2. speakers
  3. 178664-33969

Speaker positioning and center image depth

I’ve been in so many conversations with people who boast of the depth of the soundstage from a particular pair of speakers to fall well behind said speakers, and others who claim the sound is very much more forward for some speakers. For me, I’ve found that most times, it just depends on how the speakers are positioned in the room.

I find a combination of just slightly too much toe in and just not enough distance between speakers in relation to the listener create a more powerful and forward center image and potentially a narrower soundstage as the speakers end up not taking advantage of the side walls. On the other hand, having the speakers toed out too little at a larger distance from each other results in a more distant center image and at times loses clarity.

Distance from the walls also makes a huge difference here, as well as how well the room is treated. And there are many variables that will change the way a speaker projects the sound.

Of course, many speakers do a better job of imaging a particular way over others, but I’m not convinced of generalizations made about these projections (how forward vs deep a speaker sounds) in reviews or forum threads. For me, it usually has much to do with how it’s set up in the room.

That said, I do believe some speakers play incredibly large, and others small such that the thresholds (toe in, distances, etc) are all variable, which help a speaker work in some rooms better than others. And of course every speaker imparts it’s own sonic character, some more open and transparent and others more recessed and warm, etc.

I’m curious as to other peoples’ reactions and experiences with regards to speaker depth/forwardness, and if they agree with what I’m finding or if they believe the speaker has a much larger role than the room the way I am describing. I’m always looking to learn more.

 

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xblisshifi

Showing 4 responses by wolf_garcia

wolf_garcia
6,628 posts
 

Too much speaker depth and you could fall in and disappear. Hey man...stranger things have happened...also, if you can't deal with ports (seriously...what percentage of speakers have ports?) and actually think they're hard to deal with you really should choose another hobby.

wolf_garcia
6,628 posts
 

Do people really need this much coaching when it simply should be: Move your speakers around until they sound good to you. The end.

wolf_garcia
6,628 posts
 

As a long time professional musician and live sound engineer I’m nothing if not meticulous about the tonal aspects of my system, including soundstaging, bass response and any other speaker placement issues. The main listening room treatment is accomplished by having furniture, rugs, book cases, a couple of plants, an 18’ ceiling, a gigantic stone fireplace along a wall, euro style tall windows, a loft, my hair, a 50’s Les Paul Standard in a corner, a small model of the Les Paul on a table because I’m cheezy, etc. Heresy IIIs and 2 REL subs (vintage at this point but carefully adjusted). What does it sound like? I recently added a Pas XA-25 so I’m still astonished by that thing, but what I can say is it’s indescribable. I recently changed the toe-in angle to widen the soundstage a little. I’m meticulous. To achieve this level of sonic wonderfulness you just have to exactly replicate all of my stuff and borrow my ears. That's not going to be easy.

wolf_garcia
6,628 posts
 

Simple fact: All speakers have a different "in room" response. My issue is with the overcomplicating of setup os it chews the fun out of your gum (Richard Julian line). Get a pair of Magicos and maybe the shop will come over and set ’em up for you...maybe...I use horn drivers which can help with the dreaded "early reflection" issues, and 2 subs allow for control of standing waves. You don’t want those waves standing around. Also note that nobody knows your earballs, taste, and what your listening room sounds like, and don’t let any of us come over and hear it...we don’t want to see your crappy decorating taste or sit on your disgusting old furniture. I like the sound of a room as it’s where life occurs, and a couple of reverberant tones shouldn’t harsh your mellow...shouldn’t, but man, I bet it makes you want to throw your cable elevators at the cat.

More to discover