Is it time to just quit?

Last night I got into the moving things around rut. Moved listening position around a bit. Each time it was like "oh, that's better" but after a couple or more moves I realized it was just different. Primarily the sound stage, nothing else changed really. Then I thought about charting the sound stage on paper for each position. But then, after moving back to my original position I realized that none of the changes improved my enjoyment of the music even though they did change the sound stage. That's when I knew I was listening to my system and not the music.

So I sat back, in the original position (which I had deemed to be best just a month ago), closed my eyes, sipped some coffee and enjoyed the music. The system vanished and it was great.

That’s why I oft say trial and error can only get you so far. It’s worse than trying to find a needle in a haystack. The best you can possibly hope for at the end of the day is something you can live with but certainly not the best possible sound. The trial and error method is like trying to solve three simultaneous equations in four or five unknowns. Notice I’m not (rpt not) saying don’t use your ears. But do it in a methodical way.

The only reliable and most effective way to deal with speaker placement and or room acoustics treatment placement is using the speaker placement track on the XLO Test CD or similar test CD. HINT most speakers are placed too far apart, the thinking being that produces the best soundstage. The ideal speaker locations are of course speaker and room dependent, but generally speakers should be closer together, not farther apart. Start off with say, four or five feet apart and work slowly outward, using the TEST CD.

I have had my speakers in approximately the same position for many years. When I got a new (better) DAC i was using a great recording to dial in the location. This entailed slight movements of only a few inches, slight angle adjustments. Still within the average placement of my previous Magnepans. Now I have the spot written down (so I can move them and get them back quickly) 18" (touching edge from side walls. inner (tweeter) edge 42" from back wall, outer edge 58.5" from back wall. I did move them two inches father from the side walls a few months ago.. a few recordings just had too much separation. (The two inches did not harm the ones that were fine with the old wider spread.)                  
IMO sometime it pays to try something new. Sometimes the grass is green right where things are.

@elizabeth if you don't mind me asking what was the great recording to dial in the location of your speakers did you use?
I'm always looking for good ideas.
Thanks in advance...

@geoffkait - Hey Geoff. I was looking on Amazon at the track list for the XLO Test CD. I don’t see any particular track called "speaker position". Which track do you use for setting speaker position? Also, are there instructions, regarding placement of speakers, in the liner notes for the CD? BTW here are the test tracks listings:

1. Technical Tracks: Channel Identification
2. Technical Tracks: Voice In-Phase
3. Technical Tracks: Voice Out-Of-Phase
4. Technical Tracks: Clap Track
5. Technical Tracks: 3 1 5 Hz Test Tone
6. Technical Tracks: ’Prof.’ Johnson Does Something Spatinal
7. Technical Tracks: Demagnetizing Sweep
8. Technical Tracks: Demagnetizing Fade
9. Technical Tracks: System Burn-In
10. Music Tracks: Mono, In-Phase
11. Music Tracks: Mono, Out-Of-Phase
12. Music Tracks: Stereo, Out Of Absolute Phase

Thanks.........