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Adjusting speaker positioning. What, if anything, to expect?


I am going to adjust my Magico A3’s positioning a little bit to try to optimize their performance and the listening experience. Due to the logistics of the room they’re in, there’s only a limited amount I can move them. I’ll describe the room and what I can do within those limitations. I’m wondering what improvement I might be able to achieve with adjusting positioning.

The room is approximately 14’ x 22’. There is a high vaulted ceiling. about 15’ at it’s peak centered in the room on its horizontal axis. Picture how kindergarten child draws a house. That’s the shape of a cross section of the room and vaulted ceiling.. The speakers are located about 8’ apart centered on the long wall. The front of the A3’s are only out 22" from the wall, the rear of the speakers only 9" from the wall. That can’t be helped. The prime listening position is on a couch about 10’ out from and facing the same wall, also centered. The components are on shelves centered and built into the same long wall the speakers are on. There are some other furnishings, and books above built-in cabinets, line most of the other three walls.

I can move the speakers about a foot farther apart or closer together, and I can change their toe-in. What changes, if any, might I be expecting or hope to achieve moving the speakers within these limited parameters? Could the sound-stage be affected? I’m not sure what the sound-stage should be like anyway. Should it extend to the left or right outside the speakers, or be mainly between the speakers? Right now depending on the recording the vocals and instruments are usually between or no further apart than the actual speakers. Could the treble, midrange, or bass response be augmented or diminished depending on positioning? Are there any other factors that may be affected by positioning alone? Thank you for any guidance and please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks,

Mike
skyscraper
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
But, IF you already have a room, the Fibbo placement methodology changes where you put the speakers to minimize reinforcement, both positive or negative. 
skyscraper OP
829 posts
 
Tomico, I did find and download the Vandertones but have no idea what to do with them yet. Mostly what I am doing now is only moving the A3’s laterally from 7’ to maybe 9" apart and adjusting their toe in. There’s really no a lot of play in what I can do now. If I ever get a music room addition added to the house after I get the shop built I’ll have an opportunity to do more in terms of placement and acoustics. Then the more advanced theoretical aspects you all have been introducing me to will come into play, maybe even in the room design and planning stage. I’ll take a look on the ABE used books site and see if they have good condition copy of the Jim Smith book. I wonder if there’s a hardcover edition available?

Millercarbon, the Harley book sounds interesting too. I’ll track one of them down too. I’d like to learn more about room dimensions so I don’t make a mistake in the planning stage drawing up the blueprints of a music room addition. Tentatively I always planned that room to mimic the size of the two car garage on the opposite side of the house in order to maintain the home’s symmetry. That would make the music room 24’ wide by 30’ long with 10’  flat ceiling, no cathedral type structure to it. Maybe those Fibonacci equations would give some guidance of how this might work out acoustically. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. Right now getting the Magico’s spacing and toe-in correctly done is the focus.

Actually, just playing around with the toe in and reducing the distance between the speakers seems to be having a salutary effect. I played Emmylou Harris’ "Wrecking Ball album again", because it’s a more recently recorded and well produced CD. It sounded really beautiful with just those slight adjustments, and I don’t even usually care much for country music.

Kacomes, this has been an interesting discussion. There are some really knowledgeable folk here you can really learn a lot from when they share what they’ve learned about audio. You have to appreciate their input even when it starts going over your head. There’s a lot to be learned.

Mike


tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
Mike - hope you found both books used. The Vandertones are warble tones that you play back on your system one channel at a time while measuring SPL at listening chair. This will give you an 11 frequency map of what your room/ speaker interaction is doing - it’s not theoretical at all. I would think of it as KNOWING what the runout on your tablesaw/ blade combination is, make sense ?

have fun, enjoy the music....
skyscraper OP
829 posts
 
Tomic601, I have had some luck adjusting the speakers positioning, even though it’s a pretty limited amount I can move them around to make adjustments.

I’ve had to put off purchasing any books or anything else for that matter outside of groceries until the first of the month. Since you mentioned a woodworking machine, I’ll mention I found a rare, but definitely overpriced, part that I’ve been looking for for the last two years for a vintage Delta belt/disk combination sander . I had to get it while it was available. That and some other unnecessary spending at the outset of the month (on a painting) forced me to step on the financial brakes for a minute. Thanks for explaining what Vandertones are, and good analogy on the table saw runout. Judging from that and some other things you’ve mentioned here and there, you’re undoubtedly a well rounded individual. Thanks again,

Mike
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