Determining speaker placement

Paul helps us understand how to determine speaker placement.

[BB..........]

I have my speakers (Dunlavy SC-Vs) toed-in pretty drastically; when I'm sitting in my listening spot I can't see the inside or outside edges of the cabinets. My phantom center is so good that you'd swear there was a hidden center speaker, and my imaging is awesome, extending well beyond the outsides of the speakers. Experimenting and continually tweaking over weeks or months is the key to finding the ideal speaker positioning.

[TheAlexhotz]

I comined 3 schools of thought when placing my speakers in my pretty small space. All of which I got from Dynaudio video about set-up.
1) Golden ratio (5:8 or 8:5) I have 8 units of measured space from side walls and 5 units of measurement. Can't remember what I used for units but it added up to being in line with my 2nd school of thought
2) place speakers in the first and last 1/5 of the room. I am sitting in the wrong plain of my rectangle room so I could get width and set my speakers in front of a sliding door or closet.
3) equal lateral triangle. My head is the exact distance from my tweeters as they are apart from each other.
I use Klipsch rp-150m with no toe in to help naturally soften treble response in listening position while also widen the soundstage. Before all this leg work had little depth to my audio and channel imbalance. Goes to show positioning can really make or break a system regardless of price.

[Jorge-Fernandez-Lopez]

Audiophile's guide helped me a lot. Center image used to be right, but was no more. First I thought that my ear was the problem, then the speakers (3 dB difference), and finally the problem was that my old amplifier need more warm up. Track 3 was just right in the middle.

[keywestjimmy]

All inverse waves must reflect to cohere at the listening position. Generally away 1/3 from the front and side walls are good starting positions. Toe-in angle matters. Hard diffusion panels along the side and front walls can help. (Not absorbing panels) Unless designed with adjustable settings, these positions and angles (optimum wave propagation angles) are unchangeable for each and every speaker. Sometimes a room's dimensions, furniture placement, etc. do not allow optimum sound. You must then change speakers. PS Audio's speakers allow for adjustment of the rear facing driver and adjustment of the low-frequency drivers. Many more rooms will be compatible with such thoughtful design.

[DC-xxkv]

I carry my speakers on my shoulders just like we did in the 80’s!

[scarabeogt]

Yep - That is how I set up my Bookshelf speakers! Move them any way from how they are now and one of those sound fields collapse. Thanks...

[svetozarangelov]

A question for Paul and anybody caring enough to answer.. :)
My subwoofer is placed right in front of one of the towers, should a small delay (through the variable phase knob) be added? They are just barely crossed-over (speakers reach down to about 44 and I have the sub taking things over from 56) and it sounds well-blended, but I still can't wrap my head around speeds at which frequencies travel. Thank you for all the videos and comments that add to every one.

[glenncurry]

I often see reference to the 60 degree cone, where the speakers are each 30 degrees from perpendicular. Or a 2/3 ratio of 2 units apart for every 3 units away. So once separation is determine by your bass/ center image approach, the distance away is math.

[neilgaydon]

Spot on. Focus on getting the bass clear and playing a tune first and everything follows.

[andynonimuss]

The distance between tweeters will fall between 5'-6" to 5'-10" depending on room width and length. As a basic geometry correction to this video, an "apex" is only in an Isosceles triangle not an equilateral triangle, because there is no highest point (or apex) in an equilateral triangle. The top line of your equilateral triangle is called the speaker base line (since those two vertex points are called base angles) and the bottom point is called the stereo vertex, not the apex. Having tweeters 8 to 10 feet apart is pretty unrealistic even for some of the largest studios.

[stephendacey]

Hi Paul, You mention toe-in, is that from an initial on-axis position or from a flat facing position. Many thanks - Steve

[julianfranco]

Fantastic guide for starting! Thank you! I used to toe in speakers a lot, but started placing them with no toe in and the change in response and sound stage was outstanding. I do very little toe in now but thanks to this video I now have the sound stage/center reference as a way to gauge too much or too little toe in.

I want to test the mid range by bringing the speakers closer but my living room table doesn't let me without bringing the speakers way out into the room.

[doylewayne]

Before I received Pauls set up book and CD I would focus the drummers kickdrum is centered and the slam was just right on 2 recordings.🥁

[JohnBaker]

off topic, but i rebuild speakers as a hobby, and wonder why we need to have such large guage wire going from the amp to the crossovers? most speakers ive seen have small guage wire from the crossover to the speakers, and the crossovers themselves use very small guage??? thanks for any input.

[chefchutardo]

Paul, what frequency range would you consider midbass ? Thanks

[gwil]

Hi there, where do we find the guide that Paul mentioned in the video?

[przemyslawpraski]

Having the comfort of a large listening room, I noticed that the further from the wall the better (also for a sub)

[geickmei]

Speakers are not positioned w respect to the listener or the frequency response. They are positioned for imaging and w respect to the walls near them - front and side walls. Start at 1/4 of the width of the room in from side walls and the same amount out from the front wall. Toe in 30 degrees.

[Roof_Pizza]

First, place your TV where it's best or maybe 2nd best.

[keywestjimmy]

All inverse waves must reflect to cohere at the listening position. Generally away 1/3 from the front and side walls are good starting positions. Toe-in angle matters. Hard diffusion panels along the side and front walls can help. (Not absorbing panels) Unless designed with adjustable settings, these positions and angles (optimum wave propagation angles) are unchangeable for each and every speaker. Sometimes a room's dimensions, furniture placement, etc. do not allow optimum sound. You must then change speakers. PS Audio's speakers allow for adjustment of the rear facing driver and adjustment of the low-frequency drivers. Many more rooms will be compatible with such thoughtful design.