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How best to shoe horn speakers into a room

Hello sports fans!

Am definitely not talking about sonically equalizing the room, or acoustically treating one at all. This enterprise could or should take place with any speaker types.

I’m merely referring to what size of speakers can or should fit into what ever sized room.

Youtube like Audiogon, is one of the many fascinating online venues. From which springs all manner of technical input on enumerable topics. Among these are takes on speakers and much of what anyone would or might want to know on all matters of the audio past time.

If you hit up Youtube to peruse the PSA listening room you’ll see an example of what this topic is about. Paul McGowan PS Audio CEO has a set of Infinity IRS loudspeakers for the reproducers du jour. 2 tons worth of loudspeakers in all, I think he said.

Gryphon Audio’s latest greatest effort in loudspeaker tech offers a likewise 1,000 pound each speaker system option.

Ultra high end speakers have no boundaries in weight or height although our rooms have their own physical restrictions. I’ve seen many models that exceed 5t., 6ft., and more in overall height.

Height of the loudspeaker has always been a real concern for me. I can’t say exactly why, but it is.

I feel too much of what we know of fitting speakers to a given room size comes only from experience, although this logic appears to be somewhat contentious lately.

Does this “speaker to room ratio” claim, merely serve to further a mythical audio-nervosa proclamation?

Where are the priorities? Distance to side walls, from the front wall, stay so far from the ceiling, maintain at least this much separation between them, ‘golden’ triangulate the speakers to the LP?

Or if they will barely fit thru the door, you’re good!

As the room to speaker so called ‘fit’ is deemed to be quite significant, how do you measure, adjust, determine, your present speakers would fit, or how do you go about projecting any upcoming desired speaker can, will or will not fit in the space you have for it, in advance?

How much is too much, or too little?

Your Experience and wisdom is appreciated.

blindjim
james_w514's avatar
james_w514
286 posts
 
I’m assuming everyone here understands the basics of speaker placement. You need to get a speaker in room to know how it will interact. Postulating will not provide satisfactory feedback, much like reading about products vs. listening.

IMO problems are not always caused by the sheer size of a speaker. For example my current speakers are 6ft tall and 20 inches deep with 4 x 8 inch woofers for lows and rear ported on the top and bottom (room is 13 x 15 but the rear wall is open concept) Once I moved them more than 2ft out from the front wall there were no issues with bass, the sound is very balanced. Any members in BC or passing through are welcome to stop by for a demo. I’ve had smaller speakers that excite parts of the room that are simply not useable in my space regardless of placement. Room correction is a godsend in those situations. With that said certain designs simply need room, like panels and some OB speakers.

One thing that surprised me when I was working in the industry is how many manufacturers are fine with putting larger speakers in smaller rooms provided they have a bare minimum distance from front and side walls. The conversations with product designers was contradictory to what I was reading on forums. Obviously some common sense needs to be exercised when making a choice.

Having a good relationship with a dealer that allows home auditions or a web company with trial periods is the best route to follow if you want to know just how big of a speaker will work.
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
Stfoth > I think a lot of the conventional wisdom about towers/floorstanders overpowering a small room is overblown.

Blindjim > I hope we’ll see right here soon enough. Or at least ghet a consensus perhaps.

I know one thing, I’m learning to let go of a few nearly groundless biases which have emerged via some recent thread generations I’ve posted lately. Its bitter sweet. A little tuff finding out you’ve developed comtempt prior to investigation, but good that its become visible and consequently then enabled to let it go.

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randy-11 > don't confuse the physical size of a speaker with the acoustical size (!)

blindjim > oops. I’m confused even more with that sentence. Tisk ka se ‘acoustic size’?
thanks.
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james_w514 > One thing that surprised me when I was working in the industry is how many manufacturers are fine with putting larger speakers in smaller rooms provided they have a bare minimum distance from front and side walls.

Blindjim > thanks for the considered thoughts.
hmmm. How well do these speaker makers do on their *FOB if the buyer is not satisfied, generally speaking?
*FOB = Fetch it On Back

All kidding aside, height seems as much an issue as any other area. Beyond that is esthetics and obviously cost. Then or initially would be bass prominence.

Setting. tall units in a room with limited distance above them makes me think a third plane is now in the mix for yet more worries when fitting speakers to rooms.

The saving grace might be radiated energy from a speaker is not much on its vertical axis directly above the top of its cabinet, and thus will not inordinately account for ceiling reflections. .

However, this is pure speculation.
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As well, how about that overall weight? Wow. Half a ton each? Whoa. Even a quarter ton each. Shheesh. Above 300lbs. I’d not be reall happy about setting them up myself.


gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
Ultimately the sound will depend on the distance the speakers are placed from the front and side walls, distance each speaker is from one another and the distance from the speakers to the PLP. The best you could achieve is to try and optimize all of that and invariably some setup experimentation may be needed. Usually setting up two channel speakers in an equilateral triangle configuration to the listener is best or close to best. I think you would want to at least start from that arrangement and re-position (if needed) from there.

EDIT:

In my case I opted to go for what would probably be considered a large speaker relative to room size. I think its preferable to have to big a speaker(s) than too small. 
toddverrone's avatar
toddverrone
840 posts
 
Ceiling reflections can definitely be a problem.. my main concern with speaker height, unless it's some sort of array, is that I like having the tweeters close to ear height when I'm in my listening position. Too high or low throws the soundstage off, in my experience, unless the tweeters and mids can be pointed at the listener..
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
Gdhal > I think its preferable to have to big a speaker(s) than too small.

Blindjim > thanks. You might be onto something there.

Bigger or taller than one might think is the why of this topic.

I’ve felt or at least heard and conseqnetly been subliminally trained, to think only of squeakers with tweeters which can be at ear height.

The ‘triangle’ biz is just matter of fact setup principles common to all..

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Toddverrone > I like having the tweeters close to ear height when I'm in my listening position. Too high or low throws the soundstage off, in my experience, unless the tweeters and mids can be pointed at the listener..

Blindjim > Previous setups were obliged to sit on the short wall of a 14 x 20 x 9.0 (more or less) pitched ceiling enclosed room. Going forward this could change but not immediately of course.

I bought an adjustable recliner for my LP. Made a small platform for it to rest on so at preferred position ears and tweeters were level. Adjusting the chair up or down did not seem to alter the dimensionality or soundscape, though it did alter the tonal balance noticeably. Either easing the top end extension up a tad, or bringing it into greater prominence. Imaging did not shift as I recall.

This scenario was with Silverline sonata IIIs. Overall build similar to Wilson Sophia in physical dimensions and shape.

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As the prices of high end speakers rise, so does their overall size, in every direction. It seems to me not every large titan like loudspeaker will have its tweeter resting right at ear level.

So I wonder about the significance of that ear to tweeter, tid bit being entirely accurate info.

I’d sure hate to have to stand up for all the listening sessions if a speaker was 6 feet tall or greater.


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