How to not stub your toe -in

You are right in that there is no magic recommendation that fits all, or even most, speakers. The effects of toe in are one of the more easily identifiable sounds that are room and system dependent. Two of the most apparent results are clarity (or lack there of) brightness (or the lack there of) and soundstaging. Unless the manufacturer recommends to the contrary, and assuming you have dynamic speakers, point the speakers so that the axis crosses just behind you head and then toe them out gradually until they are pointed straight ahead. The further out you go from the starting point you will probably reduce brightness, widen the soundstage, and when you start to lose precision imaging stop toe them back in an inch or so and relax and listen for a while. This will not work for panel speakers - just point them right at you for starters. If your walls are too close to the speakers you can start with the speakers crossed right in front of you and then continue to turn them inwards. This is the inverse process to the lst recommendation and, believe it or not, can work very well and can actually allow you some fair imaging when listening well to the left or right of the sweet spot.

Motdathird, Cardas Audio has some guidelines on speaker placement and toe in. www.cardas.com Another good source would probably be Rives audio. They are a member here on Audiogon. Happy Listening! John

Your own logic should be sufficient to figure it out. Considering the variables, guidelines aren't particularly as beneficial as common sense. I'd suggest maybe get a laser-light to equalize toe-in between the speakers. Get a cubic one, so the laser shines consistently perpendicular to the face of the speakers.

I like Newbee’s post, but unlike Newbee, if you have no idea about the degree of toe-in, I'd start (or experimentally finish) with speakers' forward-firing axis crossing in front of your head. Oh, and if you proceed while the spikes are on, pivot on the same spike for both speakers, every time, or they'll move around the room. Good luck, I hate toe-in.

ProAc offers a simple way to toe the line: angle the speakers until you can't see their sides. Of course some speakers sound, and look, better firing full on forward. To make moving them around easy, put pennies under the spikes.