2. speakers
  3. 132116-1973

Speaker Placement - When it's perfect!

So many audiophiles have commented that when your room treatment is completed, your electronics set up and tweaked and most importantly, your speakers are set up in your listening space correctly that you'll know it because everything just sounds so "right" and natural.  I just accomplished that feat in the last two weeks.  I say two weeks because I needed to play a wide variety of recordings to be sure that I'm there.  It is so great to have finally hit just the right set up.

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that it has taken me well over a year of experimentation to get to this point.  It's not that other placements yielded poor quality sound its just that now everything sounds like a live event (as much as any of our systems can).

I would really appreciate hearing about your journey to the promised land of audiophile/music lover bliss.  How long did it take, what were the most difficult aspects of the journey?  And if you have yet to get there, what do  you think is the "brick in your wall"?
128x128hifiman5

Showing 6 responses by tomcarr

tomcarr
1,473 posts
 
Understand where you're coming from hifiman5. Eerily similar journey, just reached my Nirvana point a few months ago. Dedicated room, dedicated outlets, room treatments, microscopic movements of the speakers and the listening seat. Amazing. Sonic bliss. Can listen for hours without fatigue. Good recordings yield goosebumps. Very, very happy. So happy I can focus on music purchases instead of gear purchases. Feels incredible to get off the "upgrade train".
Thanks for sharing the post, and thanks for your honesty.

Tom
tomcarr
1,473 posts
 
PS-

You asked how long did it take. Since I got into this hobby in 1975 and have never gotten results like I have now, I guess you could say it's taken me...42 YEARS. Obviously, a bit of exaggeration there, lots of systems, rooms, homes, wives, dogs and cats, kids.
Current system took about two years. I can only now say it's worth it.

Tom
tomcarr
1,473 posts
 
Thanks hifiman5! 
And congratulations to you too!
So true. That's what it's all about.

Tom
tomcarr
1,473 posts
 
@hifiman5 ,

That is almost always the case, but my room is irregular, with a large alcove on one wall, and large walk-in closets with bi-fold doors from corner-to-corner on the opposite wall. Hardwood floors with a rug covering most of the floor. Bass frequencies have lots of places to escape. After covering all first and second reflection points I was happy to find out I did not  need to treat the corners.

Tom
tomcarr
1,473 posts
 
@audionoobie,

Interesting. I'm also using 2Cs, (though not the Sigs), source is Oppo 103, amp is Krell s300i. After countless hours, I finally got the most cohesive sound with the speakers 7 feet apart, no toe-in, and 16 inches from the front wall, (all measurements from the tweeters). Just goes to show me, again, each room will dictate speaker position. Glad to hear you got yours dialed in. Happy listening!

Tom
tomcarr
1,473 posts
 
@hifiman5 , 

I am fortunate to have a dedicated listening room with acoustic treatment on all walls including ceiling. The perceived soundstage is actually deeper and bigger now than it was when the speakers were further from the front wall but without any room treatment.
Michael Fremer made a comment that acoustic treatment can make the walls disappear. It did in my case. Best improvement in SQ for me.

Tom
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