Speaker positioning games. Where can I go from here?


https://i.imgur.com/z7BZYqy.jpg

Last Thursday night I was messing with my speaker positioning. I’m nwver happy with the bass but I am barely into building my endgame system so I think some of that will worked out.

anyway, I moved my speakers (Focal 907v on stands) from 13” (back of cab to front wall) out to 22”. Bass is lessened but it’s most noticeable in bass attack. But there’s a fullness I didn’t expect.

I then toed them in which really made the vocals pop into that center position and all around imaging is much improved. The left speaker is 40” from a wall of windows and the right has nothing next to it for 13’. For the toe in I left the outside corner of the cabinet at 22” from the wall but rotated so the inside rear corner is now 21.5” from front wall. I think this improved imaging by lessening reflection on the left side.

I sit on a couch with a table between it and the back wall. My ear is ~18” from the back wall (drywall). The drivers are 91” apart and 98” to my ear. I think lessening early reflections and some combing has made things sound better.

My system build is glacially slow. So far I have the power amp I want and that’s it. All other pieces will be swapped out and sold as I replace them. My plan for this calendar year is to replace the Project DC with 2M Blue with a SL1200GR with possibly a Nag MP200. Next year, maybe around March replace the current line stage (Schiit Sys-temporary) with an Odyssey Candela (tubed line stage) and Buchardt S400 speakers in the summer. My feeling is that these first 2 pieces alone will really bolster my bass I response.

But in the meantime. What other positioning tweaks can I try? My room is basically a horizontal rectangle with the living room/listening spot on the left half with the rig on the long wall.

thanks.

gochurchgo

Showing 12 responses by gochurchgo

@geoffkait  I have always read and believed it but never challenged it.  Going to now haha.

@stevecham  that makes total sense. I will make sure to listen for that.
@millercarbon   Thanks. Amazing!
 I’m going to try every one of those ideas. Good call on leveling which I didnt do.

You mentioned moving the speakers closer to, if I understand correctly, the sitting position which seems like it would subtract bass but then maybe not if that puts the sitting position closer/into the pressurized area between by the speakers. Given the length of my speaker cables, I can go another 6-8” more so I will try that.

As for toeing in, I believe the documentation with the Focals mentioned aiming the drivers right at the ears or just in front of the listeners head. I recall not digging that but I will definitely try that again.

it seems generally, that speakers being further apart expands the soundtage, but is there a limit to that? 
@dougsat I’ll be downsizing starting next year and within 5 years be in studio apartments. I’m sticking with bookshelf’s for flexibility.

@erik_squires will do
So finally time to mess around. Speakers are now 26” (outside) and 25.25” (inside) from the wall. All music now sounds like it’s being transmitted from the tv screen (centered between speakers). 

So the bass....it’s less full but with some volume it has a good thump from the bass drum at my seared position. The sound is clear but if I could more weight to it?
I’im thinking I’m maybe asking more than my system can deliver at present. My goal is to do a new turntable later this summer but now I wonder if the linestage (Odyssey Candela) I want would be a better investment first?
@erik_squires it certainly snapped in as my spot now is square in the sweet spot. Music now sounds like its emanating from the tv. The tv is 18” back from the speakers, could it still be reflecting?

the sound is brighter. I have enough speaker cable to take the speakers another 2-3” forward so I’ll try that. I don’t think it will put them close enough to land the listening position in the pressurized area but seems to be taking more and more of the room out of the sound (for better or worse)
So after some tweaking, I’d i sit in my normal listening position (ear 11” from rear wall) the mids mellow and I get some of the deep bass (my speaks roll off at 50hz).

if I slide forward (ears 24” from rear wall) the bass mellows but everything else sounds good.  

Not sure next move
@elizabeth i did try the rule if 5ths and 7ths but I want to ask you, for you is it more about the imaging or the bass?

@erik_squires vocals come from the tv but I do get some left and right. I will pull back on the toe and see what it does.

as for the bass, I think my room is killing it and there really isn’t much I can do about the system placement as the one spot that makes the most sense is floor to ceiling windows and I don’t want to advertise what I have (though it’s not too impressive compared to others here)
To add. The imaging seems better sitting forward as does the mid bass. The sound is engaging and energetic but missing those lower bass frequencies.

I think this because I’m close to the edge of the pressurized area in front of the speakers. I can move them a couple inches closer but that’s it (unless I move them close in towards the amp)

im guessing that if I had speakers that went into the 30’s I would get more sub bass in the forward position (system limitation in its current form)?
Since I seem to be moving the listening position into the pressurized space between the speakers, I wanted to ask.

Does that high pressure area expand when I increase the volume? Does toe in affect that area as well?