Should I or not

I do plan in exprimenting more for my edification more as to how the sound changes from either set-up.

Your right with either set-up room treatment will have to be used but I'm such a newbie in that respect I just don't know where to start.

This will I hope be a fun not a frustrating excersise.

Cheers

Your brother's request is not like picking up a chair and simply moving it across the room. It takes days, weeks, or even months to plan and execute such a move (if one had to electricians, plan dedicated lines, outlets, etc.).

And even though the majority are often times wrong, it would seem the vast majority of so-called 'experts' recommend placing the speakers on the short wall of a rectangular room. Yes, there are a handful of speaker mfg'ers who recommend the long wall (Dunalvy was one), but it is only a handful.

On either wall, for enhanced soundstaging your speaker fronts need to be about 4 to 6 ft or so from the wall behind them. If your speakers are on the long wall, that means that you have at most 6 feet between your ears and the drivers leaving you with about 1 ft. between your ears and the wall behind you. The 6 ft. isn't necessarily bad but the 1 ft. distance is rediculous.

I can't imagine any sonic benefits with such a configuration.

But you might first ask your brother to explain in detail what sonic benefits await you when you 'reach the next level' by following his suggestion.

I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't have clue how to articulate his response. Seems to be epidemic with brothers these days. :)

If you're into experimenting, you might try experimenting with cables, outlets, installing dedicated circuits/lines, and vibration control. All these can be rather inexpensive experiments and should easily outperform any highly questionable sonic gains from moving your speakers.

-IMO

I all to clearly understand how brothers can be. It's 1:30am and I woke up thinking of all that's been going on.

It seems from most of the responses that I've been on the right track by my short wall set-up. I just wish I had a clue to what I should be listening when it come to sound/room acoustics. I guess when I start using room treatments I should have a better idea.

As to experimenting I plan to do so with my IC's. I've outgrown my Blue Heaven's and am looking forward to trying Cardas, Audience but first I live in an apartment and it's clean power that I lack. AC conditioners here I come.

Cheers

Good for you, FG. BTW, my last sentence was incomplete. I meant to say "All these can be rather inexpensive experiments and should easily outperform any highly questionable sonic gains from moving your speakers TO THE LONG WALL."

I felt the need to clarify because in my opinion, the benefits of proper speaker placement (on the short wall) in general will far outweigh any room acoustic treatments. (unless perhaps your room is absolutely atrocious acoustically).

But for starters I would recommend bringing your speakers about 5 ft. out from the back wall to the front center of the woofers. If you suffer a bit from light bass regions, try starting at about 4ft out may help reinforce the lower regions a bit.

-IMO

Here in lies one of my problems. I can't bring out my speakers 5ft out. I'm pushing it at 4ft and 3ft is the safe zone. Unfortunatly the placement of my speakers is where the landing is going from dining rooom to livingroom.

Just to clarify I live in an apartment with a sunken livingroom ,and it is at that point where one of my speakers is located. You can just see the edge of the step in my picture. I did manage to bring them out at 4ft and my t.v is no longer in the middle but I have to walk in back of them to get to my livingroom.

Is it possible to over treat a room. I say this as I'm not well versed in room acoustics. I guess I can't go wrong adding corner traps and base traps.

I've get to find a service where they can assess my room acoustics.

Cheers