Speaker Placement Guide for Great Stereo Sound

When your goal is great stereo sound, proper speaker positioning is imperative, regardless of the type of speakers you own or your room layout. After all, no matter how hard you try, you can’t cheat the fundamental laws of physics. This article will discuss positioning your speakers for optimal stereo imaging and tonally balanced playback. We’ll also highlight common speaker-positioning problems and how to solve them.

High Frequencies Are DirectionalLow Frequencies Are Not DirectionalKnow Your GeometryAim the High FrequenciesSet Healthy BoundariesTroubleshooting Common Speaker Problems

High Frequencies Are Directional

High frequencies are very sensitive to speaker positioning because high frequencies are more directional than low frequencies. As a result, when you move outside of the “sweet spot,” or the listening position with the best stereo image, you’ll hear fewer high frequencies compared to the rest of the frequency spectrum.

Moreover, higher frequencies tend to reflect or bounce off of hard surfaces. These reflections from windows or smooth wall surfaces, especially those closest to your ears, are prone to canceling or reinforcing the sound waves that reach your ears, leading to an unbalanced sound.

Low Frequencies Are Not Directional

Have you ever noticed that you can hear the bass coming from a loud party a block away, yet you can’t hear the other frequencies in the music? That’s because, in contrast to the directional upper frequencies, low-frequency sound waves contain more power and are less directional.

Low frequencies also build up in certain areas of your room, such as wall boundaries and corners. You’ll notice this especially if you place your speakers too close to a hard surface or boundary, such as a wall, a window, the floor, or the ceiling. This is known as boundary interference, and it’s especially problematic in the corners of your listening space. Even if you enjoy the sound of the resulting exaggerated bass, boundary interference doesn’t produce a consistent low-end boost. Some frequencies will be boosted more than others, depending on your room’s shape and size. We’ll talk more about boundary interference below.

Know Your Geometry

Remember when you learned about equilateral triangles in school and thought, “When will I ever use this information?” Well, now’s the time! Proper speaker placement is all about equilateral triangles. Simply put, when you position your speakers, the distance between your two stereo speakers should be the same as the distance from each speaker to your listening position, which forms the shape of — you guessed it — an equilateral triangle.

Ultimately, it’s all about symmetry. Place your speakers at an equal distance from each other and the same distance from you to minimize sound imbalances. Doing so will ensure that the sound coming from each speaker reaches your ears simultaneously.

Aim the High Frequencies

Because high frequencies are directional, the tweeters of your speakers should be pointing toward your ears. Start by positioning your speakers so their tweeters are at the same height as your ears. If you’re listening on tower speakers, then you don’t have much control over the height. But if you’re using bookshelf speakers, then investing in speaker stands, such as these On-Stage SMS7500 studio monitor stands, is a great way to gain extra control over the height of your speakers.

Next, angle your speakers toward you, creating a direct line between your speakers and your ears (or, better yet, targeted slightly behind your head). This “toe-in” technique is used to align the speaker’s high-frequency dispersion (coverage angle) with your ears. Although different speakers have different dispersion characteristics, in general, making the angle wider will create a larger sweet spot, which is great for listening to music with a group of people. Narrowing the toe-in angle will tighten the sweet spot, which is perfect for super-precise individual listening.

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Set Healthy Boundaries

Because low frequencies tend to build up near walls and in corners, you need to be mindful of where your speakers are placed relative to walls, ceilings, and other hard surfaces (boundaries) and recognize the impact of boundary interference. As a starting point, we recommend keeping your speakers out of corners and at least a couple of feet away from the wall behind the speakers. If the speakers sound too bass-heavy, then try moving them farther away from the wall until you achieve a balanced sound. Moreover, if you’re listening on rear-ported speakers, then move them away from the wall even more to mitigate the low-frequency buildup. That said, don’t be afraid to experiment; different speakers behave differently as they interact with the boundaries of your room. You may find that moving speakers closer to the wall may produce the most desirable sound.

When positioning your speakers, you should also try to keep each speaker equidistant from — but not too close to — their respective side walls. Side walls are just as prone to boundary interference as front walls, and high frequencies bouncing off side walls can cause stereo image smearing. Remember: symmetry is your friend!

Troubleshooting Common Speaker Problems

Stereo perception is skewed and uncentered:

Try moving your speakers closer together. You’ll need to reorient your listening position to maintain an equilateral triangle.

Stereo perception is overly narrow:

Try moving your speakers farther apart. You’ll need to reorient your listening position to maintain an equilateral triangle.

Sound is overly bassy:

Try moving your speakers farther away from walls, corners, and other boundaries.

Sound is bass-deficient:

You may be dealing with standing waves, which occur when sound waves are reflected back and forth between two parallel surfaces. Try installing bass traps or placing absorbent materials in the corners of your room.

Sound is smeared, indistinct, or muddy:

Your speakers may be causing your shelf, table, or stands to vibrate or resonate. Try decoupling them with isolation pads or feet, such as Auralex MoPADs, Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizers, IsoAcoustics isolation stands, or RAB Audio ProJaxs.

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Sound is overly bright or reverberant:

Since higher frequencies bounce off hard surfaces, you’re likely perceiving high-frequency reflections. Try using absorption wall panels and other soft objects (like rugs, pillows, padded furniture, etc.) to tame the hard surfaces of your room.

Call Sweetwater: Your Speaker Experts

Want to create the ultimate listening experience in your home? Give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll hook you up with everything you need — including expert advice — to get the job done right!
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