It’s all about location. No matter the audio equipment, ideal placement should improve your listening experience. From low-end portable amplifiers to top rated on-wall speakers, experience a significant boost in sound delivery with these easy positioning tips.
The Different Aspects of Speaker Positioning
While premier speakers are bound to produce top-notch sounds, correct positioning could still take their output quality to the next level. Here are the main areas to look into when arranging your speakers.
1. Initial Positioning
Wherever you decide to position your speakers for listening, make sure their placement forms an equilateral triangle with your listening spot. That way, you can get an even better surround-sound experience.
2. Speaker Separation
Four feet of separation can improve how bookshelf speakers give off sounds. On the other hand, floor-standing units would require at least eight feet of space between them or other objects to keep sounds from blending or reflecting early.
While positioning speakers too close to each other causes muddy sounds, placing them too far apart can remove the sound’s fullness. It’s essential to hit that balance.
3. Wall Proximity
We’ve only just touched on this in the previous number. When it comes to your speakers’ distance from the wall, keep it within the two-to-three-feet range at least. That way, you keep sounds from reflecting early and somehow sounding off.
Overlooking this essential tidbit might lead to poorly represented playback.
4. Speaker Height
Speaker placement should be such that tweeter elevation aligns with the height of your ears. If you aren’t yet aware, tweeters are the tiny drivers on your amplifiers in charge of the high-frequency treble range. This range is delivered best at the right distance from the ground.
5. Room Arrangement
Sound obstructions are a big no-no. Walls and other objects are among them, especially when they stand between your speakers and listening spot. Though you aren’t likely to fall victim to this mistake, this aspect of speaker placement can easily overlook when you have great-sounding speakers. Make sure it isn’t so you don’t miss out on your amplifier’s full potential.
Look to achieve an alignment between furniture and speaker placement. This is so that sound reflections have minimal effect on speaker output.
6. Speaker Angle
Moving from one listening spot to another is normal, so your speakers cater to this part of the sound experience. In most cases, you should angle the speakers inward so that they point directly towards the back of your head. If you prefer the sounds to reach a wider listening space, angle the units slightly outward.
Increasing and decreasing toe-in can impact the surround-sound quality. Make the necessary angle adjustments on your speakers until you nail that sweet spot.
7. Turntable Isolation
Separate the turntable from your speakers. Lack of isolation between these two parts can result in distortion or feedback when you turn up the volume. These two components should have different playing surfaces to prevent such an issue.
A bit of trial-and-error may be required to achieve great sounds, though you shouldn’t have too tough a time figuring things out with these tips. When you feel a song’s elements lock into place, that’s usually an indication that you’ve nailed the sweet spot.
Why Looking After Your Speakers Matter
This sounds like a given, but it can also be easy to overlook in the early days upon purchasing great-quality speakers. When you nail these units’ placement from the get-go, it may seem like they can do no wrong. That is until time catches up with them.
Pretty soon, the things you leave on top of these speakers start making an impact on their sounds. The same goes for the objects standing between the units and your listening area, speaker grilles included. These eventually serve as sound obstructions and can also lead to drivers collecting more dirt and dust.
If you decide to use grilles, have the shop tune the speakers with the accessories on. Also, choose models with grilles designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. While they will still be obtrusive to a certain degree, think of them as a price to pay for driver protection.
Aside from dusting off and wiping down your speakers regularly, another great maintenance tip is to feed them sounds as frequently as possible. Sounds are a speakers’ love language, and feeding sounds to them time and again can contribute greatly to their durability and long-lastingness.
Speakers That Meet Your Needs
There’s a whole bunch of speaker options to choose from, with some capable of meeting your needs better than others. Thus, do your homework on speaker models as much as their placement.
When both these factors align, there’s unlikely to be anything standing in your way towards an optimal sound experience. Also, avoid cheap products if you can help it. Like most things, speakers tend to be a “you get what you pay for” kind of purchase.