Do you always toe in your main speakers?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Smurr1958, Nov 13, 2020.

  1. Smurr1958

    Smurr1958 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Fort Myers
    My understanding is that it improves and widens the sound stage by toeing in, but got the Polk Rti-A3’s. All sound demos online they are positioned straight on and sound great. I experimented with the ones I just got and don’t notice a heck of a lot of difference with the sound stage, taking into account appropriate positioning otherwise. Any thoughts greatly appreciated-
    Peace
     
  2. DavidR

    DavidR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Depends on your room and listening position. Just try things out and stick with what works best.

    This may be of some use:-

     
  3. DavidR

    DavidR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
  4. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    No. They're pointing straight out into the room.
     
    displayname likes this.
  5. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Depends on the speaker design, the room and your preferences.
     
  6. RhodesSupremacy

    RhodesSupremacy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Away, India
    This! No more need be said.
     
  7. Vignus

    Vignus Digital Vinylist

    Location:
    Italy
    In my experience, toeing in bring more of a focus point but narrows down the sound stage, in general
     
  8. jbmcb

    jbmcb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Troy, MI, USA
    My main speakers are Maggie MGMC1's, you have to swing them out 30 degrees or they sound awful :)
     
    peter fuller and doctor fuse like this.
  9. BKphoto

    BKphoto JazzAllDay

    Mine are straight...
     
    Rich-n-Roll likes this.
  10. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    consult your speaker's manual for positioning, follow it as closely as possible and then listen carefully from your primary listening spot.
    firing axis angle can fine tune what you are hearing especially sound stage focus, stage width, speaker localization and tonal balance.
    your goal should be to make the sound stage focused, singers and players should be easy to locate and not wander about. most of the sound should come from the center. if the sound stage has a hollow center and the speakers call attention to themselves, aim inward.
    aim carefully, use painters tape to mark, listen carefully and take notes if you are truly serious about it.
    finding the best position and firing axis for your speakers is one of the best things you can do for the sound of your system.
     
  11. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I do as I am not always in the sweet spot when listening. I get more of a stereo image with toed-in speakers when I am not in the middle.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2020
  12. brew ziggins

    brew ziggins Forum Prisoner

    Location:
    The Village
    I have Totem speakers, and the user guide says they are designed to face straight out.
     
    bhazen likes this.
  13. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    Toeing-in does the exact opposite of widening a soundstage. Toeing in tends to help to fill the "hole in the middle" of your soundstage, so that it becomes a cohesive mass where your ears can no longer identify the position of your speakers in the sound-field.
     
  14. doctor fuse

    doctor fuse Forum Resident

    I just tried toeing out my planar/ribbons (thanks to a thread here on AK about it), and the sound has improved.

    I would try toeing out conventional boxed driver speakers, just in case.
     
    Swann36 likes this.
  15. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    Remember also, toeing in or out can alter the frequency response at the listening position -- depending, of course, upon the dispersion of the drivers, proximity of walls, etc. This is more important to my way of listening, than "soundstage". Typical budget speakers I'd likely try firing straight into the room to attenuate brightness.
     
    Jim Hodgson, mkane and Dane Argentini like this.
  16. Silverwolf

    Silverwolf Occasional Esoteric Freak

    I’ve had various sized listening (living room) spaces in the time I’ve had my Dynaudio’s, and they’ve always been toed in just a little, otherwise they have a slight ‘hole’ in the middle of the soundstage. That said if I toe them in a bit more to be absolutely perfect for sitting and listening, the sound isn’t quite right when I’m moving about doing stuff, which is at least half the time when I’m listening to music. So there’s always been a relatively small compromise. And I ain’t moving them depending on what I’m doing!
     
    AndyCC72 and david1111 like this.
  17. Chemically altered

    Chemically altered Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine in Spirit
    Seriously, this depends on the room and the speakers.
     
    DK Pete, james, quicksrt and 4 others like this.
  18. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is"

    Location:
    united kingdom
    No, because Dali tell me not to.
     
  19. Smurr1958

    Smurr1958 Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Fort Myers
    Appreciate all the info. Polk’s instructions say. “ triangle formation “, this is known, but states” toe-in per personal preference “. I have tried much of the afore mentioned advice , and have decided the sound stage , openness , is better with A3’s straight, and grills off to my ears. Thanks again folks-
    BTW- very impressed with these right out of the box! Powerful feel the sound, yet balanced. Can’t wait until they are broken in-
    Peace
     
    The FRiNgE and Erik Tracy like this.
  20. riddlemay

    riddlemay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I've never had a pair of speakers where toe-in made as big a difference as with the Martin Logan Motion 15i's. Toeing in didn't just "firm up the image" or anything so subtle as that. It made a night and day improvement in the tonality of the speaker.

    On the other hand, I prefer my NHT C3's pointed straight ahead.
     
    John76 and BrettyD like this.
  21. ogdens_sliced

    ogdens_sliced Walnut Plug

    Location:
    Albion
    I have pair of Dali in my living room system, I have them firing straight ahead as per Dali recommendations and that's how they sound best.
     
    DougRuss likes this.
  22. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Toe in, here

    Sit in the middle for the sweet spot!
     
    DK Pete, April Snow, tin ears and 3 others like this.
  23. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Drivers in an array have differing off-axis response, which usually means you have lobing. So as your listening position is further from being in the direct path of the drivers (less toe-in), anomalies in the frequency response become more prominent. You have to make these calls based on your room and preference because the room will reinforce certain frequencies, but I think of two speakers as a two part system of lenses. You can have softer focus, or tighter focus. You can focus the sound behind the listening position, or even in front of it, or even directly on it. Less toe-in usually gives you a wider, softer center image. That said, be sure that both L and R arrays are equidistant to the listening position, then work with toe-in from that point. You'll probably find, also, that the further your two speakers are apart, the more toe-in you will like.
     
  24. Bolster

    Bolster If it ain't broke try harder..

    Location:
    UK
    Straight! Toeing in plays havoc with my OCD..
     
    CDFanatic, mike catucci and bhazen like this.
  25. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    Yes, alwys toe in.
     
    The FRiNgE and Tim 2 like this.

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