Proper Toe-in Configuration

Larryi covers this quite well. I would only add that Speaker designers assume you can/will set up their speakers in situations that complement their design. For example, one famous maker recommends facing the speakers straight ahead (they had a very hot on-axis response, and just sounded much better off axis) but if placed near an untreated sidewall they sounded especially harsh. They benefitted by crossing the axis well in front of the listener position in many set ups.

Another thing to consider is that extreme toe-in changes all of the reflection points in the room. For example, the left side wall will now become more important in the sound from the right speaker because you have strong on-axis sound bouncing off it. Ditto ceiling and floor. In some rooms this is a good thing, in others not.

FWIW, in my room, crossing the speaker axis in front of my listening chair has allowed me to get a wider speaker spread and has eliminated some distortions brought by room created distortions from reflections without having to resort to a lot of audiophile acoustic treatments and the consequencial WAF issues.

But, if side walls are not an issue, many speakers facing forward will sound much more expansive - soundstage wise.

Anyway, just fiddle around and sometime in the next year or so you will find the perfect toe in and speaker set up. Have fun.

Clio09, Mr T correctly makes a case for trying something different, and he is also right that you will hear a (major) change in spectrum balance, i.e. substantial roll of of high's and mid's, but it will also dull the signals which are so important in creating the information essential to resolution and imaging. Try it for sure, just don't spend any money..........:-)