Distance between speakers and speaker/walls?

Posted by: Anders on 15 January 2004

What are the speaker positioning preferences among Naim Forum members using Naim speakers?

I wonder if anyone has experimented with the distance between Naim speakers and the effect of the overall presentation?

I have NBLs and they are currently positioned 60 cm from the side walls (measured from speaker center) and 195 cm between speakers (also measured from speaker centers). Speakers have some toe-in (you can't see speaker sides from listners position). Nothing is sited in between speakers (no equipment, furniture of fireplace).

This positioning provides a "traditional" soundstage where it is relatively easy to pinpoint details of the recording in all dimensions. Soundstage reaches outside speaker boundries despite closeness to walls.

By moving speakers gradually closer together, i.e. from 195 to 130 cm, the presentation loses some precision but somehow becomes much more cohorent and engaging.

There seems to be a clear trade-off here.

What are your experiences and viewes (if any)?

Anders
Posted on: 15 January 2004 by Bosh
I am currently trying NBLs and found the posioning to be very critical

After they had settled I tried some "tweaking" of the original dealer installed position, 10cm from wall, 2.3m apart, no toe in.

Moving away from wall (12cm) lost a lot of the openness and intimacy of the music. Moving towards the wall (8cm) did likewise and squashed the soundstage but tightend the bass a tad. Moving them together by 10cm focussed the sound at the listening point, tightened the bass and increased openness and intimacy of the music. Another 10cm closer together (2.0m apart) made it worse than the original position. Toeing in also squashed the sound decreasing the height of presentation.

So they are now still 10cm away from the wall but 2.2m apart.
Posted on: 15 January 2004 by Anders
Bosh,

Do you really mean the NBLs are positioned 10 cm from side walls (or is it the back wall)?
Posted on: 15 January 2004 by Bosh
10cm from back wall.
Posted on: 15 January 2004 by Anders
I finally find the sweet spot last night. In my case I moved the speakers out to 18 cm from the back wall (closer to the wall seemed to excite the room modes to much in my case), 55 cm from side walls and increased the distance to 205 cm between speakers. I also let the speakers fire across the room with no toe in.

The are sounding faboulus now! Back is the intimiacy and excitement the NBLs are known for.

Anders