Speaker positioning: why do audiophiles neglect this so much?

OP is right I think. It is hard and complex, but the end result is usually worth the effort. Many folks have yet to hear a properly set up system so they have no point of comparison. Flying blind so to speak. Took me years to get it drilled down and its still not perfect.  What is talked about endlessly and even less productively, IMHO, is tweaks. Easy to challenge set up, not so much tweaks. :-)

From my review of systems they are frequently located in duel function rooms, dens, living room… etc where aesthetics are of greater priority than sound. When shared the guy can buy more and more expensive stuff but not mess up the room decor, well other than putting too much stuff in it. Or, too small dedicated room and the desire for a grand system capable of filling a small auditorium.
 

I have done this. I wanted to be a mountaineer when in high school… I saved up for a sleeping bag good to -20F, perfect for Nepal. I spent so many nights over the years sweating myself to sleep in Colorado… Big dreams, modest reality..

Audiophiles don't understand radiation patterns for if they did they would understand that only loudspeakers that don't have controlled directivity require no items to be placed around them. Where as those that do have radiation pattern control and directivity do not require being pulled far out in rooms and can easily have large TV or audio systems placed between them without affecting imaging. No one way or the highway educated yourselves before you judge others.

Bobbydd, re comments on ’stuff between speakers’, even though Jim Smith sez so it ain’t necessarily so. For example if you listen to your speakers toed in so that the axis crosses in front of your listening position there is a fair amount of signal which has the wall behind the speakers acting as a 1st reflection point. Treating that wall with diffusion materiel or even stuff like equipment, bookcases, recordings etc can produce a much cleaner signal. What I think about Jim’s advise is that it is more important when dealing with sound waves hitting sensitive equipment, such as phono cartridges, and causing distortions. I’ve even seen ’knowlegable’ audophiles place TT’s in corners. Go figure.

An interesting experiment you can conduct to see how this works is to make a panel of materiel which absorbs high(er) frequencies and place it next to the inside surface of the speaker. You might be surprised at the benefit it can bring. Looks ugly though. :-)

Browse through the section of pairs of speaker cables currently on sale on Audiogon.  Look at the average length of those cables.  What does that tell you?