Speaker Positioning

Read jim smith’s book on getting better sound. He describes when it’s appropriate to use certain setups even when setting up diagonally in a corner. Most formulas only involve where to place the speakers whereas jim has a formula for the listening chair(s) which is just as important as positioning the speakers. Your better speakers also have time alignment formulas.

When you go to a musical event, you may sit toward the front, back, sides......people may be shuffeling programs, coughing, moving about. I use the classic T , a Bosch laser, and a/v receiver room correction followed by some manual alteration. My ral thought though is dont obsess too much and enjoy the music.

millercarbon is right, but for kicks and giggles. I want to add:  Not all rooms are symmetric in design or furnishings.  A little compensation can be added, for example, for a big Sofa on one side of the room, a large mirror or door, etc.  Listen!

The Wilson set up method (referred to in a previous response) is very good - we did mine using a laser range finder to arrange equal angles to each speaker and then calibrate the cant angle of the upper module (mid/highs) which is finely adjustable with my Wilsons. After all that I intentionally moved my listening chair around (after marking the original position) and wa interested to find that yes, as little as 6" shift was easily detectable by ear.

The Wilson method presupposes that having the speakers angled so as to point right at you is the way to go (I have no doubt that it is, for the Wilsons) but some speakers I have owned worked best pointing along the long room axis rather than at the listener, so preliminary experimentation by ear is called for if your speaker manufacturer gives you no guidelines.

RE: Speaker Positioning:

Hi - Speaker positioning is critical to achieving the best sound possible. Actually, there is such an instrument that can tell you if your speakers are placed correctly and/or in the best space possible. It's called your ears. And if you cannot tell the difference, have an audiophile buddy come over to give you a hand (and an ear!).