What affects front to back depth in room/ system?


I've been moving speakers around for a while now trying to maximize their placement for a happy balance of soundstage width, focus of center image, vocal height, instrument placements, etc. I want to get the speaker placement settled before acoustically treating the room. The room is 15x20 with 8' ceilings. Speakers are setup along the 20' wall. I'm pretty happy with most aspects of the sound, but what I can't seem to figure out is how to improve the depth. Honestly, I'm not sure if what I'm after is attainable to begin with. Is it possible to have depth that reaches the listening position in a 2.2 channel sound system? The depth behind the speakers is great, just not much in front of them- unless it's one of those songs that has a part where it has that inverted phase trick. Then it washes over me. I want that all the time. Any feedback and advice is appreciated. 

veerossi

I see quality loudspeakers there. Wide-angle distortion in the photo makes it difficult to estimate the ratio of tweeter-to-tweeter and ear-to-tweeter. Some say that these should be equal (an equilateral triangle); however, most great-sounding systems I've heard have the speakers a little closer together. Tweeter-to-tweeter distance is ~85% of ear-to-tweeter.



I agree with others that for most loudspeakers to create a perception of depth, you're going to need to pull the speakers well out into the room…at least 4 ft from the front of the speaker to the wall behind. Sometimes further is better. It also helps for there to be nothing between the speakers. Bonus points for having nothing inside the triangle formed by the tweeters and your ears.

Good luck. It's something we're all chasing and have achieved to various degrees.

It’s all about setup. There are several excellent books on setup. Buy one, read it , learn how to setup your room

Note that unless you've never actually owned a stereo system or you have no faith in your own taste, the proper setup is what sounds best to YOU.

I went on the search for greater depth and have concluded it is a bit of a myth.  My speakers are 4' off front wall and 3' off sidewall.  My side reflections are treated. I have a fabulous sound stage and very holographic sounds.  There is depth but not to the degree some describe (i.e. behind and outside the front wall.).  

While it sounds counterintuitive, side wall reflections impact the width and depth of your sound stage more than I ever imagined.

As you consider room treatments, read a few articles written by Art Noxon, owner of ASC (Acoustical Sciences Corporation) Tube Traps. 
 

I like his tube traps because you can literally “dial in” the soundstage by simply adjusting the amount of diffusion and absorption you need. 
 

Use a mirror to find your 1st and 2nd side reflections, and watch your soundstage adjust to meet your needs. 
 

Hope this helps.