Help with speaker stand size/placement? (1 Viewer)

[Ron S]

Am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my nOrh 4.0's (ugh, waiting 2 months already). But just about everythng else is in place. Except for the speaker stans, that is. The temporary Axiom m3ti's are sitting on the floor.
I have a Pioneer sd533, and it stands 49-50 inches tall. I plan on sitting the shielded center right on top of it. The problem is, I've heard that the correct placement level for the left and rights are at the same level of the center. It's not easy finding a speaker stand that is this high that will support the 4.0.
*IS* it best to keep the l/r at the same height? And if so, are there any suggestions for what stands to use? Been poking around, and don't see too many mirange stands that reach this height.
Slightly confused, would appreciate any help

 

[Ted Lee]

well, i can't speak for the n0rh's personally, but in my experience when i had my polk's matching the horizontal plane - that was a big improvement. this i achieved with speaker stands.
it does seem important to keep your front speakers level with eachother. otherwise you'll be able to localize the high-frequencies in more of a "hump" then a straight line.
just imagine the sound coming from the left center of your tv, moving to the top, then over the right center.
but some speakers i've heard seem to have pretty good dispersion...thereby minimizing that phenomenon.
the only way you're gonna know for sure is to test it in your environment.
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"The ship of death has a new captain." - nosferatu (1922)

 

[Doug_B]

Some have stated that if the height is within about 2 feet, it'll probably not be noticed. I would suspect, as Ted has mentioned, that the specific speakers would play a critical part. What about placing the center on a stand in front of the TV? I don't know the specific model, but I suspect that you'd only be blocking the TV's speakers. Does such an arrangement get the heights closer? You still want the mains' tweeters to be near ear height (vertical dispersion notwithstanding).
Doug
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"Today is a good day to die." ...Old Lodge Skins

 

[Duane H]

Ron,
As Doug stated, the most important thing is to get the tweeters of your main speakers at (or directed at) ear level. The "directed at" factor is particularly relevant to the nOrh drum speakers, which have a slight upward tilt.
As best as I can determine, seated ear height is approximately 40-42" with most seating arrangements. This is probably why most floorstanding speakers are close to this height, with their tweeters located near the top. With bookshelf speakers, you want a stand that places the tweeters at this height. With the nOrh's, a shorter stand would be needed due to their upward tilt. With some nOrh models (and depending on seated distance), the best stand height can be as short as 22-24". I can't give you the optimal height for the 4.0's, but I'm sure owners on this forum or on the nOrh board at http://www.harmonicdiscord.com/forums/ can answer this.
As for the center channel on top of an RPTV, the height of most RPTV's requires a downward tilt of the center speaker to direct the tweeter toward the ear. This is necessary for optimal sound and to overcome any adverse effects from having your mains and center at significantly different heights.
A search of this forum will reveal many clever ways HT enthusuasts have devised to angle their center channel downward. One of the most popular (though inelegant) is to use door stops. However, these are obviously used with flat-surfaced speakers. I don't know what the best, safest way to angle a nOrh drum speaker, with their supporting feet, would be. Again, try the Harmonic Discord site.
As for stands for the nOrh's, these are rather pricey but are available in different heights and should work:
http://homedecorators.com/detail.asp...1+24IN&comdiv=
Good luck!

 

[Ron S]

Thanks for the replies, guys!
I have heard of some putting the center on the floor, but it would just distract from the decor. The tv is situated nicely in an alcove, and placing something in front of it would just "stick out".
Hmm, hadn't thought about the angling issue... That WOULD make situating the center on top of the set dicey. Might have to devise something like a wodden wedge coated with some rubberized material to allow the nOrh to "stick". Otoh, it makes the l/r stand issue much easier. Thanks for the link, Duane, those little beauties would look wonderful. Especially as the tv cabinet is black, as is the component rack (and the nOrh's will be, too), and the carpet is smoke gray. I am seriously considering them!