Room Setup Advice - Speaker Placement Spreading out my Speakers?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Fish17, May 21, 2020.

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  1. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I'm the new proud owner of a Parsound A23 and soon to be proud owner of a Freya+ when it ships in June.

    Speakers are nothing fancy KEF Q150s.
    Room Size: 20 ft x 12 ft (speakers are in this plane)
    Room Photo: Amazon Photos

    I'm looking for some advice on speaker placement. My room isn't very big, typically I'm listening to these on the long couch in the corner (couch with the red blanket) or the computer chair near the desk in the photo on of the other corners.

    Currently the speakers are spread apart (3.5 feet) as far as they can on the shelf as in the photo. The power amp and preamp will go in between the speakers. I'm going to move them away from the wall to the front of the shelf (6" from the wall) and give them a slight tilt outward.

    I considered spreading these out sending one to the other Ikea shelf but then it will be on the same shelf as my turntable so I'm concerned with vibration and isolation. I don't have any room for speaker stands and I have 2 little boys that are prone to knocking things over so I need to keep these on the 2 shelves.

    Ascetically my current setup is best.

    Yes I know moving the KEFs away from the wall will help, I did plug the rear ports of KEFs with the speaker bungs and use a sub which I'm happy with it's placement in the corner of the room (where I'm taking the photo).
     
  2. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    Link to photo(s) not working.
     
  3. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    It works for me, you just have to click on it.
     
  4. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    Got it. What is behind you?
     
  5. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    A bay window, sub in the corner
     
  6. Agitater

    Agitater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Leave the speakers where they are. Enjoy the new components. If you are not going to completely reconfigure the entire room for stereo listening, leave the speakers where they are and continue enjoying your music.
     
    wgb113 likes this.
  7. evo777

    evo777 Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.K.
    Hello,if you`re happy with the "aesthetics"(hope that`s ok,even though not important!) & so forth then you`re just looking for "isolation" of the speakers as they`re not going to be placed elsewhere.
    Here`s one solution;https://isoacoustics.com/ Just search online for more choices good luck.

    -evo777
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2020
  8. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    I'd have to agree. It's a tough room and the sofas and desk chair are far out of the stereo soundfield. If you were willing, I'd experiment with firing the speakers down the length of the room either on stands in the bay window area or wall-mounted on the opposite wall.

    P.S. I would not put a speaker on the same cabinet top as your turntable.
    P.P.S. Everyone, it's "aesthetics". Ascetic is a totally different thing.
     
    bever70, Agitater and IRG like this.
  9. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Lol I was trying to spell check it, thanks!

    I'll play around with the angle of the speakers and see what my preference is.
     
  10. IRG

    IRG Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ithaca, NY
    Cute room, but I can see the challenges you have here - similar to me. I was thinking of moving my equipment out of a basement room, into our living space, but between dogs and cats and too many kids (at least mostly grown now) there are too many obstacles so I'm leaving it be for now. At least my room is all mine, and I can close the door for better acoustics. Shares double duty with my guitars as well!
     
  11. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Thanks, yeah I love the brick wall. Probably not good for acoustics though lol.
     
  12. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    If I ever end up getting a floor standing speaker like the Zu Dirty Weekends or Maggies (LRS or 0.7), I could experiment with firing them down the length of the room. Problem is they would still be close to the wall. At least then they are not on stands and would be less likely to fall over.

    I was looking into replacing the Q150s with LS50's but considering the room I doubt it will be much of an upgrade.
     
  13. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    I second this notion ...

    Get some decent 24" stands, place the speakers flanking the bay window and a couple feet out from the "back wall" (bay window) and a little in from the side walls (as possible). Get a rack for your TT and components, can put off to the side or in the middle (if you don't want/need to use the bay window, but it's probably nice to have a view ... and the back of the rack isn't appealing when looking in!). Use one of the couches as a central listening area or get a nice chair, put it right in the center of the room, but maybe closer to the speakers. Set up speakers and listening chair/position in an 8' equilateral triangle. 'Toe in' the speakers so they shoot right at your head. You'll experiment with 'toe in' angle and placement of the speakers later ...

    You can now hear good sound while at your desk as well! And get 'soundstage city' in your dedicated listening position. Maybe will need some absorption panel/hanging now on the brick wall, at the 'reflection point' between the speaker position and your head.

