Audio System Design Fundamentals -- Speaker Placement by Thomas Wenzel

Speaker placement can dramatically impact your listening experience. Poor placement can leave sounds muddy, and the bass can become so amplified that it overwhelms everything else. On the other hand, well-placed speakers can transport you to the performance hall. In the optimal situation, you can actually feel the sound moving around you and the physical distance between the musicians, as if you are sitting on the stage with them. Professional design and installation of an audio visual system is always the best way to get optimal results, but the following steps will help even the do-it-yourselfer with a two speaker system improve the listening experience.

1. Start with the room:

Think back to high school science. Sound reflects off some surfaces and is absorbed by others. The listening experience outside is completely different than in a room filled with hard surfaces or a room with carpets, draperies and other soft surfaces. If your room doesn’t have enough materials to absorb sound, add in draperies, wall tapestries, upholsteries or other soft furnishings to help absorb some the sound. It will make your listening experience better.

2. Distance from the wall behind

If you can, place your speakers with an approximate 3’ separation between the wall behind and the back of the speaker itself. If you place the speakers too close to the wall, it will amplify the bass and it could be too loud or leave your room feeling like a car with a too-loud stereo is parked on your sofa.

3. Distance from the side walls

The golden rectangle rule is used in art to help create pleasing proportions. It is also used in acoustics to calculate the best distance from the side wall for your speakers. The rule states that a speaker should be placed 1.6 times the distance from the wall behind it to the side walls. In other words, if your speakers are 3’ from the back wall, they should be 4.8’ from the side walls (3 x 1.6).

4. Placement in the room as a whole

Divide your room in thirds using the wall behind the speakers as the starting spot. Try placing the speakers at the one-third mark. Alternatively, divide the room in fifths and place them at the one-fifth mark. Placing the speakers at either of these locations should prevent the room itself from adding undesirable resonance and degrading sound quality.

5. The listening sweet spot

In general, the best spot in a two-speaker system is equidistant between the two speakers. The speakers should be tilted toward the listener.

6. Experiment

Each room is different in shape, construction and furnishing. All of the details (as well as the quality of your equipment) and your own personal taste can influence the listening experience. Use these guidelines as starting place, but experiment to find the best speaker placement for your room as well as the sweet spot.

About The Author

Thomas Wenzel has been in the audio visual business for over 17 years, and is an owner of http://www.californiagkdesign.com a Southern California audio visual design and installation company.

The author invites you to visit:
http://www.californiagkdesign.com