Best Hifi setup position... front, side or back?

[Jason P]

I don't think that is correct. A pair of speakers is not a pair of headphones, and the imaging you get with headphones is quite different from speakers. Your left ear hears some of the right speaker as well as the left speaker and your right ear hears both too, and that is all part of the image.

Yes, I can see that now - propagation between ears from either speaker, as it were. I guess the purest form of this would be in an anechoic chamber, as you would truly hear the output and nothing else - so reflections and diffraction would be minimised or eliminated. I wonder though how much of our perception of depth in soundstage is due to these reflections?

I asked the original question because we recently re-arranged our room, and it's made the room a far nicer, more practical place to be - at the expense of the positioning of the speakers, which are either side of a large table now, and not symmetrical in the room. I thought it would destroy the imaging, but it's made far, far less of a difference than I expected - which surprised me.

[Dauntless]

I don't like gear etc between my speakers so have my equipment stand next to the TV and speakers on the adjacent window wall with nothing behind them but curtains. The disadvantage to this set up is long speaker cables.

[Oldpinkman]

lol.. you daftee!

...whats an AHB2?

It's an extra lovely power amplifier which a friend of mine (that one Marco goes on about) did most of the design work on. Although designed for professional use in studios, it almost immediately picked up audiophile interest in the USA, and I started reading stunning review after stunning review. He was given one by Benchmark, and asked me to listen to it for him and tell him what I thought of it. And what I thought was "I don't want to give it back". What with one thing and another, I have managed to avoid returning it for several months, but time was running out. It had to go back before I move to France. So I've had to buy one

This is one of the more recent ones, although it goes on a bit (skip to the conclusion) http://www.pooraudiophile.com/2015/0...er-review.html

And this perhaps a bit easier to swallow http://www.stereophile.com/content/b...l3KttVrs21S.97

But google, and you'll find review after review saying nice things. For me it's not an "impressive" amp. Its not "in your face" and so if I bought it round to dem for an hour or two, you might easily fail to be knocked over. It is VERY unusual, and takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do it is very hard (impossible in my case) to give up. It's so quiet - it vanishes, and all you are left with is the music.

[Oldpinkman]

Yes, I can see that now - propagation between ears from either speaker, as it were. I guess the purest form of this would be in an anechoic chamber, as you would truly hear the output and nothing else - so reflections and diffraction would be minimised or eliminated. I wonder though how much of our perception of depth in soundstage is due to these reflections?

I asked the original question because we recently re-arranged our room, and it's made the room a far nicer, more practical place to be - at the expense of the positioning of the speakers, which are either side of a large table now, and not symmetrical in the room. I thought it would destroy the imaging, but it's made far, far less of a difference than I expected - which surprised me.

For most of us our equipment is in our homes - not an idealised listening room (as we had in my days at PT) and that so compromise is necessary. The table presents no problem to me. Asymetrical would with the Quads, which are like a giant pair of headphones really. There is one spot for perfect imaging - and one spot only. But they are nice enough a bit off-axis if Sue and I are listening on the 2-seater together. Its just a bit different.

[CageyH]

That is why I am tempted to build a log cabin in the garden.
It could be built as the perfect listening room, and if I build it in the right place, it won't annoy the neighbours!

[Yomanze]

Having set up countless systems in various rooms, I can confirm that 'gubbins' between the speakers does mess with the stereo image, particularly the centre image. If the speakers are far forward, it isn't so much of a problem but 'gubbins' level with the speakers or slightly forward is a no, no.

For confirmation, sling a duvet over the 'gubbins' and hear how the images and sound stage improve.

Agreed. Not just HiFi, but things like fireplaces. I covered up my in-wall fireplace with acoustic panels, my HiFi racks are off to the side.

[CageyH]

That is why I am tempted to build a log cabin in the garden.
It could be built as the perfect listening room, and if I build it in the right place, it won't annoy the neighbours!

I was idly searching for a "chalet du jardin" for a listening room, and came across this - https://www.chaletdejardin.fr/le-cha...FSQYwwodP3kEIg

That would do it!

[Oldpinkman]

I was idly searching for a "chalet du jardin" for a listening room, and came across this - https://www.chaletdejardin.fr/le-cha...FSQYwwodP3kEIg

That would do it!

Perfect. Send the family out there to live, and keep the house for the HiFi

[Firebottle]

100 square metres is bigger than our whole house

[Hipper]

Firstly the image you get from stereo speakers is a phantom image - it doesn't exist between the speakers but is a construction by your brain. If you were to place an acoustic sheet from between the speakers to your nose you would prevent the sound from the right speaker reaching your left ear etc. and would get something more akin to headphone listening. This is known as Ambiophonics:

http://www.ambiophonics.org/

Equipment placed between the speakers may have two effects. Firstly it could reflect sound to your ears; this sound has mostly travelled direct from the speakers to the back wall, then from there to the front wall and your equipment, and then on to your ears. Secondly the fact that the equipment is there may take away from the impression of the music actually being played in front of you, not to mention reducing the impact of pesky LED lights. I would have thought another solution to reflections would be to angle the equipment so it is not at ninety degrees to you.

I found moving equipment to the side wall did improve the music image and also allowed me to put acoustic panels on the front wall.