Home | Vision | Sound | Control | Music Everywhere | Special Events |Manufacturers

Speaker Placement

The listening room and the location of the loudspeaker within the room affects bass level and bass response, imaging, clarity and overall quality of sound. No other single factor has the same level of effect on the final sound quality. The acoustics of the listening room are determined by the dimensions of the room, its construction and the furnishings it contains. Rooms that have different dimensions for ceiling height, length and width will give a more even, balanced sound than rooms where the dimensions are equal to each other, especially at low frequencies. At low frequencies, room dimensions determine the pattern of standing waves within the room.

Wooden floors and "soft" walls such as wood wall paneling or plasterboard will also affect the reproduction of low frequencies. These "soft" floors and ceilings result in a loss of bass energy in the room because the low frequencies are "leaked" out. On the other hand, solid walls, floors and ceilings, like brick and concrete, may cause problems by increasing the level of reverberation time at low frequencies giving a boomy, fat sound.

At middle and high frequencies, furniture, carpets and curtains all have a damping effect that might be desirable, depending on the actual acoustics and your listening preferences. Ideally, there should be a reasonable balance between the absorptive material and sound reflecting surfaces. If there are two large reflecting surfaces facing each other, the "bounce" between sounds may make the music lack definition. Large, flat surfaces should be broken up with bookshelves, drapes, screens or tapestries.

For the best stereo reproduction, the two loudspeakers should be an equal distance from your listening position and separated so that the angle between them, at the listening position, is between 40 and 60 degrees (see Fig.1). For example, if your listening position is 8 to 12 feet (2.5 m) apart, placing the loudspeakers in corners or against a wall will result in the strongest (not necessarily the most accurate) bass.

Compact systems will also benefit from placement on stands or shelves. For the best stereo imaging, we recommend that the systems be placed so that the high frequency transducers are as close as possible to the ear level of a seated listener. Every room is different and there are unique tastes, so don't hesitate to experiment on you own.