Speaker placement

Hifibouncer, I set up my speakers starting with the L and R spkrs near the side walls, moving each toward the middle. (from some online advice). I did not know this was the Sumiko Setup; but it worked well for me.
I just used your method of setting the rake angle and WOW, it has an incredible effect. Thanks for sharing.

ps.. I wonder why dealers never talk about using rake angle with speakers.

I have owned some multy driver cone speakers that need to be set back so that the drivers are more time aligned,like my last cone speakers the Ref 3 Grand Veena.

I tried to rake them by increasing the height of the back spikes and I liked it,but you had to sit closer to the speakers, more in a near field way.

My present speakers which were made in the 1970's are designed with a built in slant,but I prefer the sound when the speakers are raised at the back so that the top of the panels are flat using a level.Maggies are always seen with a back slant,yet my Maggie front and rear onwalls in the HT have no slant and the sound is very good.

I think there maybe some merit to the slanted back of the drivers to avoid floor bounce, but I really believe it's just a trade off as you increase ceiling bounce, which I think is worse,and not many of us want to add damping or diffusors to the ceiling, but next year I plan to do this as I devote more time effort and money into getting the room right.

Floor bounce is more easily controlled with a thick underpad and carpet,so I will side with the folks who like to rake their speakers opposite to the standard accepted practises, even when the designer intends for the drivers to be time aligned-sloped back at the treble area.I am a rebel at heart myself.

I like the more direct and to my ears ,sound of the drivers /panels firing straigh out into the room.

Experimenting with speaker and chair positions is fun, educational and doesn't cost a thing to do.

The best tweaks in life are free.

Glad things went well adjusting rake - kinda fun! I'm convinced that neither dealers nor manufacturers really focus too much on imaging, they're more concerned about tone. I went to a local Avalon dealer to hear the "Time" model, and the center vocalist sounded like he was sitting on the ground and 4 feet left of center. And the salespeople had never noticed the problem!