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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
andy19191
7 posts
 
I am with your wife on the money spent. Depending on your musical preferences, a good move might be to sell the sub, cables and power conditioner and take her away for a long weekend.

Your speakers and room are going to have the biggest impact on sound quality. Unless they wish to feel the "oomph" from bass many listeners prefer not to experience driving the room modes at high levels. From your photos your room looks fairly lively and aggressive room equalization stands little chance of producing a reasonably natural sound over the bass range.

My advice, for what it is worth, would be to read about room acoustics and what recording studios have done to improve the sound of their rooms. Even though you may be unable to apply many of the techniques changes of +/- 20dB in response may help put modifications in perspective.
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
Try putting your sub in back of your just behind your chairs, I have a floor fire HSU Research sub and I like it back there best, also your rears are in cabinets, could wife let you put some dampening in behind those, it wont be that visible, maybe also pull your mains out a bit more into the room.
creeper
251 posts
 
Wow. What a rig, what a room! Lovely woodwork. Tricky room acoustically.

There are many threads on speaker placement here at the 'gon, definitely give them a read. Also, contact Sonus Faber with a description and measurements of your room (include all your posted system pictures as well) and see what they suggest.

Experimenting with speaker placement can be quite fun. One key is to keep your attempted placements documented (measurements from back and side walls) so you know where you’ve been and what’s happening at each location. I typically start without any toe-in. Since you have a great sub, try finding a placement that yields great imaging and worry less about the bass response. When you are happy with the imaging, then start playing with toe-in, thinking of it as fine tuning.

Personally, I would move the Cremona out at least 3' off the back wall and at least 6' apart as a good starting point. Sub behind the seats is a great suggestion for your layout.

Remember to be patient and have fun while experimenting (I've fiddled around for weeks at a time to find the sweet spot). Good luck and happy listening.
summitav
163 posts
 
If you want it in front, simply use the sub as a center speaker stand.

You may have to add a bit of "mass" to keep reasonace down, but it should work fine.
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
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