Exactly Paul. This question should be raised as one of the key fundamentals in a basic Hi-Fi setup. It is truly strange that almost nobody mention how important this seating position really is as it changes all the characteristics of sound re-production in a room. Even 1/4 or 1/5 rule are better than up against the wall, but most people are suckers for bass - there you have it :)
A third of my room, about 22 feet, would be a little over 7 feet. I can pull the speakers out that far. I can pull the sofa out that far. But then I am sitting about 7 feet from my speakers, which are rather large and tall, being the Revel Salon 2. I think they sound best, blend best, being a little further away. I have them about 5 feet away from the wall, my sofa 6 feet or so, with about 11 feet between my head and the speakers. Seems to work well for me. I'm just saying that the rules are just a starting point. You will probably be moving your speakers around for a while, then moving them a few inches back and forth for a month before ultimately being satisfied that they are in the perfect position. They don't have that luxury at audio shows, but you do in your home.
Great advice. I happen to have a new house and what I did was determine the best bass position with 2 subs, which is very hard to do, but now with the right setup it sounds amazing. From that point of seating position I manage the front speakers in the right way. It sounds truly amazing with all the good bass and stereo image.
The rule off third is a bit difficult in a normal living with an open kitchen en also a dinner table . The only option then is the speaker placement. The rest is quite fixed
Another reason I loved Infinitys. They negated much of the room. Off-axis you just needed a reflective surface on the rear 60 cm to 1 m and you are in heaven.
Btw, if you haven’t experimented with sitting 1-2 feet vertically off axis, I recommend it (not with Maggies of course). When my ears are higher than the tweeter, I can hear more of the room sonics (in a good way) and it adds more sound field depth behind your speakers (if they’re pulled far out into your room).
My armchair normally lives in a far from optimal location. When I'm going to listen to music I move it into place. Luckily I have a ridge in my floor between carpeted and flagged areas so getting the chair in exactly the same location everytime is easy, my head ends up being about 3' from the rear wall.
The couch can stay against the wall. It's a fine as acoustic treatment. An additional light chair is easy to move and won't have a back that might create a close reflection point like some couches. Chairs and and light stand-mount speakers can be moved easily.
If you plan on moving around a lot while listening, I've noticed that a speakers with good, even dispersion characteristics helps. I've had speakers that have a very "beaming" tweeter and a mid with wider dispersion and they end up with a very narrow sweet spot ("head in a vice" sweet spot). Moving around the room while those speakers play causes an unpleasant variation in frequency response from one spot to another which is especially apparent in the crispness of vocals and cymbals that change timbre as you move around which, to me, is distracting enough that I'm unable to fully enjoy the music.
Yeah but you've also never listened to _your_ stereo in a concert hall! Most of that '3D' you're referring to in a Hall is from reflected sound. You can't reproduce that in your living room.
@@nj9888 of course! I'm not suggesting it's a good idea, just the only way you'd be able to reproduce any echoes from all around you. - that '3D' effect. Concert halls are architecturally designed to remove sweet spots.
There’s no way that I’ll be placing a subwoofer behind my listening chair or any other place where people walk in this or any room, no way. I’m not that much of an audio enthusiast that will walk around only to trip over my speaker cables or make a long cable run under an area rug and poke a hole in an in it to shorten the speaker cable run. It may sound better but everyone has a limit. In any event, I don’t believe I have too many standing room waves because my primary speakers are Maggie’s and my subwoofer is adjusted beautifully so that I hear nothing coming out of it but excellent bass coming through my Maggies.
I need to watch my TV from anywhere in the room, from the sides, from behind. It's a compromise. I set my system for the best image and soundstage in one place and it will work fine or "best possible" anywhere else, even outside the room. It the system and the room aren't configure adequately, the result will be less than good anywhere.
If you share the listening room with other people then ideal seating position & speaker placement are a bit of a red herring. A dedicated personal listening room is a must for these kind of optimisations.
![ПОЛНАЯ ИСТОРИЯ ЭКЗОРЦИЗМА [Топ Сикрет]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qBySr6Bt0B8/mqdefault.jpg)
Exactly Paul. This question should be raised as one of the key fundamentals in a basic Hi-Fi setup. It is truly strange that almost nobody mention how important this seating position really is as it changes all the characteristics of sound re-production in a room. Even 1/4 or 1/5 rule are better than up against the wall, but most people are suckers for bass - there you have it :)
Paul U are 💯 wrong‼️
Seating position depends on the other half😂
And the dog
A third of my room, about 22 feet, would be a little over 7 feet. I can pull the speakers out that far. I can pull the sofa out that far. But then I am sitting about 7 feet from my speakers, which are rather large and tall, being the Revel Salon 2. I think they sound best, blend best, being a little further away. I have them about 5 feet away from the wall, my sofa 6 feet or so, with about 11 feet between my head and the speakers. Seems to work well for me. I'm just saying that the rules are just a starting point. You will probably be moving your speakers around for a while, then moving them a few inches back and forth for a month before ultimately being satisfied that they are in the perfect position. They don't have that luxury at audio shows, but you do in your home.
