Rives, Nice article.
I've a question regarding the positioning of speakers near a side wall as it relates to 1st reflections, soundstaging, and sweetspot. Its based on something I have done "successfully" on quite a few occasions when I was using dynamic speakers with a wide and smooth radiation pattern (which usually means hot on axis highs).
Is there a down side, acoustically, to positioning the speakers close to the side walls and toeing them in so the the axis crosses in front of your listening position on the same corresponding angle as they would if they were toed in to have the axis point straight ahead or behind the listening position?
When I have done this it seems to have minimized the need for treatments to the side walls, maximized the sound stage width, and as an extra benefit for those in need, widened the sweet spot substantially, that is a person sitting in front of either speaker would still get usable stereo imaging with good (not great) center focusing. Unlike when pointed straight ahead the image doesn't just collapse into the closest speaker.
Anyone else ever played with this?