Toe in changes the speakers relationship to the room as well as the listener. These variables are not easy to account for. So, it is very much a trial and error undertaking. First it is important to deal with first reflection points on the side walls in particular. I always start with the speakers perfectly perpendicular to the radius aimed directly at the listening position then if the image is not well focused start gradually reducing toe in. @ghdprentice Because line sources radiate in a figure 8 fashion, they send no energy towards the side walls. They should always be aimed directly at the listening position for the best image. As you note, reducing toe in changes the sound in a much more dramatic fashion, usually for the worse. Any brightness should be handled electronically. On the bright side the side walls do not require absorption. Only the front wall behind the speaker needs absorption. SALLIEs are the best. You can see them on my system page.
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.
- ...
- 43 posts total
Everyone should try with less toe in as part of the adjustment. I prefer a wider soundstage, with the central image still maintained. I have listened to several systems with so much toe in, the soundstage is lost and the singer sounds like a point source. Further, toe in R to L does not have to be the same - adjust it to your room. |
A couple of years ago I made floor mounted angling devices that attach to the plinths of my Cornwall 4's. These brackets are perfectly centered on the wall behind the speakers and can be used to change the distance between the speakers relative to my center listening position, and then the angles between the speakers to high precision - about 1/16 of an inch. The speakers are both attached to the devices on one corner that pivots to the common wall behind them. To alter the angle from the wall is simply a matter of pivoting the speaker on the attachment point while measuring the swinging speaker corner to the wall behind it. A yardstick with 1/16th inch resolution controls the amount of "swing" (angle.) Being able to easily adjust toe in quickly and effortlessly with such fine control was one of the best mods to my system. |
@hilroy48 that is very fast timing. I get to move them around for several days in and out during listening till I find what I want. |
- 43 posts total