[Peter Wieck[_2_]]

On Thursday, May 9, 2019 at 6:21:40 PM UTC-4, Howard Stone wrote:
The speakers I have are really annoying because, to get them sounding as =
good as they should, they need to be positioned in places I don't want them=
to be. 1m from walls etc.
=20
I want my speakers low down and unobtrusive, or high up on bookshelves. I=
want them hiding away in corners and right up against walls. And I want sp=
eakers which are flexible, which can be moved anywhere.

As it happens, and apart from (very) exceptional room acoustics, your dilem=
ma was addressed quite specifically by no less than Acoustic Research and E=
dgar Villchur back in the dim and distant 1960s. And, much of the ARs desig=
ns historically were based on solving placement issues.=20

All of the above based on minimum 8"/200 mm woofers and against the wall in=
"conventional" box-type front-firing speakers. Smaller woofers are hopele=
ss in delivering clean bass unless in many multiples - which brings on more=
problems than it solves.=20

As follows:

Starting on the LONG wall of the listening room:

a) Place speaker A at the 1/4 point from one corner. Makes no difference wh=
ich. The woofer should be at least one (1) woofer diameter off the floor - =
making the center-line at 1.5 diameters. The tweets should be IN or UP.=20
b) Place speaker B at the 1/3 point from the opposite corner.
c) While playing a full-range, well-recorded, familiar signal at normal/sli=
ghtly lower volume, tweak Speaker B to achieve the best sound-stage. 95% of=
the time, B will move closer to A. Starting out, your sound-stage will be =
~2/3 as wide as the distance between the speakers and about as deep as half=
the distance between them.=20
d) Once you have achieved a comfortable sound-stage, tweak either/both spea=
ker heights to achieve the best possible signal balance. If you have wide-d=
ispersion (as in dome) tweets (and, ideally mid-ranges) *YOUR* ear level wi=
ll not be critical.=20

And, this should do it - excepting very strange rooms or strangely shaped r=
ooms.=20

Notes:

1. At no time should the speakers be symmetrical on a given wall _UNLESS_ t=
here is something between them (such as a fireplace) that renders their rel=
ationship asymmetrical within the room. Symmetrical placement invites stand=
ing waves, cancellation waves and other forms of interference. For the same=
reason, no speaker should be placed at a mind-point between two walls.=20
2. Exactly the same exercise obtains on the short wall, except that bass wi=
ll be enhanced, sometimes too much.=20
3. Exactly the same exercise obtains from the ceiling rather than the floor=
- but the speakers should be bass-up if vertical in that exercise. No chan=
ge if on their sides - tweets in. =20
4. With good speakers (clean response curve) final placement will very much=
depend on the listener and his/her preferences. And, therefore why the exe=
rcise should be with all settings "FLAT" and with familiar and full-range s=
ignal. Changes from a good start will not require changes in speaker locati=
on(s).=20
5 And to repeat: NOT SYMMETRICAL!=20

Once you have found a configuration that pleases you - give it a week. Mark=
the locations in some way, then start over but with a different signal. If=
you wind up at the same points, you are done. And, of course, inches do ma=
ke a difference - and why you should give it time until you are very happy =
with the result.=20

Side note: AR added a center-channel to its flagship receiver as back when =
stereo was "new", recording engineers often exaggerated separation as an "O=
h, WOW!" factor. And David Hafler designed the Hafler Circuit to address th=
at issue, which evolved into the Poor Man's Quadraphonic system. Be careful=
that the signal you use is well engineered *and* well recorded.=20

Best of luck - you don't need any "stinking DSP" for good sound!=20

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA