Cardas Speaker placement..

If you are willing to put some time into this try the Sumiko Master Set method for speaker placement. Another option is the Audio Physics method that is best used with the long wall placement suggested by Nvp. Your room appears both wide and deep enough to try this method. Of course other logistics and room configuration may prevent this, but it is well worth trying if you can.

I have used both these systems, individually and in combination with great results.

When I first moved into the house I did try it along the long wall .the results where not that good, bass was the same with a lot less soundstage depth..Though I settled in on the short wall.

Spaz, forgive my laziness I haven't read all of the posts. FWIW you are going thru something that I had to do some years ago in a slightly smaller room with similar dimensions/shape.

Have you tried moving your speakers AND your listening chair back and forth at the same time. I have a 6db null at 40 to 50hz which I could never eliminate but I was able to boost a flat 60 to 80hz frequency by 3db and that filled in the bass quite well. Perhaps it helps that my speakers were producing a strong 28/32 hz signal. I ended up with my speakers about 5ft from the wall behind them BUT with their sides closer to the side walls than usually recommended and toed in very substantially to reduce lst reflections off the side wall. The speakers are about 10ft apart and the listening seat is 4 ft from the wall behind it and 11 feet from the plane of the two speakers. FWIW

Spaz, be also aware that the two parallel walls of a rectangular room are often not equivalent. That is, placing the speakers close to the right wall or the left wall will often give you very different results. Thus, you might also want to rotate everything with 180 degrees. Regarding your comments about placing the speakers along the long wall I am a bit surprised to hear your findings about the stereo image but ... everything is possible. Nonetheless, it is definitively worth while to read the "Audio Physics" set-up procedure (at least about mapping of your room) has suggested by Clio. Google for it.

Clio, from what I read on other forums when applying the "Sumiko procedure" one goals is to match as close as possible the response of the two speakers in ones room. This is exactly what my Accuphase DG-38 digital voicing equalizer is doing. (Unfortunately, the DG-38 does not find the ideal place for the speakers). Is this procedure described anywhere on the Sumiko site? Thanks!

Hi Spaz,
My room is essentially the same dimensions (14'*21'7') as yours so I will share my experience.

1) Belfore doing anything, get yourself an acoustical measurement tool so that you can measure the room in its current layout which will form your baseline for comparison purposes.
2) Using the Harmon mode calculator you will see that your listening chair should be about 38% of the room's length (8.36') out from the back wall so that you aren't sitting in bass modal peaks or nulls but somewhere in between their nulls and peaks. Try placing your speakers about 33% of the room length out from the front wall. Take measurements for each different speaker position. I'd focus on "Freq VS SPL" for now.
3) I found that the best imaging and mid/high freq response was not the best bass response so I bought 2 subwoofers (Rythmik F15) to tailor the low end to my liking. Again, the measurement tool is invaluable in helping me assess 99 candidate sub locations in 2 hours! I have an upwards tilted bass freq curve and freq decreases to align with the equal loudness curve of our ears.
4) try rotating your system 180 degrees to see if that works better as your room isn't perfectly symetrical I would guess.
5) try placing your speakers straddling a front wall corner, in essance rotating your system 45%.

Toole's book is excellent. good luck.