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Small room bookshelp speaker placement

I have a dilemma. I recently purchased a pair of rear-ported Paradigm Atom V.6 to use with some NAD equipment in a very long room roughly 80 square feet. There's absolutely no room for speaker stands, and my only other options are a) on top of my bookshelves (which are on the long wall of the room, meaning that the sound will go right over my head); b) inside the bookcases (more at ear level, but clearly surrounded and thus muffled); and c) on the shelf of an open closet on the short end of the room (close enough to ear level and much further away than they'd be on the bookshelves, but inside a closet with a huge space above to trap sound). Of these terrible options, which will probably be the best? I can elaborate if need be.

Robert
therearegoats
4 responses Add your response
bryoncunningham
890 posts
 
Wow, those are tough options. I would say that the closet is the worst choice, and the top of the bookshelves is the best, provided that (1) this does not raises the speakers too close to the ceiling, and (2) you can arrange for the speakers to point down at you.

One way to get the speakers pointing down is to wall mount them with professional style, articulating monitor stands. I have been in some small mixing suites with that arrangement and the sound was better than you would think. Good luck.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Place the speakers upside down on top of the bookshelf.

In the 70s JBL built studio monitors just for that purpose with the tweeter on the bottom and woofer on top.
tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,686 posts
 
Put them where they sound best to you.You are the one that has to listen to them,not us.Just a thought.
listener57
730 posts
 
At a record store there were speakers too high up on a shelf peeking downward toward the throngs of shoppers below. You are right that the speakers should not point parallel to the ceiling.
Did not consider soundstage, if any, but the overall listening experience very acceptable. I don't think these British speakers had a rear port, however.
Remember to try the tweeter below the woofer for attempt at time alignment with this unusual high room position and downward angled speaker peeking over the edge of shelf.
Another choice is hanging from the ceiling with drilled holes in the top of each speaker as in some bars where listening is rather casual.
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