Is there a 'best' distance for fronts away from the tv?

apc
apc Posts: 779
edited June 2013 in Speakers
I have a 17' wide front wall for my 59" tv. I had planned to put my bookshelf speakers relatively close to the outer walls to spread out the sound stage, but we had to reconfigure the layout. Now it must go on a wall with a pocket door front left. I have to move the tv slightly off center to the right and place the speakers close to the screen because it cannot go in front of the pocket door (depth issue). Is that a big problem sound-wise? Also, I have a doorway in the right rear, so surround in-wall speakers will have to be about 4-5' in from the outer walls. It's a 5.1 setup. Thoughts appreciated.
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Post edited by apc on

Comments

  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,032
    edited June 2013
    Rule of thumb in general is you want equal distance from the TV to the seating area as between the speakers. So if you sit 10 feet away , start with 10 feet apart for the front channel speakers.

    Now this is a very general rule. Many speakers want to be about 3/4 the distance from the seating area. I have found this to be my Rule in general. If I don't know the spec's of a given speaker I'm calibrating , I usually start at the 3/4 point and work from there. I have however found most speakers sound best in this location aiming slightly behind the listeners position. Magnepans don't apply here , they have their own setup rules.

    With your room layout , for movies it will be ok , just point the speakers straight out with no toe in or even slightly outward. For music they will sound congested.Whats nice about todays receivers and preamps is they have nice adjustments for not so perfect placement.

    Just a side not I would always consider the best layout of a room for audio before I let my wife set it up for her personal taste. Why spend all that money on a audio system only to not be able to set it up the best you can in the room you have? I hate nothing more then my wife want to re due to the room because she's bored and wants a new look. This will never happen in my house if my audio system can't be the best it can in that given room. I'd send her to another room and go mess with that one all you want.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.