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Placement question

I'm setting up my listening room again after some remodeling. The room allows 15' from (a damped and treated) wall to a railing that opens into a large common area. Seating is a sofa which, for decor reasons, must be flush to either the treated wall or the railing. This allows 2 possible set-up schemes:

1) The speakers can be backed up right to the railing. In this case there is a huge distance from the back of the speaker to the "phantom front wall" in the common area adjacent to the room and the speaker to listener distance is app 14 feet. However, the listening position is less than 1 foot from the treated rear wall.

2) Alternatively, the speaker can be placed app 4' from the treated front wall and the listener seated app 10' away -against the railing- with a great distance to any reflective surface behind him.

I'd appreciate any comments for the pros/cons of these 2 placements as you may have them for various speaker types. I'm curious mainly about which reflective surface (behind your head/behind the speaker) people focus on and the 10' vs 14' listening path, which I understand is speaker type dependent.

Thanks in advance

Marty
martykl
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Agree with Tvad and So good. Go for #2.

FWIWI had a similar option by just reversing the speakers and listening chair using the same distances. One end had a 7x7 ft opening into the dining room the other was a closed a wall. My listening chair is 5ft from the opening so I have effectively taken the back wall out of the sonic piciture the speakers are 5 ft from the solid wall which has domestically approved 'stuff' spread around to act as a diffusor for reflections off the wall. I've tried reversing the set up with the speakers on either side of the opening (still 5 ft into the room) and it just didn't sound good at all. I've tried this with panels, electrostats, and dynamic (cone) speakers with the same result.

In your case the only issue I can see, which you have not mentioned, is the spread of the speakers. Remember to think in terms of equalateral triangles (or close there to)in set up of speakers and chair for best imaging results.
martykl OP
3,578 posts
 
Thanks all for the quick feedback. #2 is also the more decor friendly way to go. So, my wife thanks you, too,

I'd love to try both, but the 4 million pound sectional sofa is first into the room.

Marty
martykl OP
3,578 posts
 
Tvad,

The speakers are app 10' apart from each other (inside to inside), for the group of speakers currently in rotation -Merlin VSMs, Verity P/E and sometimes Zingali 3s. This leaves app 3' to the side walls. Of course, if I were to substiture wider speakers (say Sound Labs) the spacing would be reduced.
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stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,475 posts
 
Go to Vandersteen.com and click on to the 5A's owners' manual. In there they will give you specific measurements and graphs for speaker placement. I found this to be very valuable and can attest that following these suggestions make a very real difference. You need to measure, and do the math, but its worth it.
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