# Your setup and how to improve it. Hear me out, I'm trying to help.



## ElidiaRJohnson (Jul 20, 2014)

I see too many people posting their setups showing off some of the worst possible speaker placements I've ever seen. I posted this in reply to one of those threads, but I thought I'd create a new thread so more people might see it.

Some major problems I see all too often on /r/vinyl:

Your speakers are way too close together. You've got no soundstage.
Your speakers are right up against the walls, and surrounded on each side. Again, this affects the soundstage, but also heavily affects the bass.
Your speakers are right next to the turntable. The vibrations will heavily distort the music.

Go read this guide to speaker placement and look at some of the diagrams here. (The second one is more for "home theater" setups, but much of it still applies.)

You are not getting the most out of what you have. You'll be surprised how much better things sound if you follow some of these tips. You don't need to measure everything out obsessively, just follow some basic tips:

Move your speakers apart. A rough guide is they should be about as far away from each other as the distance from you to them.
Keep your speakers away from the walls, give them a little space.
Speakers should be approximately ear level.

I really hope this info helps some of you.

EDIT: Since this made the sidebar (thanks better_information!), I wanted to add this link troglodytes82 pointed out, for anyone who wants to go crazy with the in-depth math of it all:

Setting Up Speakers In A Rectangular Room


----------



## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Welcome to Home Theater Shack. 

You will find that several of us who have been around HTS a while have been on the mission of getting the message out about speaker placement for some time now and agree with much of what you suggest. In fact we did several rounds of speaker evaluations focusing on getting the best placement in the room that we had to wwork with ( a total of over 2 dozen speakers and hundreds of man-hours of actual listening).

That said, your "help" comes across as a somewhat heavy handed presentation of your experience. You may want to moderate your tone and become familiar with our posting rules. You will find that your ideas are both well received and challenged here, but in the most cordial and respectful manner. We expect no less of anyone, newcomers or HTS vetrerans alike.

Also, if you read the rules, you will also note that you cannot post links yet. We have post padding threads if you are serious about being here.


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

I might add that it is not necessarily bad to have your turntable next to your speakers. In many cases your speakers are not producing any or enough bass to vibrate the turntable. You could actually place your turntable next to your subwoofer for that matter.

And if you want to link to a good speaker setup guide for excellent soundstage... it doesn't really get any better that what is here already: *HTS Two-Channel Speaker Setup Guide for a Deep Soundstage*


----------



## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

Optimal placement isn't always an option. I've got esl towers in an apartment. Slowly they start to get pulled further into the room till my wife notices; then they get moved back closer to the wall. Ideally id have them 3' away from any room boundaries but that comes at the cost if a high WAF. 

I can't follow your link for the reasons posted above. 

What I find is most if us, coupled enthusiasts, need to compromise with our significant others. We may win the argument about not putting the TV in the corner but have to forsake ideal speaker placemat as a compromise. That said its good for those who have the room and ability to properly place their speakers, EQ their setups, and treat their rooms; after all the rooms plays more with sound than any particular speaker/amp technology ever could. 

Welcome to the shack.


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Here are a couple of questions I have asked quite a few people... When you are doing serious music listening, is your wife around to care where the speakers are located? If I spend good money on speakers and can't get the best out of them, was it worth spending that good money?

If I have spent any significant amount of money (I realize significant is subjective, so apply as it fits you financially) on speakers and I am not able to get the best out of them, why did I buy them?

If your wife is like mine, she would never allow me to pull speakers out in our great room/family room 3-4' from the wall and leave them there. However, if I am doing serious music listening where placement will matter, she likely is not home, has gone to visit her mother, sister, or gone shopping, etc. So I would find that best placement and pull them out for serious listening when I can. I don't even think she would mind if she is going to be in the other room, provided I place them back against the wall when I am done. Although she might not like how loud I play them. Some of you may have a wife that likes it as much as you, and if you let her listen for a few minutes to how great the speakers sound when setup properly, she will understand why you pull them out to do more serious listening... and she might even fight you for the prime listening position.

I just don't get spending good money on speakers and then being limited on their best use by WAF. "Well, I want nice speakers." Why? Just to say you have nice speakers?


----------



## chashint (Jan 12, 2011)

I still think nice speakers are worth having even if placement is compromised.
They will still sound better than crummy speakers sitting in the exact same spot.


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Who mentioned "crummy" speakers? I wouldn't want those regardless of where they are placed. :bigsmile:


----------



## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

I would never eat on my speakers! :whistling:

And by the way, Welcome to the Shack ElidiaRJohnson. Looking forwar to hearing more from you.


----------



## chashint (Jan 12, 2011)

LOL I thought speakers were either nice or not nice (ie...crummy).

I would like to spread my speakers out more but the room layout is what it is.

Maybe I am one of the ones that just has them because I want them.


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Pull them out when you can. :huh:

And don't eat on them... it will indeed make them crummy.


----------



## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Thanks Sonnie, I hate having to explain a joke.

Can you belive FBS is next month!!! Gonna have to start a new thread!!!


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

: off topic :

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

: on topic :

I love pickin' on chas! :whistling:

I understand though... there are some speakers that can sound good even up against a wall, although you will still likely miss any depth of soundstage. Still width of soundstage and imaging can be pretty good vs some other speakers that are not necessarily crummy.


----------



## chashint (Jan 12, 2011)

:kiss:


----------

