To toe or not to toe... (1 Viewer)

[Chuck Bogie]

I'm wondering - My front speaks are about 10' apart, and about 8-12" from the side walls - I like the separation I get (the listening position is roughly at the equilateral triangle...), but I'm wondering about reflections off the walls, etc...

 

[Lee Bailey]

If you like the way it sounds, you should leave their position alone and attack the reflections. Easiest way to do that is to sit in your listening position, have a helper with a mirror move it along a side wall, starting near the speaker. When you can center the view of the speaker in the mirror, mark that spot. Continue along the wall until you can see the opposite speaker. Mark that position. Now do the same on the opposite wall.

Those marks will be for the primary and secondary reflections. You should put some sort of absorption element there, be it a panel or wall tapestry, etc.

Don't be afraid to experiment!

 

[DanaA]

Lee's so right here. Have someone help you out, by positioning the angle of the speakers until they sound optimized to you. Pay close attention to things like sound stage and other sonic characteristics. You might also try to see how they sound a little further away from the wall to their rear. There are no hard, fast rules that apply to every situation, because speakers/rooms are so different. But, there can be a huge difference in sound just by the way the speakers are positioned. Sometimes, it is very obvious. You're on the right track by experiementing. You can also do a search of the archives at HTF and find a lot of interesting information on the subject.

 

[Chris PC]

Good idea. Experiment. I have my speakers toed in myself. Toed in speakers give you an advantage in some respects, but it is particular to the results you are looking for. In my case, I often lie down on my bed on my side while listening to music. In this way, I end up with my head either directly in front of the left, or the right speaker. Nto so good for stereo imaging. By toeing in the speakers, I trade intensity for time. I am closer to the speaker I am directly in front of, but its not aimed right at me, in fact the opposite speaker is more directly aimed at me. I have mentioned this in a lot more detail in another previous thread. Probably droned on about it..but it works for me. Like the previous two people have said, experiment and you'll find out what works best for you

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Yes, experiment. I had Def Tech BP-30's. I got the best sound with them toed in 1/2 way. (Directly pointed at me is full way.) Switched to Vandersteen 2CE Sigs. They sound better a lot less toed in. (Maybe a 10th of directly facing me.) It's good that you are thinking about the sidewalls. But to be honest, if you are more than 3 ft away, you probably don't have anything to worry about. (At that distance, the ear is much better at discriminating between the direct sound, and the reflected sound. *Plus* the fact that sound level drops faster than linearly with distance, 1/4 maybe? So even the reflections that do exist, you won't hear them much either.) The floor? Carpetting or hardwood? Carpetting is better for sound for the same reason.