Elizabeth, as you know, Maggies are a different animal. Less effected by first reflections from side walls, but they like a little space behind them since they are dipoles. If you have not downloaded REW software (room equalization wizard) I suggest you do so. It is much easier and quicker to optimize your speaker position for the flattest possible response in the clarity region (below 300 Hz). I think you will find the long wall configuration with your chair out from the back wall to be the best option, but REW will help you optimize around that, and enable you to add some room treatments to further optimize. I did this about a year ago in my listening room and it made an unbelievable difference.
How do you choose speaker location?
Over many apartments I have always put my speakers at the outer wall (window) and have them fire to the long axis of the apartment. And I end up sitting halfway/partway back (I have never sat at or near the furthest wall)
My usual way of starting to decide the distance is to measure the room and calculate the odd order fractions of the distance.
My current Magenpan speakers are 1/7 the total distance to the far walls, and 1/5 the distance to a wall hiding a pair of closets poking out between the entrance hall and the kitchen.. At 45" (average) speaker face to back wall. Average since the flat panels are angled.
I rotated them mainly to get the best (most!) bass response.
Anyway, with various schemes to locate speakers, including using Golden Ratio. etc..
What sort of scheme do YOU use to start placement?
(I naturally assume we all then adjust the speaker by ear a bit.)
My usual way of starting to decide the distance is to measure the room and calculate the odd order fractions of the distance.
My current Magenpan speakers are 1/7 the total distance to the far walls, and 1/5 the distance to a wall hiding a pair of closets poking out between the entrance hall and the kitchen.. At 45" (average) speaker face to back wall. Average since the flat panels are angled.
I rotated them mainly to get the best (most!) bass response.
Anyway, with various schemes to locate speakers, including using Golden Ratio. etc..
What sort of scheme do YOU use to start placement?
(I naturally assume we all then adjust the speaker by ear a bit.)
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- 9 posts total
Haven’t tried this personally, but found this suggestion for speaker placement interesting: "RMAF14: High Fidelity Stereo - That’s not Natural! How to make it that way" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Pf0ycbyBM |
Planars really benefit from being at least 5' away from the wall behind them, if possible. That is the minimum distance required to create a 5ms delay between the sound from the front of the speaker and that from the rear reaching the listeners ears. Anything less than 5ms makes the rear wave sound as if it is part of the front wave---smearing. The 5ms delay turns the rear wave into ambiance, separate from the direct sound. |
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Planars really benefit from being at least 5' away from the wall behind them
"" Well Googling planar location bring up a variety of theories. One saying 3 to 5 feet from back wall. Another saying 1/3 of the way into the room! I am using part of that 1/3.. being an odd distance. (where even distances are bad) And chose 1/7th and 1/5th and get 45" out Which is in the middle of the 3 to 5 feet suggestion. As for the 5ms delay.. Well yes at the exact spot behind the 5 ft out speaker. (and that energy is reflected right into the back of the speaker anyway) However the vast majority of the reflected energy is not from exactly behind the speaker. In my setup the average distance from all reflecting surface behind is as close a a few feet near the side wall, to around 7 to 9 feet. |
- 9 posts total