stereo - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

mr.montreal · 04-23-2004, 01:43 PM

say i have 2 speakers, Left and Right, where would i position them for the best possible stereo?

j8ear · 04-23-2004, 01:56 PM

Equidistant to either side of your preferred listening position.

If not possible, use the balance feature of your stereo to create identical volume from each channel

-bear

mr.montreal · 04-23-2004, 02:09 PM

see. the manual says for optimum stereo, i should place them in front of me, as in a triangle.

hold up ur computer speakers by each ear. making a 180' angle, isnt that really stereo?

tkkfan · 04-23-2004, 02:12 PM

When you sit between them, do like in a movie theater, since the sound from right and left speakers are equalized for the center, you want to sit slightly off-center to enhance the stereo effect.

see http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question494.htm

j8ear · 04-23-2004, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mr.montreal
see. the manual says for optimum stereo, i should place them in front of me, as in a triangle.

That is kind of what I meant...in front of you...equidistant from your seating position.

The traingle analogy much better conveys my intent....sorry 'bout that

Seriously though it's all about what sounds best TO YOU.

I'd play with it, starting with the triangle setup until it sounds just how ~you~ like it best. Don't worry about instruction manuals or web sites. It's all about you.

-bear

mr.montreal · 04-23-2004, 02:57 PM

im talking scientifically

j8ear · 04-23-2004, 03:17 PM

Scientifically speaking you would need a perfect acoustic environment, a sonically perfect amplifier, and audibly perfect hearing, I suspect. (among other things I'm sure).

That being given, I think the ideal positioning would be the triangle positioning the manual references.

Since the perfect situation is unrealistic, I suggest tweaking things to ~your~ liking, using your imperfect environment, equipment and senses.

imho,

-bear

iccky · 04-23-2004, 05:12 PM

Maybe this should be in tilted electronics, you might get a better response among that crowd.

ubertuber · 04-25-2004, 06:30 PM

To answer your first question, the speakers should be located in front of you, equidistant from your head (thereby forming a triangle with your head and the speakers at the three points, and two legs, head to speaker being the same length). Depending on your speakers and room, you may find best results with them 1 or more feet from any walls behind or next to them.

The reason the stereo effect is conveyed more convincingly when the speakers are in front of you is simple - that is where the microphones were probably located when the source was originally recorded (or in the case of a more engineered sound, that is the effect intended because the engineers will figure that your speakers are in front of you). This way, your speakers are in some way sending the sound to you that the microphones captured - from a similar position. When I was a double degree student in recording we fooled around with recording concerts using a styrophone head with microphones where the ears should be. It made recordings with really convincing stereo imagery when listened to over headphones. It was a true "documentary" type sound that accurately portrayed what the listeners heard at the concert. However, most recordings are made with more than two microphones that are placed to allow the engineers more control during mixing. And their monitor speakers are located... in front of them, so that is the position they engineer the record for. The cool thing about stereo imaging is that with good equipment you will hear in three dimensions - meaning in a recording of an orchestra you can not only hear that the bassoon is between the violins and cellos (left to right), you can also tell that it is behind the oboe and in front of the trumpets (for instance).

mr.montreal · 04-26-2004, 09:04 PM

thanks uber, thats what i was looking for.

hilbert25 · 04-27-2004, 09:23 PM

The rule of thumb I've been using is in front, 2 times the distance apart as the line that they form is from you. Ie: sit in the middle of the room, 5 feet to your left and five feet in front of you have the left speaker. Five feet to your right and five feet in front of you, put your right speaker.

Keep the tweeters at ear level.

Some people like them turned in, other perfectly straight. Give them at least 2 feet of space on any side.

WarWagon · 04-27-2004, 10:45 PM

Yep, depending on your environment and seating location, the toe in of the speakers is equally as important as getting the distances right.

04-23-2004, 01:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
mr.montreal Upright Location: montreal,canada	stereo say i have 2 speakers, Left and Right, where would i position them for the best possible stereo?

04-23-2004, 01:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
j8ear Gentlemen Farmer Location: Middle of nowhere, Jersey	Equidistant to either side of your preferred listening position. If not possible, use the balance feature of your stereo to create identical volume from each channel -bear __________________ It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

04-23-2004, 02:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
tkkfan Insane Location: Flying over your house	When you sit between them, do like in a movie theater, since the sound from right and left speakers are equalized for the center, you want to sit slightly off-center to enhance the stereo effect. see http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/question494.htm __________________ I can't believe I ate the whole thing!

04-23-2004, 03:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
j8ear Gentlemen Farmer Location: Middle of nowhere, Jersey	Scientifically speaking you would need a perfect acoustic environment, a sonically perfect amplifier, and audibly perfect hearing, I suspect. (among other things I'm sure). That being given, I think the ideal positioning would be the triangle positioning the manual references. Since the perfect situation is unrealistic, I suggest tweaking things to ~your~ liking, using your imperfect environment, equipment and senses. imho, -bear __________________ It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

04-25-2004, 06:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
ubertuber spudly Location: Ellay	To answer your first question, the speakers should be located in front of you, equidistant from your head (thereby forming a triangle with your head and the speakers at the three points, and two legs, head to speaker being the same length). Depending on your speakers and room, you may find best results with them 1 or more feet from any walls behind or next to them. The reason the stereo effect is conveyed more convincingly when the speakers are in front of you is simple - that is where the microphones were probably located when the source was originally recorded (or in the case of a more engineered sound, that is the effect intended because the engineers will figure that your speakers are in front of you). This way, your speakers are in some way sending the sound to you that the microphones captured - from a similar position. When I was a double degree student in recording we fooled around with recording concerts using a styrophone head with microphones where the ears should be. It made recordings with really convincing stereo imagery when listened to over headphones. It was a true "documentary" type sound that accurately portrayed what the listeners heard at the concert. However, most recordings are made with more than two microphones that are placed to allow the engineers more control during mixing. And their monitor speakers are located... in front of them, so that is the position they engineer the record for. The cool thing about stereo imaging is that with good equipment you will hear in three dimensions - meaning in a recording of an orchestra you can not only hear that the bassoon is between the violins and cellos (left to right), you can also tell that it is behind the oboe and in front of the trumpets (for instance). __________________ Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam

04-23-2004, 02:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
mr.montreal Upright Location: montreal,canada	see. the manual says for optimum stereo, i should place them in front of me, as in a triangle. hold up ur computer speakers by each ear. making a 180' angle, isnt that really stereo?

04-23-2004, 02:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
mr.montreal Upright Location: montreal,canada	im talking scientifically

04-23-2004, 05:12 PM	#8 (permalink)
iccky Psycho Location: Princeton, NJ	Maybe this should be in tilted electronics, you might get a better response among that crowd.

04-26-2004, 09:04 PM	#10 (permalink)
mr.montreal Upright Location: montreal,canada	thanks uber, thats what i was looking for.

04-27-2004, 09:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
hilbert25 Psycho Location: nOvA	The rule of thumb I've been using is in front, 2 times the distance apart as the line that they form is from you. Ie: sit in the middle of the room, 5 feet to your left and five feet in front of you have the left speaker. Five feet to your right and five feet in front of you, put your right speaker. Keep the tweeters at ear level. Some people like them turned in, other perfectly straight. Give them at least 2 feet of space on any side.

04-27-2004, 10:45 PM	#12 (permalink)
WarWagon Loser	Yep, depending on your environment and seating location, the toe in of the speakers is equally as important as getting the distances right.