4 Keys to Perfect Speaker Placement

Nice article Robert. It’s good to see a self proclaimed “dedicated audiophile” hit all these practical points that can make a huge difference in the sound in a room without mentioning the “importance” of hyper-expensive speaker wire.

Thanks for reading Bryce. I think that old-school audiophiles do tend to ignore the room factor as part of the audio equation and part of that involves speaker placement.

Cables are also a part of the equation and good cables can provide reliable performance that includes RF/EMI shielding, but with that said, the room is a huge component of a good sound system and that’s the point I wanted to make with the story.

I also wanted to throw a collective kudos out to the engineering staffs at these companies producing architectural loudspeakers. Today’s in-wall and in-ceiling speakers perform to a very high level and they should be recognized for that feat.

Thanks for reading,
Bob Archer

Hi Robert,
Thanks for the important and timely article. Many installers today, particularly those from non-AV consumer electronics, lack the training or experience to spec and locate speakers for good sound. Every speaker has a location where it is designed to give its best. Incorrect location can turn a great speaker into a garbled mess. It is very important that the system designer spec speakers designed to work where they will be installed and for installers to install speakers where they were designed to work. The best CI speaker companies make similar in wall, in ceiling, & in room models, all voiced to sound the same when installed in their correct locations.

Thanks,

Wouldn’t it be a good idea to let people know the importance of eliminating the first reflections in a room in order to enhance the spacial effect and broaden the sound stage? If you can’t do anything with the first reflections which are usually high and mid frequencies, how about the reverb that must be present in an untreated room. Properly placed absorption and or difussion makes magic happen. Low frequecies are often the least of the rooms problems. If I were working in a room similar to the one pictured, I would be concerned with all of the reflective surfaces. While speaker placement and seating position are very important, let’s not forget the desireable results that can be made by taming the space. Even a through rug would be very helpful when trying to dial in a room with a tile floor.

I’m somewhat surprised to see an article like this on a website named CE Pro. Wouldn’t any “Pro” know about these things already? Go to any popular audio/HT forum and you’ll find this information and much more.