Speaker Placement - When it's perfect!

Some speakers are more demanding than others.

I recall setting up some Spica Angelus - they were capable of pin point localization but needed to be positioned exactly right to get that.  Helps to have someone to help you - if you can just sit there while the helper moves the speakers closer or further apart, or toes them a bit, it is easier to compare the sound in your own mind.

My current main speakers (Wilson Maxx 2) have advantages and disadvantages. Each one weighs over 400 lbs so you have them on casters to even be able to move them. We used a laser range finder to be sure of distances to listener and moved them back and forth to zero them in. They have the advantage of having the mid and treble drivers in a movable module that you can precisely angle according to head height and distance from speaker.  Still, it takes awhile to set them up.

Right now I am doing battle with a pair of original Martin Logan CLS - slight changes in distance apart and toe can make or collapse the soundstage, plus there is the variable of amount of tilt, and height off the floor (customs stands are either unsightly or impossible to find).

It is worth all the trouble once you get the zeroed in, though.

@wspohn  Wow.  The Spica Angelus.  Haven't thought about that speaker for a long time.  That was, to me, one of the most unique looking speakers in its time.  I never had the pleasure of hearing music through them.

Agree with you about the differing demands of various speaker designs/sizes.  It is a long way from the Angelus to the Maxx 2!

I've been aware of it for years, and on page one it's already mentioned-the Cardas setup

http://www.cardas.com/speaker_placement.php

For my situation, it was the answer for wasted time fussing. Like everything, this too is a YMMV thing. Bass traps and first reflection control,make my non listening room sound like a hack audio geek system.The drawback is your speakers are way into the room-5.5' and 3.5' from the sides, in my setup.

Instant speaker upgrade, without the obsessive tinkering. If I had $10K+boxes,
that would probably be an excuse fo endless tweaking with measurment tools, pro consultation and such.

Wow. The Spica Angelus. Haven’t thought about that speaker for a long time. That was, to me, one of the most unique looking speakers in its time. I never had the pleasure of hearing music through them.

Agree with you about the differing demands of various speaker designs/sizes. It is a long way from the Angelus to the Maxx 2!

The classic Spicas were the TC50s which had superb imaging. The Angelus added some bass extension but retained the excellent imaging, while looking like a pair of nuns staring at you. A shame John Bau stopped designing speakers!

The Wilsons also have very good imaging along with a bass down to 20 Hz and the sensitivity to operate well with lower powered amps - I change out and use a CJ Premier 11a for music and a Roland 5 for video. I’ve heard the Maxx 3 and they are indeed an improvement but the 2s are something one can be happy with indefinitely unless one suffers from audiophilia nervosa.

Any hifi addict should take the trouble to hear some speakers at least once - original Quads, Spica TC50, Apogee (preferably Scintillas), Magnepan Tympani, I’m sure many here can add their candidates for ’special’ speakers.

Dialing everything in right is time-consuming but worth the effort.  Worked the better part of one year with speaker placement and room treatment.  The final phase was fine-tuning with speaker cable and interconnect combos.  When I started listening to the music instead of the equipment I knew that I was done.