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Where to place - need some hand holding please

To all,
I bought a system based on my research here with no audiophile experience (Until than my stereo had been an Aiwa boom box from my college days.) I have been very happy, so thanks everybody. Now that I have had it for 1+ year and have become very intimate with it, I want to start calibrating, or flatten the response rather. I had hoped after spending some time I would appreciate the differences better.
Please click on my system link to view setup and pics.
Where do I begin? Speaker placement? I have no clue where to put them. Where should I try? My sub baffles me the most as it fires 3 ways so the corner is not an option. Sumiko said to place it between the FR & FL, but my center goes there and there is no room for anything else up there. My room dimensions are: 19'L x 11'2"W x 8'H.
To make things more challenging, if you look at the pic titled: “Front View” the toed in cabinets behind the speakers are not even on both sides of the room. One goes a 2 inches further out into the room.
I should also mention my severe limitations at this point. I cannot put any room treatments because of Wife Acceptance. Nor can I spend any more money on things like equalizers, again because of my wife, as she was not too thrilled with the money I put in already.
Based on these limitations, is there anything I can do to improve the responses, like speaker placement, etc? If so, where should I move the speaker?

Thank you in advance for any help,
David
captaincapitalism

Showing 3 responses by captaincapitalism

captaincapitalism OP
52 posts
 
I really appreciate your responses. I am hoping for some handholding. Like I mentioned I have no experience and usually can hear no differences when playing with the placement. Frankly, no matter where I place them, the music sounds nothing like the auditioning rooms I had originally listened to them in.
I have done some research in speaker placement in this forum and found much of the opinions too difficult for me to understand. But based on my research I plan on taking the following steps, I would appreciate if someone can correct me if I am going about this wrong:
1) Play all the test tones on my test CD
2) Use my Radio Shack SPL meter in my sweat spot to ensure that they all read 75db.
3) Here is where I get confused. Lets say the 30hz test tone reads 79db, now what? I keep moving the speakers/subwoofer until I get the 75db response? Ok fine, now lets say that somewhere along the line I discover that say the 300hz test tone would get the 75db response when I place the speakers back at the original position. Now what? Do I have to choose which freq is more important to get the 75db response? Look for a compromise between the two freqs?

Thanks again in advance for any help,
David
captaincapitalism OP
52 posts
 
Artizen65,
I appreciate your response. Truth be told, I have read many articles on speaker placement. There are many opinions, some of which even contradict each other. Also, I do not feel comfortable to trust my ears just yet.
The goal of my thread is to solicit someone with experience’s first guess and work from there. A starting point, if you will. I have many issues with my room that I think would require someone who has experience. I have the cabinets angled in the front corners. How do I angle the front speakers? How far out from the cabinets. Plus I have the issue of usable width. Even though the listening room is 11'2", I have only about 8' that usable. I have bookshelves on the entire right side and a fireplace on the left.
Regarding the loveseat & recliner: Since, usually I am the only that uses the listening room I move them around. I place the loveseat behind the recliner when I do my normal listening. Do you still think I have get rid of it? Of coarse doing this would interfere with placing the sub behind the listener. I would love to place it here between the fire place and the front cabinet? Do you suppose that would be ok?
Also, no one got back to me regarding point #3 in my previous thread. I am unsure how to resolve.

Thank you in advance,
David
captaincapitalism OP
52 posts
 
Gregm,
I tried to place the speakers closer together and further away from the sidewall as you suggested. It just did not sound right. When I closed my eyes the music just did not sound like there was a stage. Perhaps, you did not take my room's width into account? Placing the FR speaker 3' away from the cabinet which is already 1' out and the FL 3' out makes the speakers a little more than 4' apart. My room is 11'2"W. 11'2" - (3'+ 3' + 1') = 4'2" apart. I guessI will try to just move them futrther out from the front cabinets.
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