Great advice. I happen to have a new house and what I did was determine the best bass position with 2 subs, which is very hard to do, but now with the right setup it sounds amazing. From that point of seating position I manage the front speakers in the right way. It sounds truly amazing with all the good bass and stereo image.
The rule off third is a bit difficult in a normal living with an open kitchen en also a dinner table . The only option then is the speaker placement. The rest is quite fixed
Another reason I loved Infinitys. They negated much of the room. Off-axis you just needed a reflective surface on the rear 60 cm to 1 m and you are in heaven.
Whenever you start talking about multi channel audio I just keep listening
Btw, if you haven’t experimented with sitting 1-2 feet vertically off axis, I recommend it (not with Maggies of course). When my ears are higher than the tweeter, I can hear more of the room sonics (in a good way) and it adds more sound field depth behind your speakers (if they’re pulled far out into your room).
My armchair normally lives in a far from optimal location. When I'm going to listen to music I move it into place. Luckily I have a ridge in my floor between carpeted and flagged areas so getting the chair in exactly the same location everytime is easy, my head ends up being about 3' from the rear wall.
Paul is the Mr Rogers of audio.
Bob Ross
Seating placement is very important along with Shatki Stone placement….
The couch can stay against the wall. It's a fine as acoustic treatment. An additional light chair is easy to move and won't have a back that might create a close reflection point like some couches. Chairs and and light stand-mount speakers can be moved easily.
Not always true. Having your ears too close to the back wall can degrade imaging and soundstage.
@@craigaust3306 The audiophile listener will use the chair not the couch. The chair is easy to move and set in the best place for even bass.
In ny case the couch against the wall (with windows) is the best seating position. So not always the case that it's the worst
I have been struggling with my current set up due to trying to have 2 seats. I may just have to go back to a single seat
Go back to a single seat. When you have company, add an additional chair and let them sit in the sweet spot.
I usually listen standing up. The music just has me moving around however little. Any tips on that?
Smoke a joint
If you plan on moving around a lot while listening, I've noticed that a speakers with good, even dispersion characteristics helps. I've had speakers that have a very "beaming" tweeter and a mid with wider dispersion and they end up with a very narrow sweet spot ("head in a vice" sweet spot). Moving around the room while those speakers play causes an unpleasant variation in frequency response from one spot to another which is especially apparent in the crispness of vocals and cymbals that change timbre as you move around which, to me, is distracting enough that I'm unable to fully enjoy the music.
I sit anywhere in a convert hall and hear in 3d ……. Hifi has a very very long way to go. Another interesting podcast though Paul
Yeah but you've also never listened to _your_ stereo in a concert hall!
Most of that '3D' you're referring to in a Hall is from reflected sound.
You can't reproduce that in your living room.
@@subliminalvibesI can.
@@subliminalvibes as the hifi produces a small sweet spot it would be utterly pointless putting it in a concert hall.
@@nj9888 of course! I'm not suggesting it's a good idea, just the only way you'd be able to reproduce any echoes from all around you. - that '3D' effect.
Concert halls are architecturally designed to remove sweet spots.
You wonder how many upgrades were made when the problem turned out to be the room 🥵
Billion dollar industry 😂
GM ☕️
W.A.F …..that is one thing ..unless you gave an absolute dedicated space..
There’s no way that I’ll be placing a subwoofer behind my listening chair or any other place where people walk in this or any room, no way. I’m not that much of an audio enthusiast that will walk around only to trip over my speaker cables or make a long cable run under an area rug and poke a hole in an in it to shorten the speaker cable run. It may sound better but everyone has a limit.
In any event, I don’t believe I have too many standing room waves because my primary speakers are Maggie’s and my subwoofer is adjusted beautifully so that I hear nothing coming out of it but excellent bass coming through my Maggies.
Ever heard of a wireless subwoofer?
The WAF is being pushed to the limit.
Hifi systems which need a specific seating position don't work for me. I need to hear music best possible everywhere in my living room.
I need to watch my TV from anywhere in the room, from the sides, from behind. It's a compromise. I set my system for the best image and soundstage in one place and it will work fine or "best possible" anywhere else, even outside the room. It the system and the room aren't configure adequately, the result will be less than good anywhere.
If you share the listening room with other people then ideal seating position & speaker placement are a bit of a red herring. A dedicated personal listening room is a must for these kind of optimisations.