O.C.D. Speaker placement

You haven't answered my question.

If the question is directed at me, then my answer is that I have a number of discs that I use to determine if any type of change in my system is better ,the same or no different.

In my estimation,this is all the time I need to make up my mind.It is usually a few hours of listening, but a day of settle in time for wires etc.

I tend to think that the more time spent the more one will eventually forget what the original sound was like.

What I have discovered is that there are no hard rules, and that you find things to like/hate about all changes in speaker placement.

I liked the pinpoint spot on image of the speakers toed in ,and crossing a few feet in front of me.

Until I tried the Cardas planar placement method,which changed the placement of the speakers in the room placing them further from the side walls, closer to the back wall and with no toe in.

I moved the seating position further away from the speakers, which made the focus more like toeing them in did.

I do have some modest room treatment,mostly DIY, but it's a step in the right direction, having none in such a large live room is not nice.

The old Acoustats can be very revealing,but they are also very easy to enjoy in just about any type of speaker set up.

The task is to think about the smallest adjustments,the fine tweaking,to get them to move to the next level of resolution.
Less than inch adjustments of toe in.

But that's just my point. A stark contrast is the best comparison so it's best to get used to an adjustment before changing it. It's interesting you have pinpoint imaging with speakers crossed in front of you. My experience with that set up is a relatively 2 dimensional sound stage whereas when the lines converge through my ears, I have much better depth perspective.

Your correct,soundstage suffers, width wise,but I perhaps should have said that radical toe in gives a very precise image, or clarity, at least with my speakers/room.

Wide spaced with little toe in and the image is wide, but the information is not as clearly presented, perhaps using box speakers would have a different result.

As I've stated you have a choice and who knows which way is correct,I'm thinking both could be, depending on what you value in music reproduction.

I'm more detail oriented than image oriented,so anything that detracts from image specificity is a no-no for me.

By sitting further away from the speakers(the Acoustats have 3 panels per speaker only the centre panel is not angled)all the panels come together much as multi driver speakers need some spave before the drivers align themselves properly at one's ears,that is most of the one's I am accustomed to.

Most two ways seem more seemless than multi driver systems and you can do some serious near field listening with them.

As far as getting used to a particular speaker arrangement,I seem to be able to do that without a lot of time involved.

It either comes together or it doesn't with my set up, so there's no need to ponder or nit pick.

I think we all need to "listen and enjoy the music more and worry less about the equipment