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O.C.D. Speaker placement

How o.c.d. are you in speaker placement, and how important is it? I am o.c.d. in many aspects of my life including speaker placement. I've always enjoyed what is known as a formal balance (symmetrical design). So this is my dilemma: I have the distance of my speakers equal, within an 1/8", from the side and back walls, and they are also level side to side and front to back but the distance from the center of my listening position to the tweeters is different by somewhere between 1/2"-3/4". Does this even really matter?
I'm sure I'll get all kinds of jokes towards this question, but whatever. I figure there has to be some other o.c.d. people here considering all of the products aimed towards audiophiles, from footers to cable risers to c.d. and i.c. polishing kits.
128x128b_limo
csontos
1,311 posts
 
The drivers should be perpendicular to a line directed exactly to your ears. This will make the intersection appear slightly back from your position. Best bottom-end and sound stage when distance behind speakers to wall is the same as the distance behind you to wall. Triangle does not have to be equilateral. Optimal distance between speakers is 8-10 feet.
b_limo's avatar
b_limo OP
2,271 posts
 
Csontos, I never heard that the distance behind the speakers and behind the listener should be the same but thats exactly how I'm set up, just because that's where I get the cleanest bass and best imaging. I'm set-up in an extra bedroom so I'm sitting nearfield as my room is only 13' 1/2" long and both my speakers and my listening seat are around 40" out from the back wall. Thanks for the tip though, I'll end up adding that to the ocd speaker placement list!

Hey T, if you change your mind about my offer, just let me know. The Speakers and Gum are fully broken in, and the ink on the $50 bill may still be wet by the time you receive it :-)
dracule1
1,085 posts
 
Depends on the speaker. Some are more forgiving of speaker placement than others. You can follow the manufacturers recommendation as an initial guide line, but the final placement is very dependent on the room (size, shape, acoustic treatment, your taste, etc). I like my speakers far out into the room, at least 1/3 of the way from the front wall. But you have to be careful of room modes. Usually, 1/2 way into the room excites room modes more, if you have a fairly symmetric room. IME, all speakers have a sweet spot, and to get the best sound possible, it's worth the extra effort to take measurement down to 1/4" tolerance. I like to use a laser measuring device to accurately measure out the distances. So I guess I am OCD.
csontos
1,311 posts
 
That may be so, but only as far as best room placement is concerned. The sweet spot is dependent on your listening position in relation to the speakers' direction. That doesn't change regardless of room placement.
dracule1
1,085 posts
 
IME, the sweet spot does change depending on where you place your speaker in the room among other variables. I've spend two years treating my dedicated audio room with acoustic diffusors and absorbers, changing the speaker and listening positions, and measuring freq response at the listening position with an SPL meter. The sweet spot is not just dependent on listening position in relation to speaker's direction. All the factors I've listed effect the sweet spot, unfortunately.
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