How close (listener/speakers)?

organ

Just wondering what everybody's preference is when it comes to speaker distance between listener and speakers.
I have never liked the presentation of any of the speakers I've had in my set up when the speakers are 8ft away from me or closer. Everything was just too close and there is less bloom at that distance for me. I've always preferred about 10ft. I'd love to go for more but they would be too close to the front wall. I am using the long wall of an L-shaped room.

So just checking what your preference is.

Mike21

My preference is whatever distance produces the best sound.

Mike

Face

Near and mid-field do have their advantages, but I normally wouldn't recommend it with a pair of full range towers. Sometimes a distance of 8+ is optimum, but it boils down to personal preference, room, gear, etc...

pearsall001

I'm at 12' from my monitors in a 32' room. Sounds great to me!

BlueFox

I move my recliner in closer or out further to vary the sound, and provide some variety. Triangle wise in close is about 6-7' sides with the base around 9' (speakers are out opposite ends on the base), and out could be 10-12' with the same size base. While it sounds good in either spot, I find myself preferring in closer more than further out.

thsmith

SDA 1Cs 7' apart and I sit about 14' back.

Polkitup2

Speakers 6 feet apart and sit 8 feet back.

heiney9

My SDA 1C's are about 7 feet apart and I sit dead center (there's a slight dent in my leather couch where the sweet spot is) about 7 feet away or so. Sounds fantastic.

H9

hearingimpared

Polkitup2 wrote: »

Speakers 6 feet apart and sit 8 feet back.

Speaker are 6' 6" apart. The sweet spot is 6 to 8' back dead center.

Flash21

hearingimpared wrote: »

Speaker are 6' 6" apart. The sweet spot is 6 to 8' back dead center.

That is roughly what my set up is too, but I cannot really move further back even if I wanted to; my living room is modest size and I have the system on the long wall.

rubin

speakers 8' apart, 22' back EXTREME BOOM,....... 6' to 8' back is ok, 12' is best (in my room)24'long with widths varying from 10 to 16' plus an opening to a small summer kitchen.And a stairway.

hearingimpared

Flash21 wrote: »

That is roughly what my set up is too, but I cannot really move further back even if I wanted to; my living room is modest size and I have the system on the long wall.

My room is 20' x 11' 6". I have my speakers on the long wall as well. My sweet spot is perfect.

Systems

There is software out there to take all the fun out of placing your speakers for best performance. When you take into account listener position and height, room size, room treatments, items actually in the room, carpet and so on the game gets somewhat more fun. Since sound moves in a waveform across the room and reflections are to be accounted for, you can go all out OCD on this subject. I would agree that the best advice would be to experiment with the placement to best suite your listening pleasure. Only you know what sounds best to YOU.

venomclan

I prefer to be within 6 ft. Nearfield just comes through cleaner without boucning off the room before it hits the ears. It actually depends more on the speakers themselves imho. My B&W's would project an image 2 ft out, while my Gallos put the sound 2 ft. behind, creating a much better soundfield.
Venom

Systems

venomclan wrote: »

I prefer to be within 6 ft. Nearfield just comes through cleaner without boucning off the room before it hits the ears. It actually depends more on the speakers themselves imho. My B&W's would project an image 2 ft out, while my Gallos put the sound 2 ft. behind, creating a much better soundfield.
Venom

This is a classic example of wave form patterns with speakers.

rru2s

My living room has furniture along all the walls, so when I want that perfect stereo sound, I sit about 11 feet perpedicular distance to the plane of the speakers along the far wall, which are about 1.5 feet from the corners and separated about 13 feet. But I just received two more monitor 70 towers so I'll find out later today where the overall sweet spot is, since the rear signal will be identical to the front signal with my 2.1 receiver running speaker A and B plus the 15" Epik sub in one corner.

The total number/size of 6.5" and 1" speakers with four monitor 70s (16 and 4, respectively) will be equivalent to that with two of the giant SDAs. So any way you look at it, I'll have a lot of great sound to fill the room. My guess is there will not be a dead spot anywhere.

ph0rk

Depends on the speaker - if it is a nearfield-capable two-way, then very close (on a desktop, like my VR-M60's). If it is a multi-driver or quasi-three way like my Monitor 70's, around 8' or more.

I'd prefer to be a bit closer to 10', but my condo's living room won't allow it. Hell, I'd like for a few feet of room behind them while I'm wishing.

reeltrouble1

The center of my chair is 9ft, 7 and 3/8" from the speakers with the seat cushion split by the center point of the speakers which are exactly 9ft apart and toed in at 13.80 degrees, the speakers are exactly 4ft from the sidewalls and 5' 11 and 1/4" from the backwall at the closest point. The back of my chair sits 22.5" from its backwall.

There is only one chair in the room. Like Thorogood I Prefer to Drink Alone. On ocaasion a fellow member comes over for a listen, I give my guests my chair, I sit on a hard wooden spindle chair I move in so as not to get to comfortable and watch them to make sure they dont move my listening chair, I used to leave them alone in there when I would get them a drink, till one time when I waited just outside with the Loft Room door slightly cracked, I could just see in and saw my chair move and the pre-remote was used.......................I thought I was going to die. But fortunately I did not.

RT1

rru2s

I am really digging the sound of my 4 monitor 70s plus a sub in the corners of my 24 x 15.5 foot living room.

There is an immediate, next-to-the-stage ambience/presence no matter where you are since you will always be close to one left channel and one right channel. There are no spots with reduced volume anywhere in the room.

Furthermore, exactly in the center of the room plus or minus 3 feet any direction every speaker hits you with the exact same travel time, in the same phase, and focused directly on you, so it gives the impression that you could hear a whisper from the recording stage.

Also, when you move back about 4 - 6 feet or forward 4-6 feet longitudinal from the room center you get a very subtle reflective difference in front versus rear and that creates a concert hall type of effect. Plus, the sub seems to move with you to any seating position - it seems invisible yet everywhere.

ND13

Modded CRS+s are 7ft apart and when I'm having a critical session, I sit about 8-9ft from them.