    The listening position would probably end up at the 'intersection' of the two large openings to other rooms, this is fine. Maybe a little closer to the bay window, but having the large opening directly behind you is GOOD, no reflections from a 'rear wall', the sound just continues out into the next room.

    Give us a pic looking toward the bay window ...

    PS: with the setup as described above, you are in for a TREAT !!!!!
    PPS: with the setup as described above, the LS50s will sing !!!!!
    PPPS: Paintables - Primacoustic for some ideas ... or just a couple of regular ones for along the brick wall (1/2 way between the speaker and your head).
    PPPPS: with the speakers 'toed in' and some absorption on the wall next to the speakers, this will work just fine. Get them away from the wall as possible though. Pic looking toward the bay window will help with placement suggestions.
    PPPPPS (this is getting ridiculous!): 12' wide, if you can place speakers 8' apart that's plenty! Pull them away from the back wall by 2', then put your head right between them 8' to 10' back ... SO that's 2' speakers from window, your head is now 10' (right in the center of the room, not great for room mode, so make speaker-head distance 10' so now 12' from window). I bet now your head is right at the other opening (which is now to your left). This is great too, I think it would add to the sense of openness acoustically ...
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2020
  14. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Here is a pick as requested.

    Amazon Photos

    I could still leave all the components in the same place, I would just need to run speaker cables around the room. I could put one speaker in each corner flanking the room.

    For the money I would spend on speaker stands I'm better off just getting a floor standing speaker like Maggies or the Zu dirty weekends.

    The Maggie LRS are 4 ohm speakers, I wonder if my A23 which churns out 150W at 4 ohms would be enough. It would be plenty for the Zu's which are extremely efficient.

    For now I'll enjoy my new electronics with the Q150s as is, but tweaking the angles. Reflections and all!
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2020
  15. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
  16. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
  17. mcbrion

    mcbrion Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut

    I have a Macbook pro. The photos did not come up when I used Safari, but when I then switched to Google Chrome, I was able to see the photos. Don't know if that's your situation, but frequently Safari gets an error message (I can't watch netflix or Hulu on it: I have to watch it thru the Chrome browser).
     
  18. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I was just planning on putting the Freya+ on top of the A23, if that a bad idea?

    Edit: Actually I should be able to fit the freya next to the A23.
     
  19. mcbrion

    mcbrion Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Try placing something soft in the area where the brick wall is to absorb the "bounce." You can find something you can move when you're not listening to music, such as soft pillows, but use something with some depth (not just a flat surface). You can just put them on the bookcase in between the speakers. It will improve the sound, I can just about promise you. I had a friend who had his on a shelf and had his tv in between. i put ta towel over the tv and it helped. If your kids have things like giant bunnies (or any stuffed toy), that will also help.
     
  20. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    Yes, vents are on the top of the A23. Leave at least a few inches for air flow, preferably 3 or 4.
     
    bever70 likes this.
  21. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    You might consider the Magnepan MMG W paired with a good powered sub. Lightweight so it will mount on the wall using wallboard anchors.

    An alternative location for them might be flanking the wall-mounted TV, though this would probably not be as satisfactory from the desk chair listening spot.

    [​IMG]
     
    Rick58 likes this.
  22. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I'll be good with some minor rearranging I can fit the A23, Freya and the Node 2i in between the speakers. Nothing stacked.
     
  23. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    (started before your comment above!) You could leave things as is, put the Freya and A23 next to each other between the speakers. Pull your desk chair over and sit where the cat is in the first pic. Maybe you do this already? Then the open space behind your head is good, as I said above.

    Maybe pull the speakers out slightly so their front edges are at the front edge of the shelf, and 'toe in' a little toward your head. Maybe mount an absorptive panel or something on the wall between the speakers above the components ...?

    Seems to me that the TT and DAC can stay over on the other record rack, seems OK if they're not being disturbed by vibrations now.
     
  24. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    The LRS is the upgrade from the MMG, but I like the idea!

    PS: How did you insert a photo?
     
  25. Fish17

    Fish17 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Yeah I slide over in my chair when I'm doing some serious listening.
     
    Rick58 likes this.
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