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Speaker positioning games. Where can I go from here?

https://i.imgur.com/z7BZYqy.jpg

Last Thursday night I was messing with my speaker positioning. I’m nwver happy with the bass but I am barely into building my endgame system so I think some of that will worked out.

anyway, I moved my speakers (Focal 907v on stands) from 13” (back of cab to front wall) out to 22”. Bass is lessened but it’s most noticeable in bass attack. But there’s a fullness I didn’t expect.

I then toed them in which really made the vocals pop into that center position and all around imaging is much improved. The left speaker is 40” from a wall of windows and the right has nothing next to it for 13’. For the toe in I left the outside corner of the cabinet at 22” from the wall but rotated so the inside rear corner is now 21.5” from front wall. I think this improved imaging by lessening reflection on the left side.

I sit on a couch with a table between it and the back wall. My ear is ~18” from the back wall (drywall). The drivers are 91” apart and 98” to my ear. I think lessening early reflections and some combing has made things sound better.

My system build is glacially slow. So far I have the power amp I want and that’s it. All other pieces will be swapped out and sold as I replace them. My plan for this calendar year is to replace the Project DC with 2M Blue with a SL1200GR with possibly a Nag MP200. Next year, maybe around March replace the current line stage (Schiit Sys-temporary) with an Odyssey Candela (tubed line stage) and Buchardt S400 speakers in the summer. My feeling is that these first 2 pieces alone will really bolster my bass I response.

But in the meantime. What other positioning tweaks can I try? My room is basically a horizontal rectangle with the living room/listening spot on the left half with the rig on the long wall.

thanks.

gochurchgo
gochurchgo OP
934 posts
 
@millercarbon   Thanks. Amazing!
 I’m going to try every one of those ideas. Good call on leveling which I didnt do.

You mentioned moving the speakers closer to, if I understand correctly, the sitting position which seems like it would subtract bass but then maybe not if that puts the sitting position closer/into the pressurized area between by the speakers. Given the length of my speaker cables, I can go another 6-8” more so I will try that.

As for toeing in, I believe the documentation with the Focals mentioned aiming the drivers right at the ears or just in front of the listeners head. I recall not digging that but I will definitely try that again.

it seems generally, that speakers being further apart expands the soundtage, but is there a limit to that? 
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I suspect most audiophiles believe that generally the soundstage will be better when the speakers are wider apart and perhaps toed in to some degree. I’d like to disabuse them of that old wives tale. You can never find the absolute best locations by using the move a little, listen a little method. That’s like trying to solve N simultaneous equations in N+x unknowns. Oh, you might find locations you like, that are better than where you started. But they won’t be the best locations. Furthermore, as you add room treatments or tweaks, the ideal speaker locations change.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
If the speakers are too far apart you will begin to hear a "hole" in the middle of the stage and most of the sound will now be directional from each separate speaker. The key is to go far enough apart to retain the center fill while maximizing the width of stage. Just right and there should be a point where the speakers sonically disappear. Get the distance to your ears equally positioned and the image will be stable and in focus.
gochurchgo OP
934 posts
 
@geoffkait  I have always read and believed it but never challenged it.  Going to now haha.

@stevecham  that makes total sense. I will make sure to listen for that.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
You have got to start with the speakers relatively close together, then move them slowly apart. Otherwise you’ll miss the best location. Hint: start at 4 feet apart and move them slowly wider apart. You might be surprised. As has been discussed ad nauseum use the XLO Test CD speaker location track or similar disc. You have got to have a methodology.
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