Vandersteen 5A room placment options

Thanks for all the helpful info. I did a bit of measuring, and these are the #'s. Room: L: 23'4" W: 12'4" H: 8 feet standard.
Speakers 36" or 3.0 feet from side walls (center driver). Speakers are spread apart 76" or 6' 4". Closer than I would like, but I found them to sound more open further from the sidewalls. However, I have never toed them in very much. Essentially, there is only a 2" difference from the front outer cabinet and the rear outer cabinet to the side wall . Obviously, the back of the cabinet is closer. I have them 95" or 34% out in to the room. I am seated a bit over 11 feet from the front plane, leaving just over 3 feet in back of my ears to the wall behind me. I have my records... in back of me, but on the long wall. Maybe I will play with a bit more toe in, or move a bit closer to the speakers. Zargon, just curious where your gear is situated.

Fjn,
The amp, pre and CD are centered, halfway between the speakers and the listener front wall. The phono pre and TT are to my right mid long wall. Media is on shelves across the rear wall.
I am also using some toe in - 3" from front to back of the speaker, which also aims the speakers at the center of the back wall. I am not a fan of toe in for the 5A, however, in a relatively narrow room, it helps reduce the first reflections. I am using diffusion on first reflections, but also interested in experimenting with diffusion.

Sorry, I meant:

"I am using absorption on first reflections, but am interested in experimenting with diffusion."

Just skimmed the preceding, and didn't see one mention of "ear height".

The 5A's are terribly sensitive to ear height and it is of equal importance to equidistance of each ear from the speakers.

The exact height is unknown to me, but Richard could tell you. In a mechancially stagered phase coherant system, an inch too high or low can make some difference

Summitav,

According to the user manual, the acoustic center of the 3 - 5A drivers is 36" high, and there is a table which specifies how much to tilt the speaker for other distances. For example,, the nominal condition is if you are seated 8ft from the speaker, your ear should be at 36" as well. It also says there is a 6" range of acceptable listening height.

I have found that in addition to proper listening height, you must ensure each speaker is dead vertical right to left and has the same tilt front to back. If not, the image is not as precise, and this is not emphasized in the user manual. I can detect this by moving my head forward and backward a few inches. If the image changes noticably, it may be due to this misalignment (other factors might be comb filtering or a non-symetrical room).

So, my experience is that the 5A image is more sensitive to the speakers being vertical and having equal tilt than having the ear exactly in line with the acoustic center. I use a level to ensure vertical and a laser to ensure tilt. Just set the laser on the speaker casting and mark the spot on the rear wall. Then, set the laser on the other speaker casting and match that same spot height.