Toe in is crucial
I’m like the rest of us, obsessing about the smallest tweaks in power supplies, USB cables, cable risers, room acoustics, etc. But an underrated (or discussed) speaker tweak is toe in.
in my system (SF Amati, Mc components, Cardas, Weiss) adjusting speaker toe in by as little as ¼ inch has greater impact on SQ than many cable and other tweaks I’ve made at the tail end of refinement. The impact (and trade off) on sound stage, imaging, and treble presentation, by the smallest adjustments is profound.
I wasn’t quite satisfied with my system tonight—a little too forward; a narrower soundstage than I like. A ¼ inch toe in adjustment took me from hifi to the concert.
Not sure if others have experienced this, but thought I’d share.
Setup in general, including toe-in is definitely a big deal. Our living room doubles as my listening room, and most of the time the speakers are placed too far into the corners, per order of my chief decorator. On occasion (mainly when she leaves town to visit sisters), the speakers get moved to a more optimal position....it takes hours to get the spacing and toe-in just right, but it can really make or break the sound. |
I'm the rest of us, and I don't obsess over the smallest tweaks, most of which are simply conduits for confirmation bias. However, toe in can indeed make all the difference. Like, @hilroy48, i blue-taped the placement grid for my Spatial Audio M3's and found that even 1/2" made an audible (though not huge) difference. And I'm still dubious about how Reference 3A advises NOT to toe in my de Capo's. Yet anytime I do toe them in, the sound muddies up.
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You’re absolutely correct. Proper speaker toe-in is absolutely critical. In my room, it took me forever and a day to finally get my speaker toe-on spot-on. It took a lot of time and patience, but once I got the speakers toe-in just right, I began to experience the kind of audio nirvana that I was seeking. |
Proper toe-in is definitely one of the critical basics of speaker placement. I have the same speakers as you. Getting it right took me a long time… I was not in a hurry. Purchase of speakers… upgrading components and cables took a year until I finally got to fine tuning my speakers. I found a gradual change in the soundstage from having the beams crossed behind my head to no toe in. In my venue, no toe in gives the widest / deepest soundstage without loosing the central image, where the speakers disappear. I was surprised since the recommended toe in is to have them cross behind your head. Just shows you have to do your own place.
I have had speakers (electrostatic and ribbon) where 1/8th an inch made a big difference. In my room the Sonus Faber Amanti change their presentation gradually. |
This is what I use:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0863RK1KX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
By placing it on top of the speaker along the inside edge, I'm able to fine tune the hight as well as direction. I'm sure ton's of people use these. |
