Setting speaker distance on receiver. How on more than one seating? (1 Viewer)

[Geoff S]

For those receivers that give you the option of setting speaker distances from the listening position... how do you measure them for multiple seating?

EX. I have a long 3 person couch. It is easy to measure all speakers to the center of that couch, but wont my sound be a little off, even in the slightest degree for those sitting to the left and right of the listening position?

What I thought I could do is measure the R main, and R surr to the right listening position, measure the left main and L surr. to the left listening position, and center channel and the sub to the center listening position. Sound like a good idea? Is there another technique for doing this that'd work better. Or should I just measure from each speaker to the center listening position and stop being paranoid?

 

[Greg Haynes]

I would do the measurements where you think you'll sit at the majority of the time. That center position should be your sweet spot and sound will be optimal there. I wouldn't worry too much about the other seating areas, the sound might be very slightly off but I believe it would very subtle differences from the sweet spot.

 

[Doug_B]

Ditto

 

[John Garcia]

Properly positioned speakers + proper calibration, should make little difference where you sit on the couch because the speakers are still ballanced. I have a wide, 4 person couch, and I can tell a difference at one end, because it is somewhat more off center, but it still sounds good and almost nobody ever sits on that end anyway.

 

[Brian Burgoyne]

I just measure to the center of the couch where I sit. Nobody has asked for the Radio Shack spl meter or my remote yet. I don't think they know how deprived they are.

 

[John Garcia]

I just measure to the center of the couch where I sit. Nobody has asked for the Radio Shack spl meter or my remote yet. I don't think they know how deprived they are.

I actually took some readings last week outside of the sweet spot on the couch, and the difference was measurable, but minimal.

 

[Brian Burgoyne]

Ok John, let's not tell anybody. I defend my spot like Archie Bunker used to defend his chair!

 

[Greg Haynes]

My wife knows not to sit in my spot I have her trained well

 

[Brian Burgoyne]

You just think you do Greg! She probably has you jumping through hoops you don't even know about HA! getting your spot is just a small consolation, am I right?

 

[Greg Haynes]

Brian you might be right :b
Seems like it takes forever for her to get ready to watch a movie. First she wants a drink, then she wants a blanket, and so on. But I love her so I always make sure she's happy. Because a happy wife is so much easier to get approval to buy new equipment than an unhappy wife At least she understands my addiction to HT.

 

[Brian Burgoyne]

Greg, definitely keep her happy! Put the toilet seat down, rinse your dishes, put your dirty clothes in the hamper, mow the lawn, change the oil, buy her flowers, rub her feet, buy her a new washing machine, send her to the mall. It's all cheaper than lawyers! Been there....

 

[Greg Haynes]

I need to work on the dishes and dirty clothes, but I got everything else taken care of.
But I think were coming off track here with the original question Geoff hasn't responded back to let us know if he's all set.

 

[Geoff S]

I'm still waiting on my new receiver to arrive (Denon 4802). After it does I'll do some tests and let you know. Problem is that usually when watching a movie in the room we're in I'll sit right of the center spot, and someone else will sit to the left of the center spot. I usually rest my popcorn on that center spot cause I'm lacking a table that is small enough to not be intrustive at the moment..
I'd hate to think my popcorn was getting better sound than I was

 

[Brian Burgoyne]

Just move the couch over two feet to the left!

 

[Geoff S]

Ummmm... hmmmm.... well.. probably a downside to that I don't see. I'm lying, there is, like the people who sit to the left of the couch having their sound even further off.

I'll try three things when I get all set up and see what works better or if there is no difference:

1). Measure them all the the center position
2). Measure the center and sub to center position, and right side speakers to right sitting position and left side speakers to the left sitting position.
3). Cross them, center and sub to center, right speakers to LEFT side, and left speakers to RIGHT side. I think doing this will avoid each side sounding like the just speakers on that side. But might be downsides that I'll find out. Oh well.