@immatthewj Correct. The shorest distance can be any of the three. I think normally there is a Bass driver on the bottom and therefore that would most often be the shortest of the three. Use the formula and the speakers can be in a variety of positions. In the end, it's how they sound to you. Cheers.
Anotherspeaker placement question (distance measurements)
A couple of threads on this topic (one in this forum & another in, of all places, amps & preamps) have got me tweaking placement in my own small listening room.
I am getting that the recommendations for distance from speaker to rear wall are from the FRONT of the speaker to the rear wall, is that correct?
And as far as the recommendations to the side wall, is this from the outboard edge of the cabinet itself, OR from the center of the driver(s)?
I am assuming that listening position distance to the speaker is measured from tweeter to ear, NOT the shortest difference to the plane of speaker to speaker to the ear?
And yes, I do realize that it is not the recommended measurements that one should be concerned about, but how one’s speakers actually perform in one’s environment regardless of these measurements, but for the purposes of experimenting with some of the advice given in the two threads I have alluded to, proper interpretation will be helpful.
The distance that most concerns me, the one that I have the least flexibility to adjust per recommendations, is speaker-to-side-wall-distance. Meaning my speakers are too close to side boundaries. But my lateral sound stage is the best part of my system’s sound stage . . . it presents the illusion of being wider than the boundaries. Is lateral sound stage more a product of speaker-to-side-wall-distance? And if not, does speaker-to-side-wall distance have an effect on a specific aspect of the sound stage?
Thank you in advance for any & all input.
Showing 4 responses by bigtwin
@immatthewj Hope this helps. Focal, who know something about speakers, uses a flexible equation to find the best speaker placement. “Optimisation For perfectionists, here is a formula for optimal positioning: If A is the distance from the centre of the woofer to the nearest floor or wall, B is the distance to the next closest floor or wall, and C is the greatest distance (A < B < C), the equation B2 = AC defines the ideal loudspeaker position. • Example: If the centre of the woofer is 20” (50cm) away from the rear wall (A) and 24” (60cm) above the floor (B), then the side wall will be ideally 28” (72cm) away [C = B2 ⁄ A = 28” I found this a little confusing at first, but it became clear in short order. There are three distances involved. Floor to center of woofer, Side Wall to center of woofer and rear wall to canter of woofer. The shortest distance is always “A”. This is usually floor to center which is the only constant. The next shortest distance is always “B”, and the longest distance is always “C”. The distance “C” is always (B x B) divided by A. By example, if your floor to woofer is 24 inches, and you are 30 inches from the side wall, you would need to be 37.5 inches off the rear wall. Find the numbers that work for your space and see how you like the sound. In a nutshell, Focal suggests there is no rule about distance from any wall as long as C = (B x B) / A |
@immatthewj I start with the triangle rule and kerp in mind it's not the law. Many suggest trying to keep the distance between speakers not less than 75% of the distance to your chair. Once I have my chair set, I will stand behind the speaker and aim them to focus just behind my head. Once again, it's what works for you. All these rules are only guidance to help each room and system give max enjoyment. Have fun with it. |
@ghdprentice Now sure I understand your insistance for no gear between speakers. Explain please? |