formulae. But what really matters is that the music sounds good now

 

[prem]

That’s what matters

 

[Fiftyfifty]

That’s what matters

I guess I'm using the Real Ear Unoccluded Resonance formula
We are one crazy bunch, aren't we?