perfect placement for your speakers


Have you ever tried challenging yourself to get the perfect placement for your speakers?

I have been trying to do this for my floorstanding Tannoy Cheviot (12 inch) speakers with a testing CD called 'XLO Reference Recordings Test and Burn in CD'. There are two tracks for testing in-phase and out of phase. While playing the in-phase track, a human voice reads out 'My voice should be centered between your 2 loudspeakers, tightly in focus'. Are we supposed to be able to hear the voice with a sharp focus, like a human standing right in the middle between 2 speakers speaking that sentence?

I only hear a human voice coming from the front of the room, not able to 'see' someone standing right in the middle. What should I do? I heard Tannoy's are easy when it comes to placement yet I've been moving my Tannoy's around yet still can't get it done.

Many thanks
Chris
chris_9
You mean this one?
http://www.nordost.com/products/accessories/test-cd/test-cd.php
Hi guys,

Thanks so much for the overwhelming replies.

In response to some of you, here's the layout of my listening room. Due to computer graphic limitation, I couldn't draw the speakers in a toed in position, yet they are toed in approximately 15 - 20 degrees.

http://s1152.photobucket.com/users/chris983/media/layout/smyroomlayout_zpsa97dc7f9.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

I've tried to draw in a close proportional as possible to my actual room measurements. Yet, if in doubt, the figures in the layout should apply. Regarding the material inequality on each side of the walls, I have hung up curtains covering all the windows and glass door so they will reflect sound waves in a roughly similiar fashion as the wooden walls.

Still, I can't get a tightly focused image of the voice, not even close. What I get is a very general voice from the front plane. The speakers didn't disappear completely. Yet, as I listened to the out of phase track, the sound obviously does not come from any particular side/ direction of the room;instead, the sound comes from everywhere in the room. So it's obvious that the out of phase sounds right.
TO Zd542:

I got these gears a while ago so have only listened to a couple of pop songs.Yet, I also tried the testing CD by Nordost besides the XLO one and the same results - can't get a focused image, sound is coming from the front only.

I have also tried hooking the speakers with my brand new CD receiver and the results the same! Does it mean it has to do with the speakers?
You need to list your system. Not just the components, but cables, tweaks and anything else that's part of it. Also, I would still try reversing the cables on 1 speaker. It will only take a minute and depending on how it sounds, you may get some useful info.
Chris,

Yes this is Nordost test Cd. The in phase vocal should be between the speakers. It may not be in front of you but between the speakers and perhaps back of the speakers in the center. The out of phase track is thin sounding and diffused with the vocal not being centered