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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.
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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.
csontos
1,311 posts
 
Okay
lacee
811 posts
 
The level of OCD is dependant on the gear.
The less resolving gear will be more forgiving of differences in exact speaker /gear/room/electrical/vibration/conditions.

I have spent amy hours of trial and error and countless measuring sessions getting my electrostatic speakers to function at a level that I find quite pleasing.

Some speakers are much less finicky, and those are perhaps the best types of speakers for folks with OCD who can get overwhelmed with too many variables in speaker placement.

They should seek out speakers that have been reviewed to sound great just about anywhere in the room they are placed.
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