Tweeter height and DIY speaker stands (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Okay, I have a bit of a dilemna. I think I will commence on building my DIY speaker stands. I'm using leftover 4" and 6" PVC pipe for the vertical supports, and 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF laminated together for the base and top. I do not look forward to cutting through 6 pieces of PVC pipe!
Currently, the tweeter height for my speakers are a few inches above my ear level when I sit on my couch (this is using my old speakers laying on their sides as the 'current' speaker stands). I know many folks like to have the tweeters at ear level. Well, I'm trying to compromise between life with a home theater setup and a 2-channel setup. This just means trying to get the tweeter heights for all 3 front speakers near the same.
But here's the bad part, I tend to slouch in the couch sometimes, and of course, this lowers my ears in relation to the tweeter height even more.
So what I was hoping for suggestions: What height should I make my new speaker stands? The current setup results in lifting the SunOne speakers about 18" off the ground, and the tweeter is roughly 21" from the bottom of the speaker, so that's 39" off the ground.
The other consideration of the center channel tweeter height, which is probably 46"-48" off the ground. So should I shoot to lift the speakers off the ground 38" or lower (near seated ear level) around 33"-35"?
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PatCave; HT Pix; Gear; DIY Mains; DIY CC; Sunosub I + II + III; DVDs; Link Removed

 

[Eric S]

Patrick: I've played around with this one a while ago, too! Amazing the differences that you hear with placement, huh? I remember when I first got my speakers (AT350's) I didn't have stands so I put them on top of my 40" tall entertainment center. This put the tweeters somewhere near 50-55" off the ground! Somehow, this sounded better to me than placing the speakers on top of a 24" stand as I have them now...
Anyhow, back to the question. I would shoot to put the tweeters in the range of 33-37" off the ground and try to angle your center channel down a little toward the listening area.
In my current configuration, my center sits under my TV, so the tweeter is barely 12-14" off the ground (the left & right speakers are on 24" stands, so the tweeter is about 36" off the floor). But when I tilt the center up and aim it toward the listening area, it makes a pretty seamless soundstage across the front!

 

[CarlDais]

Pat,
Sound arriving form below ear level undergoes more timber shifting than sound arriving from above ear level. This is what I have been told/advised(Erskine)and have read in the past. Keeping the L-C-R tweets within 6-12' is considered "crucial"....YMMV. Tilting the LCR down will help level the playing so to speak. So get the L-R speakers up closer to the acoustic center of your screen & your Center. We got really fanatical about toeing in, tilting and leveling all speakers so that the laser alignment tool gave us exact distances from the drivers to the $money $eat. It paid off big time.
Oh and quit slouching a sit up straight just like your mother used to tell you.
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[Patrick Sun]

I did do some height measurements:
Tweeter height is 38.75" on the current "speaker stand".
My seated (at attention) ear height is around 35". But my slouchy ear height is around 31"
I adjusted my ear height up and down and was listening to what I preferred. I think I've settled for my ears being just under the tweeter and the midbass, so that the tweeter height will be around 33" off the ground. I can always add another slab of MDF if I need to prop it up a little more.

 

[Greg Monfort]

Have you tried them at CC height, angled down?
GM
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Loud is beautiful, if it's clean

 

[Patrick Sun]

I'd be afraid of the repurcussion of the angle of the tilt. (I have cats).

 

[Greg Monfort]

Don't they make sprays or whatever that keep cats from jumping/sitting on things? Anyway, a stand this tall either needs a large base (impractical) or massive, so a heavy base with the speaker firmly attached (an added plus since it will help damp them) should keep the cats from toppling them.
GM
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Loud is beautiful, if it's clean

 

[Jeff Rosz]

and.....
patrick, to add even more mass, fill the pvc with sand, or some even use ummmm...kitty litter