Audio News

If we were to draw up a FAQ on how to set up an audio system, the question at the top of the list would be ‘Where to place the speakers?’ Speaker placement is one of the most critical elements involved in tweaking your audio system, and fortunately, it costs nothing except your precious time. To begin with, the most important factor to be taken into consideration is the size of the room, and everything else will follow.

The full range speakers that stand on the floor should always be kept as far as possible from the back wall. A minimum distance of 2-3 feet should be kept from the back wall in the case of smaller rooms, whereas 5-6 feet is the actual optimal distance from the back wall. Small speakers on stands, such as the satellite speakers on the Sony HT-SF 1300 home cinema system, and mini monitors are the best suited for smaller rooms where the speakers are to be kept in a closer proximity to the back wall. This helps in reinforcing lower frequencies.

The speakers should be placed as far apart as possible, say 5-10 feet considering centre to centre, and at the same time the distance between the outside edge of the speaker and the side wall should be held to approximately 2-3 feet. Always make sure that the distance of each speaker from the back wall and the side walls is around the same; in other words, symmetrical. The tweeters should always be placed at about the same level as that of the ears when seated. Position your chair about 8 feet from both the speakers. It is also very important that the chair be positioned at equal angles from both the speakers.

Excellent results can be achieved by listening at a greater distance. Of course, if the rooms are really small, then you are really left with no choice.

The paragraphs above are just the guide lines, and not hard and solid rules. However, if equidistant spacing and angling is achieved, it can change the overall performance of your system immensely. And remember ‘Don’t be afraid of experimenting’.