Where to place - need some hand holding please

This is posted in "tech talk" maybe it will help you

Radio Shack SPL Meter mods corrections
I know that others here were interested in the specs to correct the non-linearities of the factory stock RS SPL meter. The figures below are to be either added to (+) or subtracted from (-) the readings that you obtain from your factory stock meter. In other words, the meter in stock form is EXTREMELY deficient when it comes to taking low frequency measurements. Keep in mind that these corrections are only valid under the following conditions. The meter must be set to C weighting, using 1/3 octave pink noise (easily available from various CDs), with the mic pointed at the speaker. These measurements were verified on both the RS analogue and digital meters using laboratory grade test equipment. Baseline testing was done using the 80 dB scale for reference purposes. While on the low side, this should give you a good baseline as to what your actually getting out of your system. Needless to say, if you had BIG peaks in the bass region with the stock meter and you weren't calculating in these correction figures, you're in even worse shape than you thought.

10Hz +20.5
12.5Hz +16.5
16Hz +11.5
20Hz +7.5
25Hz +5
31.5Hz +3
40Hz +2.5
50Hz +1.5
63Hz +1.5
80Hz +1.5
100Hz +2
125Hz +0.5
160Hz -0.5
200Hz -0.5
250Hz +0.5
315Hz -0.5
400Hz 0
500Hz -0.5
630Hz 0
800Hz 0
1KHz 0
1.25Khz 0
1.6KHz -0.5
2Khz -1.5
2.5Khz -1.5
3.15Khz -1.5
4KHz -2
5KHz -2
6.3KHz -2
8KHz -2
10Khz -1
12.5KHz +0.5
16KHz 0
20KHz +1

Capt,

I went back and read a couple of your previous threads. Glad to hear you are sticking it out, as you have put together an execelent system.

Ok here are my sugestions.

1) The loveseat and recliner. I would remove the recliner from the room and center the loveseat on the center channel. Sorry but I feel that you can create a better listening environment this way.

2) Take your rear speakers off of the shelves and put on stands (the tweeters should be about 1 foot above the listeners head) and locate per the dolby.com website.

3) For the fronts. Pull them straight out from the corners more into the room. Measure the distance between the speakers. Then measure off the inside edge of each speaker creating an equalateral triangle. Place the love seat at that distance from the speakers. Near field listening.

4) Use a 2 chanel source and a CD you are familiar with. Start with your front speakers facing forward. Using just your ears as you are familiar with your system now. Work with toeing in the speakers and see how that affects your soundstage and tone. You can also move one speaker forwards or backwards about an inch at a time and hear how that affects your soundstage and tone. Sitting in the nearfield should help with unwanted reflections.

5) Put the sub behind the loveseat and forget about it. IMHO this is the only logical place.

You can also google "Speaker Placement"

Good luck and keep us posted.

Artizen65,
I appreciate your response. Truth be told, I have read many articles on speaker placement. There are many opinions, some of which even contradict each other. Also, I do not feel comfortable to trust my ears just yet.
The goal of my thread is to solicit someone with experience’s first guess and work from there. A starting point, if you will. I have many issues with my room that I think would require someone who has experience. I have the cabinets angled in the front corners. How do I angle the front speakers? How far out from the cabinets. Plus I have the issue of usable width. Even though the listening room is 11'2", I have only about 8' that usable. I have bookshelves on the entire right side and a fireplace on the left.
Regarding the loveseat & recliner: Since, usually I am the only that uses the listening room I move them around. I place the loveseat behind the recliner when I do my normal listening. Do you still think I have get rid of it? Of coarse doing this would interfere with placing the sub behind the listener. I would love to place it here between the fire place and the front cabinet? Do you suppose that would be ok?
Also, no one got back to me regarding point #3 in my previous thread. I am unsure how to resolve.

Thank you in advance,
David

David- try the following (slightly asymmetrical placem't).
1st mark where your spkrs are now (so oyu can go back if necessary).
2. Pull the spkrs out ~3' fm the corner cabinets (back centre of spkr to middle flat surface of cab -- the one that's 1" further out)
3. Place left spkr ~3' or more fm side wall (ignore the matter of the fireplace)-- that's measuring fm woof centre to wall.
3. Remove podium for now.
4. Move right speaker ~2-3' away fm the b/shelf.
5. Listen with spkrs firing ahead.
6. Toe in spkrs to around 60-70 degree, pivoting left front (left spkr) right front (right spkr) -- listening for better 3D imaging while retaining soundstage.

You have to gauge the full sound now, not individual frequency check. Note which "sounds" are still lacking.

Place yr subwoof behind the seat if possible. Since there is only one sub, I see no other placement in yr photos.

Hope for the best!

Gregm,
I tried to place the speakers closer together and further away from the sidewall as you suggested. It just did not sound right. When I closed my eyes the music just did not sound like there was a stage. Perhaps, you did not take my room's width into account? Placing the FR speaker 3' away from the cabinet which is already 1' out and the FL 3' out makes the speakers a little more than 4' apart. My room is 11'2"W. 11'2" - (3'+ 3' + 1') = 4'2" apart. I guessI will try to just move them futrther out from the front cabinets.