Is it OK to place speakers behind me ?

If it is OK to you then how could anyone argue.

Personally, if I had to listen to music in an non-'audiophile' set up, such as coming from the side or rear, I would reduce it to a mono signal/source, or just putting the speakers next to each other. It would then be more realistic, i.e. like listening to music from the next room or outside the window, etc. I would then be alert only to musical content, not the audio artifacts

It works in cars. Stereo can be perceived effectively from in front and from behind.

Do what you want.If it sounds good to you,that's all that matters.You don't need anyone's approval.

I have just that setup in my office and have found that I very quickly became adjusted to the sound from behind and no longer even think about it. In fact, in my case I am sitting at a desk facing a wall and in front of 2 PC monitors. For that situation, it is actually more comfortable not having the speakers so close.

Do you turn your back on the performance when you attend a concert?

you have achieved "background" music, literally.

unsound; no, I don't...but if I did, I'd still hear the concert just as coherently, wouldn't I?

The frequency response characteristics of our ears are different for sounds arriving from the rear compared to sounds arriving from the front.

I did a quick Google search, which led me to the figure labelled "open ear" near the bottom of page 6 of this reference:

http://www.resound.com/int/Download%20Document%20Library/ReSound_Live/M200317-GB-09.07%20Rev.B%20low.pdf

You can see that at 0 degrees (straight ahead), the responses for the four frequencies shown (500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz) are equal. At 180 degrees the 2kHz and 4kHz responses are down almost 5db relative to the 1kHz response. That would figure to produce a significantly duller or perhaps "thinner" sound from the rear, in the upper mid-range and lower treble.

The difference is even greater, around 9db, if you compare the response at 45 degrees to the right with the response at 135 degrees to the right. That is probably the most meaningful comparison, because it approximates the listening angle relative to the position of the speaker on that side. A similar 9db reduction of the high frequencies would occur at the left ear, relative to the sound arriving from the left speaker.

As some of the others have said, whether or not that is acceptable for your purposes is your call.

Regards,
-- Al

excellent info, Al -- thank you!

I came to the same general, but by no means as empirical, conclusion last night by spinning my listening chair around a couple of times. I wouldn't have had the language to describe it other than saying I certainly prefer face-forward, but now that your post provided it, I can immediately nod and say 'yes, thinner.'

You guys rock thank you!
Great info Al!
I forgot about the car stereo

When listening backwards, would it help or hurt to reverse the channels?

When listening backwards, would it help or hurt to reverse the channels?

If you turn your back on speakers that are normally positioned in front of you, then it would help, because otherwise the left channel speaker would wind up closest to the listener's right ear.

But in this case the left speaker would be on the listener's left side regardless of whether it is positioned in front or at the rear. So therefore the channels should not be switched.

At least, I think so :-)

Best regards,
-- Al

In the TV show "House", the speakers are behind the desk chair. Since House has a Sota and is really smart, it must be ok. PS. Any episodes where he actually listens to the stereo through the speakers and not the headphones?

Dyslexic stereo?

Never, never turn your back on a pair of speakers - they cannot be trusted. Many who have done so have paid the price. Be safe, place your speakers in front of you, look em dead in the drivers, they'll back down - they have no backbone, only copper windings.

Go for home theater HELLO!!Put behind you get a BOOM BOX!!

Musicnoise-LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!