Where do I place my loudspeaker to get the maximum sound quality?

Here is some little consideration you can give to your loudspeaker system and it will reward you with riches in sound quality that you cannot imagine. Not everybody can have an ideal sound room but with some thought in the placement of your speaker system and you will get it to work to its maximum capacity.

First, you have to imagine a triangle form between you and your loudspeakers. You are at the apex of the triangle. Now, your ears and the tweeters of the loudspeakers must be on the same plane or at the same height because high frequency sound is directional. Low frequency is Omni-directional.

There are no hard and fast rules about placing a loudspeaker, though experimenting is the secret. A few things you will experience as you go about finding that sweet spot in your listening area. Toeing in your loudspeakers by angling your speaker drivers towards you can often improve the stereo image.

Placing very near to side walls and corner area are not recommended because the sound will be re-enforce by it, especially the low bass frequency. In most cases you will get an uneven sound balance and frequency response. The stereo image may not be between the loudspeakers in the centre.

Rear walls – some loudspeakers is designed to be positioned at the rear wall but in most cases free space placement are easy to manage and the loudspeaker produces better images when placed away from the rear wall. At your sitting position, it is best to sit away from the back wall too. Any compromise to be had, your sweet spot should ideally be slightly off the rear wall where you are seated.

Free space or the amount of free space will depend on the size of the loudspeakers. Normally, stand mount loudspeakers are better off closer to the rear wall in order to get the balance right between the loudspeaker tonality and the quality of the sound imaging. Floorstanding loudspeakers are happier further out in the free space area where their powerful bass response needs.

Some of you may have no choice but to put your system closer to one side of the wall in your living room. Toeing in your loudspeakers is recommended if your speakers are nearer to one side of the wall. Imagine lines drawn out from the loudspeaker centre and angle them so they cross a few feet in front of your listening spot.

For the L – shaped or odd shaped room, it is best to listen to your loudspeakers in the near field position. This is when you and your loudspeakers form an equilateral triangle. The sound field will reach your ear first before it can bounce off a wall or gets deflect away from the listening area. Of course, you have to put your sound system at the larger area of the room or the longer side.

Remember that if the distance from your listening position to the loudspeakers is less than the distance between the speakers themselves, the result will be the soundstage will have a hole in the middle.

The more you experiment with your loudspeakers positioning, the more you will get to know the best angles to achieve the best quality sound. When you change a new component or a cable in your system, their characteristic may need you to change or shift your loudspeaker position for you to hear that better sound. 

HOME THEATRE LOUDSPEAKERS SYSTEM.

The loudspeakers placement for a home theatre set up are a little more complex than a straight stereo two speakers setup due to the extra speakers involve and a subwoofer. No matter what the configuration of the set up or the matter of fact, the amount of loudspeakers system, all of us want to achieve the best sound quality.

Home theatre sound have improved so much today. Yes, you can expect high-end quality sound from the movie setup. A little effort in matching your system and take a good look at your room, will reward your with a superb home movie sound system. Here again not everyone can have an AV room. With that little consideration about where to place your home theatre speaker system will let you enjoy that much more. Room size will determine the size of the loudspeaker and especially square room. For home theatre, always avoid too much power because you have to take into account the number of speaker is in the room altogether.

In a L – shaped room, any area that is not filled in with equipment will suck out much of the bass power from your sound field area. Place your loudspeaker system down the longer area of the room. A subwoofer / satellite speaker system would be ideal in order to spread the bass around the room.

In a long narrow room, with the TV on one end of the room and the sitting area at the other end, to get a good surround sound from this set up is a bit of a problem. First, you must hunt for a AV amplifier that gives you a long delay time for rear loudspeakers effects, otherwise, the distance between you and the front sound will delay as much as the rear sound.

The alternative solution if you cannot get a long enough rear delay effect, is to put a bipolar rear loudspeaker some where near to the centre of the room. A bipolar loudspeaker has drivers at both front and back. Those only at the extreme back end will have to make a bit of the compromise in term of surround sound.

Again experiment is the secret to fine tuning your system to perfect. Just like a racing car…I wish you sonic bliss!