Last question about L800

warlocks1

I installed acoustic panels on the side walls due to only having 30 inches from side walls on both side.
Need advice on where to place them. I currently have them 24 inches from the back walls and they are 39 inches wide The speakers are 8 inches from the back wall. The front of the speaker is even with the beginning of the panel

VR3

My experience at Troys is that they sounded best about 4ft off the back wall.

Every room is different though

treitz3

Ideally, the side panels should be at the first reflection point. Have someone hold a mirror up on the wall and as soon as the mirror reflects the middle of the speaker, that's your first reflection point.

Tom

bcwsrt

You need a mirror and possibly a helper if it's not a full length mirror. Move the mirror along the side wall until you can see the reflection of the speaker nearest that wall when you are seated in your listening position. This is the "first reflection point." That's where the panel should go. Since your panels are so wide, you may be able to catch the "second reflection point" with them which is the point along the wall where you see the reflection of the opposite speaker in the mirror. Otherwise, many times it takes two panels per side.

From the photo, I'm thinking your artwork may be about where the panels need to be, but hopefully not!

warlocks1

Thanks. It already made a huge improvement

I put 2 on the back wall as well.

Should I move the 2 from the back wall and catch the second reflection point which is about 5 feet from the first panel?

warlocks1

I moved the back to the sides. It looks better as well.

warlocks1

Should I get 2 more for the back wall?

bcwsrt

Hard to give a "yes" or "no" answer. It looks like you have some decent space behind your couch to the wall and also an opening to another room. I'd be more inclined to give a strong "yes" if you were right up against the wall with your listening position and didn't have the space (at least to the right) that opens into another room where some of the sound can go without reflecting.

I think it's a "try it and see" if you want to sort of thing.

Edit: What are the dimensions of the room?

warlocks1

The room is 14 w x 20 L
Running 7.2.4 with 4 inches ceiling soeakers. Photo is looking from TV to couch
If you look out the right doorway, you can see one of the 1.2tl’s

bcwsrt

My feeling is you wouldn’t gain much from panels behind you, but other than the research I did before treating my own room, I’m a total novice. So, I’d be interested in hearing what others think.

warlocks1

Thx. I am going to leave it for now.

The acoustics sound so much tighter and cleaner.

Well worth it.

Gardenstater

For me, panels behind me were crucial for getting more clarity when sitting in the sweet spot centered on the speakers. Off axis was always very clear but when centered the reflection from behind me caused smearing.

warlocks1

Damn. Now I have to try it!!!

Thanks

VR3

I run a panel behind me, must have if you are near the back wall in my experience

msg

Curious about something. I was surprised to find that my L800s didn't sound very good when I had other stuff too close to them, even though the baffles were out in front of any gear to the sides.

They didn't image properly, the sound stage was narrow congested. It was like the SDA wasn't working.

How much space do you have between the speakers and your subs?

8-12 inches of clear space at both the insides and outsides made a significant difference in my setup. I don't currently have them in use, but IIRC, I think I had them 8" off the back wall in the end, but could have been as much as 12-16".

After the placement adjustments, they worked nicely, and I'd regularly experience the sound as if presented on an arc, wrapping, like 3-4ft out to the sides and forward.

Mostly curious about the side spacing and what you're experiencing sound wise.

warlocks1

I have about 8 inches on the right and 12 on the left. I’ll remove them and see if I notice a difference

I don’t want to move the speakers further from the back wall. The room seemed overwhelmed when I pulled them out more

Thanks for the suggestion

msg

Cool, yeah, interested to hear whether you notice anything. For me, the difference was not subtle at all.

I will note that what I had "inside" was anither set of speakers on stands, the LSiM703s. At the time, I was experimenting with two full systems, one for HT, and other for 2ch. I've since consolidated to a "single" system of sorts, using the integrated amp in HT Bypass with the HT processor. Point being, the "inside" objects in my setup were also tall, not squat like your subs. I really didn't think it would matter, but it did.

Around that time, I spent some time reading, and read that the best speaker placement is to have nothing between them, or something to that effect. I've experienced the benefits of such placement to a certain degree in other secondary setups, so I think there's something to that.

When you say the room seemed overwhelmed, do you mean sound wise, or just the feel of having big-ish speakers sitting too far into the space?

warlocks1

Biggish speakers too far far into the space. Its ok from the main sitting position, but the side chairs are right on top of the speakers

msg

Gotcha.

TroyD

Sid speaks the truth…..they sound much better pulled out from the wall.

nooshinjohn

TroyD wrote: »

Sid speaks the truth…..they sound much better pulled out from the wall.

Depends entirely on the room... Mine are 8 inches off the wall and sound best in my room positioned in that way.

treitz3

Yeah, but IIRC, your room isn't as deep as it is wide and it isn't closed in. It appears as if his room is much deeper than yours. Apples and Oranges kind of thing...

Tom

nooshinjohn

I am of the belief that SDA belongs on the long wall, whenever possible.