Depends on the speaker. Some are more forgiving of speaker placement than others. You can follow the manufacturers recommendation as an initial guide line, but the final placement is very dependent on the room (size, shape, acoustic treatment, your taste, etc). I like my speakers far out into the room, at least 1/3 of the way from the front wall. But you have to be careful of room modes. Usually, 1/2 way into the room excites room modes more, if you have a fairly symmetric room. IME, all speakers have a sweet spot, and to get the best sound possible, it's worth the extra effort to take measurement down to 1/4" tolerance. I like to use a laser measuring device to accurately measure out the distances. So I guess I am OCD.