How far do you sit from your speakers?

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
I see it, Myles. Wow, $125 now huh. I should have gotten the ones with HP's signature, maybe they'll be worth a lot more. lol

Forgot about that one .....you have a good memory!

Maybe they can bring it back for the GEC!
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City

Nicholas Bedworth

WBF Founding Member
May 7, 2010
312
0
0
Maui, where else?
Assuming a reasonably symmetrical room, try putting the speakers 29% of the way across and lengthwise (for regular dynamic speakers; not sure about other technologies) and sitting in the corresponding 29% point lengthwise, in the middle widthwise, should yield truly excellent results.

This tip is from Chris Klein at ASC, and it certainly worked wonders in my listening rooms. Apparently several typical room modes are avoided with this approach. There's a remarkable improvement in articulation, clarity, transparency, and flatness of response.

Some speaker manufacturers (Usher, for example) recommend a similar strategy, using 20% or 33%, perhaps on the assumption that calculating 29% would be too challenging :). These work OK, but 29% was radically better in my space, which is pretty much a 2:1 aspect ratio with the speakers pointing down the long dimension. Depth of soundstaging, space around instruments, realistic portrayal of instruments and voices is impressive.

On the new Reference Recordings hi-rez Britten files, the ranks of the violins, for example, are clearer "visible", spread out across the soundstage.
 

Ron

Member
Jul 2, 2010
31
0
6
I sit about 13 1\2 feet from my Martin Logan CLX, and about 4 feet from the back wall.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,238
81
1,725
New York City
Assuming a reasonably symmetrical room, try putting the speakers 29% of the way across and lengthwise (for regular dynamic speakers; not sure about other technologies) and sitting in the corresponding 29% point lengthwise, in the middle widthwise, should yield truly excellent results.

This tip is from Chris Klein at ASC, and it certainly worked wonders in my listening rooms. Apparently several typical room modes are avoided with this approach. There's a remarkable improvement in articulation, clarity, transparency, and flatness of response.

Some speaker manufacturers (Usher, for example) recommend a similar strategy, using 20% or 33%, perhaps on the assumption that calculating 29% would be too challenging :). These work OK, but 29% was radically better in my space, which is pretty much a 2:1 aspect ratio with the speakers pointing down the long dimension. Depth of soundstaging, space around instruments, realistic portrayal of instruments and voices is impressive.

On the new Reference Recordings hi-rez Britten files, the ranks of the violins, for example, are clearer "visible", spread out across the soundstage.

While every room has its own problems, I always thought that the method that George Cardas uses and think it's on his website, was a good place to start for at least rectangular room.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,565
1,790
1,850
Metro DC
When sitting on my couch I am 12' when laid back and 10' when sitting forward. Its about 1' to the wall behind me.
 

LesAuber

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2010
141
0
361
Little over 10 ft from the tweeters to my ears for my B&W 801 Series 3's on Arcicci stands. Tweeters are 9 ft apart. I'm only about 3 ft from the back wall which only runs half way across the room. To soften the early and inconsistent reflections somewhat my couch is high backed, somewhat overstuffed and covered in soft leather. Doesn't present a smooth or reflective surface.

As much of a kludge as this sounds it actually works fairly well. Even for the side surrounds that set to the side and slightly back from the couch when running MC. Much better than the low backed couch which preceded it. I suspect that this is due to the rear wall only running part way across and one side wall being closer than the other. A balance of compromises.
 

tonmeister2008

WBF Technical Expert
Jun 20, 2010
210
6
0
Westlake Village,CA
Assuming a reasonably symmetrical room, try putting the speakers 29% of the way across and lengthwise (for regular dynamic speakers; not sure about other technologies) and sitting in the corresponding 29% point lengthwise, in the middle widthwise, should yield truly excellent results.

This tip is from Chris Klein at ASC, and it certainly worked wonders in my listening rooms. Apparently several typical room modes are avoided with this approach. There's a remarkable improvement in articulation, clarity, transparency, and flatness of response.

Some speaker manufacturers (Usher, for example) recommend a similar strategy, using 20% or 33%, perhaps on the assumption that calculating 29% would be too challenging :). These work OK, but 29% was radically better in my space, which is pretty much a 2:1 aspect ratio with the speakers pointing down the long dimension. Depth of soundstaging, space around instruments, realistic portrayal of instruments and voices is impressive.

On the new Reference Recordings hi-rez Britten files, the ranks of the violins, for example, are clearer "visible", spread out across the soundstage.

In a rectangular room, putting left/right speakers or sub-woofers at locations 25% from the walls puts the speakers into a second-order mode reducing the efficiency of energy transfer to that mode (attenuating it). Other room modes will also be attenuated where the two speakers are located in lobes of opposite polarity. Of course, this assumes the bass is mono (either in the recording or via mono bass management) and the speakers and/or sub-woofers are identical. This allows the listener to sit symmetrically between the left/right speakers and hear reasonably smooth bass.

Even better results can be achieved over a wider seating area by using 4 sub-woofers located in the corners, or mid-points of the walls, or 25% along the front/back walls.
 

audioguy

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
2,794
73
1,635
Near Atlanta, GA but not too near!
In a rectangular room, putting left/right speakers or sub-woofers at locations 25% from the walls puts the speakers into a second-order mode reducing the efficiency of energy transfer to that mode (attenuating it). Other room modes will also be attenuated where the two speakers are located in lobes of opposite polarity.

For example, 25% in from the left wall and 25% into the room from the front wall?
 

trh8654

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2010
88
1
351
Virginia
Speakers are 7 1/2' feet apart center to center of speaker. I'm 10' away from them and 3' in front of back wall. Speakers are Harbeth M40.1
 

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