How far should speakers be apart ??

[Michael loves music]

My speakers are 5 feet apart in a room 15 feet by 13 feet they sound very good should they be closer ie 3 feet apart ? How far should speakers be apart ?

[Michael loves music]

Should they face straight ahead or be angled like a triangle ?

[struth]

There a a number of speaker placement formula on the web for what they are worth. I usually start with the basic distance from listening position to distance between the speakers being similar. then adjust til I am happy taking into account rear and side wall adjustments to suit the speakers. A little toe in at the end and I am usually happy.

[awkwardbydesign]

How long is a piece of string? This is one of those questions, unfortunately. I have had speakers that liked to face straight forward, some (Jordan) that needed angling in a lot, and everything in between! Change rooms and it all changes again.
All you can do is experiment; I hope your speakers aren't as heavy as mine. 100kg!

[Reffc]

It's dependant upon your speakers, your room acoustics and your listening position. Whilst there's no hard and fast rules, there are guides to get you part of the way; the rest is usually experimentation and compromise in most rooms as most have to function as living rooms too. Whether a speaker is toed in or not depends upon its off axis response and the room reflections, especially first point reflections from side walls. I usually advise toeing in so that you can just see the inside faces of the cabinets (ie tweeter pointing somewhere close to your shoulders) and slowly move them out a little at a time until you get the best stereo image. Some speakers require that you listen on axis (toed in so tweeter axis lines up with your ears in effect). Distance out from rear wall depends on speaker design. Some need rear wall for bass reinforcement, some don't. Avoiding proximity to side walls is generally a good idea. I would say that 5 feet sounds a little close together, although if you are listening near field, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Michael loves music]

My bed and chair are 10 feet from my speakers

[Gordon Steadman]

Should they face straight ahead or be angled like a triangle ?

I seem to recall one guru suggesting that the speakers should face away from the listener and the sound should bounce off the back wall.

My speakers are placed so that the stands just touch the edges of the rug. Looks nice and well balanced with the decor.:cool:

[YNWaN]

My speakers are 5 feet apart in a room 15 feet by 13 feet they sound very good should they be closer ie 3 feet apart ? How far should speakers be apart ?

If you put them only 3 feet apart you would almost be listening in mono!

[YNWaN]

It's dependant upon your speakers, your room acoustics and your listening position. Whilst there's no hard and fast rules, there are guides to get you part of the way; the rest is usually experimentation and compromise in most rooms as most have to function as living rooms too. Whether a speaker is toed in or not depends upon its off axis response and the room reflections, especially first point reflections from side walls. I usually advise toeing in so that you can just see the inside faces of the cabinets (ie tweeter pointing somewhere close to your shoulders) and slowly move them out a little at a time until you get the best stereo image. Some speakers require that you listen on axis (toed in so tweeter axis lines up with your ears in effect). Distance out from rear wall depends on speaker design. Some need rear wall for bass reinforcement, some don't. Avoiding proximity to side walls is generally a good idea. I would say that 5 feet sounds a little close together, although if you are listening near field, it shouldn't be a problem.

This is also my experience.

[zanash]

oddly my listening room is the same size .........

my speakers are on the long axis .... 4' in from the side wall and 2' in from the rear wall ......the speakers are toed in to point directly at the listening position ...

if you could tell us what speaker you have then we can offer more advice

[Michael loves music]

Mission M30s on alphson stands please see my profile picture I've now moved them a foot from rear and side wall

[The Barbarian]

Place them like i do, you lot would guarentee to be cringing :D Does this look like a face of concern? :eyebrows:

[zanash]

I'd start hard up against the rear wall, play a few well known tracks ...then move them forward 6" or so [keeping them the same distance apart ] till you hear best balance between imaging and bass. make certain that you point the tweeters at your listening position each time.

[zanash]

duh.... should then have said once you hit the right position from the rear wall you can the experiment the same way with the distance between them .....again keeping equal distance from the side wall and maintain tweeters pointing at your listening position

[agk]

The key part of the original post. "they sound very good". Leave them alone then in my opinion.

[awkwardbydesign]

The key part of the original post. "they sound very good". Leave them alone then in my opinion.
+1.

[Michael loves music]

Please see my profile picture

[Marco]

Place them like i do...

