Hello K rose,
I have set many a speaker and have a formula that works for me. First assuming that you have your basic placement, i.e. how far from the sidewall/backwall and width set. On Talon Firebirds, you focal point will be half way between your ceramic mid and tweeter. Start with a full tow and have your left speakers focal point towed in pointed directly at your left ear, right focal point pointed directly at right ear.... Listen adjust rake angle at this point, still getting the focal point between the tweeter and mid pointing at your ear. You should now have very good imaging, but depending on room character and speaker response curve, you could be too bright. If so, start moving your tow outward by only a quarter inch or so at a time always maintaining rake angle. A quarter inch speaker movement will result in 2 to 6 inches at the ear depending on distance of speaker to ear. Listen.... continue to move outward until tonal balance is there and you are not distroying your soundstage. Somewhere there will be a fine line that you will need to decide about sound stage or tonal balance. If you have a great room and very flat speakers, it is possible, you will keep it pointed directly at your ears without towing out. Some speakers are designed to be pointed straight forward, if that is the case, you could slowly turn them until you like this best, but in any case, your rake angle will be set. Good luck, Tim
I have set many a speaker and have a formula that works for me. First assuming that you have your basic placement, i.e. how far from the sidewall/backwall and width set. On Talon Firebirds, you focal point will be half way between your ceramic mid and tweeter. Start with a full tow and have your left speakers focal point towed in pointed directly at your left ear, right focal point pointed directly at right ear.... Listen adjust rake angle at this point, still getting the focal point between the tweeter and mid pointing at your ear. You should now have very good imaging, but depending on room character and speaker response curve, you could be too bright. If so, start moving your tow outward by only a quarter inch or so at a time always maintaining rake angle. A quarter inch speaker movement will result in 2 to 6 inches at the ear depending on distance of speaker to ear. Listen.... continue to move outward until tonal balance is there and you are not distroying your soundstage. Somewhere there will be a fine line that you will need to decide about sound stage or tonal balance. If you have a great room and very flat speakers, it is possible, you will keep it pointed directly at your ears without towing out. Some speakers are designed to be pointed straight forward, if that is the case, you could slowly turn them until you like this best, but in any case, your rake angle will be set. Good luck, Tim