Speakers positionning

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the best soundstage along with everything else can ONLY be achieved using a foolproof method like the speaker placement track on the XLO Test CD or similar test CD. The better the room is treated for acoustic anomolies the bettercsuccess you will have with this method. You will find that speakers generally should be placed CLOSER together than people assume AND toe-in is a make do substitute for not having the correct speaker locations and or room acoustics treatments. Trying to find the IDEAL SPEAKER LOCATIONS by trial and error is like trying to solve x simultaneous equations in x + N unknowns. You will inevitably wind up with local maximums but not (rpt not) the real maximums.

While unconventional I've gotten the best soundstage with my speakers slightly toe'd OUT. Yes, they are pointed 1/2" towards the side walls. They are placed 6' apart in a 13.8' wide room and I get a wall of sound across the entire room that envelops my listening position. Eric at Tekton ( the designer and builder) suggested it and I'm glad he did as I wouldn't have tried it otherwise. 

In my listening room, treatment for side-wall reflections is not an option so toe-in is necessary to achieve a solid, focused presentation. Doing so results in a slightly "brighter" sound, which I balance by placing the speakers closer to the front wall for added bass reinforcement..

turnbowm9,

At the risk of just restating the obvious, in case you stopped your toe in process in route to an optimum set up---

One of the benefits of toe in is to ameliorate the effects of side wall reflections, but as you have noted you pick up some brightness as you toe in the speaker and get closer to listen on the axis of the speaker. If you continue the toe in until the speaker's axis is well in front of your listening position you will not only have reduced the sidewall  reflections substantially but you will now have a more tonally balanced sound. As Duke said (in effect) it looks a bit cross eyed but it really works well. In medium sized and smaller rooms it can be  a life saver (so to speak). And now that you don't have to push your speakers close to the wall to overwhelm the highs with bass tones, you enhance you imaging, especially depth of image. 

IME, the maximum toe in past your listening position would be similar to the angle if your speaker were pointed straight ahead, ie. you speakers manufacturer recommends pointing you speakers straight ahead, using a equilateral triangulated set up your toe in could be as much as 22.5 degrees.

FWIW, works well for me in a 19.5x13.5x9 ft room.