Which is? A piccie would be good :)

Marco.

[Roy S]

54½" :D

[Haselsh1]

A difficult one this especially when some loudspeaker manufacturers insist that they point forward down or across the room. I think that Dali are one of these. I now use KEF loudspeakers and find that if I toe them in, the central image becomes much more focused with a greater depth whereas if I fire them straight down the room then the sideways imaging that goes way beyond the speaker boundaries is greater. I decided to toe them in, why...? I have no idea...!

[walpurgis]

Surely most of us disregard manufacturers recommendations (I've never paid attention to them) and just have the speakers where it suits us and sounds best to us. I bet there are a still few here who like their bookshelf speakers on the floor or 3ft apart on the sideboard.

[The Black Adder]

If you set the speakers 2.267m apart towards the south on the 3rd day of the 2nd week of october (ommiting the day of 'chachanga' in the lower quadrant) the sound will actually become visible.

Much like the northern lights apparently. But... if you then toe-in 2 degrees on the left speaker half way through Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon you will invert the Trionic Dimension Gimble thus creating an in-rush of sensory elements through the right frontal lobe of the brain. The result of said experimentation can invert the frequency response and charge the air with positive radioniktrinitrotoluene.

[Marco]

You bin sniffin' soiled nappies again (in a room without adequate ventilation)? :D

Marco.

[Gordon Steadman]

If you set the speakers 2.267m apart towards the south on the 3rd day of the 2nd week of october (ommiting the day of 'chachanga' in the lower quadrant) the sound will actually become visible.

Much like the northern lights apparently. But... if you then toe-in 2 degrees on the left speaker half way through Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon you will invert the Trionic Dimension Gimble thus creating an in-rush of sensory elements through the right frontal lobe of the brain. The result of said experimentation can invert the frequency response and charge the air with positive radioniktrinitrotoluene.

I wonder if this was a serious enquiry:lol:

Seriously though folks, they sound best the place they sound best. There are some guidelines but only you can decide where it sounds best to you. Move them about and see.

[Haselsh1]

If you set the speakers 2.267m apart towards the south on the 3rd day of the 2nd week of october (ommiting the day of 'chachanga' in the lower quadrant) the sound will actually become visible.

Much like the northern lights apparently. But... if you then toe-in 2 degrees on the left speaker half way through Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon you will invert the Trionic Dimension Gimble thus creating an in-rush of sensory elements through the right frontal lobe of the brain. The result of said experimentation can invert the frequency response and charge the air with positive radioniktrinitrotoluene.

Far too much Entonox

[bigmarty]

If you set the speakers 2.267m apart towards the south on the 3rd day of the 2nd week of october (ommiting the day of 'chachanga' in the lower quadrant) the sound will actually become visible.

Much like the northern lights apparently. But... if you then toe-in 2 degrees on the left speaker half way through Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon you will invert the Trionic Dimension Gimble thus creating an in-rush of sensory elements through the right frontal lobe of the brain. The result of said experimentation can invert the frequency response and charge the air with positive radioniktrinitrotoluene.

We all have our moments :lol: Is it beer o'clock time yet? :cool:

Marty :D

[MCRU]

It's dependant upon your speakers, your room acoustics and your listening position. Whilst there's no hard and fast rules, there are guides to get you part of the way; the rest is usually experimentation and compromise in most rooms as most have to function as living rooms too. Whether a speaker is toed in or not depends upon its off axis response and the room reflections, especially first point reflections from side walls. I usually advise toeing in so that you can just see the inside faces of the cabinets (ie tweeter pointing somewhere close to your shoulders) and slowly move them out a little at a time until you get the best stereo image. Some speakers require that you listen on axis (toed in so tweeter axis lines up with your ears in effect). Distance out from rear wall depends on speaker design. Some need rear wall for bass reinforcement, some don't. Avoiding proximity to side walls is generally a good idea. I would say that 5 feet sounds a little close together, although if you are listening near field, it shouldn't be a problem.

waffle waffle waffle :)

just use your ears dude

[Martyn Miles]

My speakers are 5 feet apart in a room 15 feet by 13 feet they sound very good should they be closer ie 3 feet apart ? How far should speakers be apart ?

How far should speakers be apart?
How long is a piece of string?

