Ideal distance between two speakers

Maybe a silly question, but what's the ideal distance between two speakers standing at the same side of the room? I have moved my both speakers so many times in my living room I can't tell anymore what's the best...

I've had also a discussion with a friend who was saying these speakers don't have to stand at the same side for the right stereo effect. Is he right in sayning that? I diagree with him about that.

My room is, by the way, 5x5 meter

 

Ideally, you should be an equal distance from the speakers as they are from each other.

 

http://audiophysic.de/aufstellung/beispiel_e.html

 

Thanks Claus, very usefull! Only the aspect of keeping the speakers 0.50cm away from the walls is something I never will be able to do, or I should accept a coming divorce!

 

That's a great link! I just wish I had that much flexibility, i.e., room to play around with, in my listening room. Because my listening room also functions as a living room in a small house, my options are limited.

As that page says, just like in life, one must compromise.

 

What about MMG

I have always used the basic rule of thumb of an equal lateral triangle as a starting point. Directly related to this I believe is toe- in. I have always used the centerline of the speaker, specifically the tweeter as the reference point in terms of aiming the speaker for toe-in. However what would you use as the reference point if the tweeter is not on the center axis? For instance my Magnepan MMG speakers have their tweeters distinctly to one side running the length of the speaker about two inches wide. Depending on one's preference these can be set up with the tweeters toward the inside or the outside of the frame (simply by switching the speaker position one for the other). In this case and others where the tweeter is not on center axis would you recommend using the centerline of the speaker frame as the point of reference for toe-in or the position of the tweeter as the reference point?

 

A lot of it, for me, is just by ear. I play around with positions and just find what seems to sound best for where I normally sit. Due to room configurations and space limitations, that's not directly in front of the system or exactly between the two speakers. So I have the speakers set at what seem odd angles to get that sweet spot.

 

Can also someone answer my second queston: have the speakers to stand together at one side of the room?

 

I don't quite understand this point. Does this mean his is suggesting that speakers can be on different walls?

 

diagonal arrangements have been seen a number of times at CES. Merlin often did that with their speakers.

 

In an "average" sized room (15 feet x 20 feet), I would place speakers (as a start) a few feet in from the corners on the short wall, slightly toed in.

 

I tend to proportion the triangle to fit the room and the listening spot. In a 5m x 5m room, let's say I'm 4m from the center of the front wall. I'd pull them out 1m (I'd be 3m away from the center between the speakers. I know that's not an option for everyone) and put them 2m apart.

 

Yes, he's saying: as long the sound of both speakers is crossing eachother, it's okay.

 

Ditto. No room is symmetrical, once it's furnished etc.

 

http://www.barrydiamentaudio.com/monitoring.htm

 

And we shouldn't ignore the influence of life with one's significant other.

 

6 to 10 feet apart gives best stereo separation.

 

Significant others should be chosen on the basis of their acceptance of various speaker placements in a room, if they don't like some of them they should be replaced with a nicer, more accepting model

 

Hi Echo,

In my experience, ideal distance between speakers will vary a bit, depending on the size of the room.

By the way, with a 5 x 5 meter room, there will be resonance issues where one dimension reinforces the resonance of the other, making for some steep peaks. I would consider treating the corners as well as the midpoints of each wall in order to control these room modes. (But that is a different subject, for another thread. ;-})

Many folks talk about setting up the speakers and the listening position as an equilateral triangle. I don't know where this idea started but must say that over the years, in the many systems I've set up in studios, clients' homes, friends' homes, etc., I have never (not once) encountered a system reaching its best focus with an equilateral arrangement. The systems have all ended up in more of an isosceles arrangement, with the distance from listening position to either speaker being a bit more (~10%) than the distance from left speaker center to right speaker center.

With the listening position in the correct relationship with the speakers, by leaning forward and backward (while playing a recording with good time response - one made with a minimal number of microphones) one can hear when the image "snaps" into focus, much as one can see this when turning a camera lens back and forth past the best focus position.

For more information, perhaps this article will be of interest.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

That's an interesting link as I have never seen advice on how to position speakers when there will be multiple listeners at different positions.

 

Agreed.

An equilateral triangle would have the speakers too wide (in my opinion) for the seating position and I think there would be poor centre fill and a weak central image. I think, in general, many users separate the left and right speakers more than is optimal.

 

I agree as well. The times that I've had my speakers set up in an equilateral triangle resulted in a very empty sounding center image, & an exaggerated stereo effect. I sit only about 7 feet from my speakers, & they are 6 feet apart, center to center.

 

Clarification

Just to clarify in my original post I mentioned using the equilateral triangle as a starting point. I don't know if I have ever ended up with that as a set up position. Before making the adjustments earlier today my speakers were 80" apart and I was sitting around 102" from them. They are now 74" apart (center to center) and I am 90" from them.

 

I tend to work from an 80-85% width to length. Meaning, the distance between the speakers is roughly 80-85% of the distance from the speaker to my sitting positions.

 

Great thread, made me toe in my speakers once more using a very difficult recording to achieve the wanted voice in centre position approach. A very old Marianne Faithful album 'North Country Maid'. This is one of the first stereo recordings and even though this is a remaster the flat left right presentation that was the rule by then.
I had to move my speakers in a 30 degree angle , so I hardly can see the insides of the speakers - only the chassis - but it was a thrilling experience to hear the voice moving from the right hand speaker into the centre of the sound stage.
This method is fool proof.