Placement tips for Synergistic Research HTFs

Hello, I am new here on Audiogon. Please allow me to introduce myself briefly:

My name is Rino, I am 66 years of age and I have been fiddling with HiFi for more than 45 years. It has always been my aim to achieve the best possible sound spending the least possible money.

I am fully aware that this thread is a few years old. Despite that I hope to be able to wake some of you up to receive some longtime experience from you on the Synergistic Research HFT "Buttons".

I myself, living in Germany, by coincidence stumbled over this Product a few weeks ago. Now after having installed some DIY HFT “Buttons” - all 4 Levels plus the speaker Kit. I am looking for possible optimizations moving the HFT´s (up/down, back/forth, right and left) to obtain the best results.

My System contains of:

• Turntable Systemdek IIS with Helios Scorpio tome arm and Ortofon MC 20 S cartridge
• Audio Innovations Series 1000 Moving Coil Impenance Matching Transformer
• Cambridge cxc CD drive
• Audio Note DAC 1
• Audio Note Preamp M1 Phono
• Two Audio Innovations S800 Stereo Main Amps, driven in vertical passive bi-amping
• Martin Logan Aerius (not i) - Panels renewed 4 years ago and X-over components upgraded

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience. Highly appreciated.

Follow the placement guides on the Synergistic Research website.  Call them if you can’t find these.

Resist the temptation to add too many units.

Start with placing the specialty pieces first.

Have an open mind about modifying speaker placement and listening position (including the height of your seating position.). Align the wide angle pieces carefully to the position of your ears.  Small changes can make a big difference in what you hear.  Have fun.

#sgordon1

Thank you for your kind advise.

I started following the placement guide on the Synergistic Research page. As my speakers are standing on the long wall, 180 cm (5,9 feet) away from the side walls, I found that placing the 2x2 HFT´s 55 cm (1,8 feet) to the outer front wall (one a ear height and one 2 feet above) locked the stage centre better than having them in the front wall corners. - Any advise on this? 

"Resist the temptation to add too many units." - How many is too many?

Right now I have:

• Front wall middle between the speakers 3 HFT´s - one foot above the floor, one at ear height and one one foot below ceiling.
• Front wall 2x2 HFT´s 1,8 feet outside of the speakers
• On the speakers 5 HFT´s (rear, sides, top and bottom front)
• Above the middle of speakers each one
• Side walls none
• Back wall 4 HFT´s (middle at ear height and 1 one foot below ceiling) + 2x1 mid room height and 1,6 feet from room corners
• Ceiling - 1 right in the middle of the room

Makes all together 19 HFT´s. - Is that too many according to your experience?

"Have an open mind about modifying speaker placement and listening position (including the height of your seating position.)" - I spent quite some time the last years optimizing speaker position (toe-in and rake angle), both using room acoustic apps and my ears, to my listening position. I must say I was very pleased with the sound, but couldn´t resist trying the HFT´s to possible achieve a wider sweet spot.

I am quite limited when it comes to room treatment as my system is installed in my living room.

Further experience is highly appreciated. Thank you.

Rino.

Another question concerning HFT´s:

Does it make sense to install a crystal in the HFT´s?

I did read some comments on the forum on this topic, but couldn´t find an unambiguous answer.

If yes, please share your experiences.

Thank you.

Your experience is all that counts.  Let your ears determine what works.