[Michael loves music]

The string in the room is 4 feet my wife enjoys bondage

[The Black Adder]

We all have our moments :lol: Is it beer o'clock time yet? :cool:

Marty :D

lol.. it was just one of my moments.

Just place your speakers and move em about. There are too many permutations to suggest that there is an ideal distance. You will know when it sounds right, if you don't know if it sounds right or not then that's a different problem which can only be solved by gaining more experience with other systems/configurations.

As for the triangle... it's a guideline IMO not an absolute. (but.. just remember to omit Chachanga) :)

[andrasszamek]

if they sound good, you are done. i found that movements as small as 2 cm make noticeable difference. if you puss speakers further apart it will give you bigger stereo images up till a point where you loose your center image. if you move them closer to each other it will warm the sound slightly. speakers setup is absolutely personal, this is something you can only do with your own ears. if you feel unsure about how to go about it, i would recommend the method in Jim Smith's fantastic book, Get better sound. its easy to follow with drawings, and his style is readable, quite fun actually.

[Tim]

http://www.tweakshop.com/image8_copy.gif

Start here, this is what I have done in the past - an equal triangle as above and as Jo said, it's a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. Take the spikes off the speakers and get some tape on the floor to mark your starting speaker positions. Have a listen and then move them around using more tape to mark new positions, so you know what you have tried. Stop when you are happy - you can't IMO apply a hard and fast rule as the room has such a dramatic effect on the sound.

To be honest though, I long stopped caring about this type of minutia, I just listen to the music now. Use your ears to find out what you prefer, we are all different and like different things, but it's really not worth fretting about ;)

[The Barbarian]

Exactly Tim imho it's all aload of Ballerkz

:D

People don't sit {anywhere} & enjoy music these days they are more obsessed with upgrade this & that crap, How things are suppose to be set up. ''OO you can't listern to that media it's out of fashion'' etc :rolleyes:. Miserable serious farts. ofc they always come out with excuses to justify their illness taking the mickey out of us down to earth people in the process.



http://i1075.photobucket.com/albums/w425/ELPFAN1968/EnjoyMusic.png (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/ELPFAN1968/media/EnjoyMusic.png.html)

[struth]

just what i said at beginning;)

[Michael loves music]

http://www.tweakshop.com/image8_copy.gif

Start here, this is what I have done in the past - an equal triangle as above and as Jo said, it's a guideline, not a hard and fast rule. Take the spikes off the speakers and get some tape on the floor to mark your starting speaker positions. Have a listen and then move them around using more tape to mark new positions, so you know what you have tried. Stop when you are happy - you can't IMO apply a hard and fast rule as the room has such a dramatic effect on the sound.

To be honest though, I long stopped caring about this type of minutia, I just listen to the music now. Use your ears to find out what you prefer, we are all different and like different things, but it's really not worth fretting about ;)
The circle is where the bed is that's my set up now sounds wonderful and romantic music and new string etc ready for valentines day

[Roy S]

The circle is where the bed is that's my set up now sounds wonderful and romantic music and new string etc ready for valentines day

Ravel's Bolero? :eyebrows:

[The Barbarian]

No time for all that cobblers straight on the nest :eyebrows:

[Roy S]

No time for all that cobblers straight on the nest :eyebrows:

Bolero's too slow anyway, maybe something by the Ramones? :D

[The Barbarian]

Just the thought of Torvil & Dean being in the bedroom that puts me off, bad enough the pervy cat being there :D

[Roy S]

I was thinking more of Bo Derek in 10 ;)

[Gordon Steadman]

Bolero's too slow anyway, maybe something by the Ramones? :D

Gawd, wham bam thank you maam type huh?

Day in the Life with its couple of crescendos will do for me:eyebrows:

[Roy S]

Gawd, wham bam thank you maam type huh?



I never say thank you

[walpurgis]

I was thinking more of Bo Derek in 10 ;)

She's about sixty now mate!

[Roy S]

58, only 3 years in it :)

[walpurgis]

58, only 3 years in it :)

3? :scratch:

[Roy S]

Meant between my age and hers, nearer 2 actually

[Michael loves music]

Wife has red blindfold she loves lady in red by Chris de burgh

[Gordon Steadman]

I never say thank you
:)