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Von Schweikert Audio
930 Armorlite Drive, San Marcos, CA 92069
Ph (760)410-1650 Fax (760)410-1655
E-mail:albertvonn@aol.com
World Class Reference Speaker Systems for Music and Film
~ Website:www.vonschweikert.com
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Starting Location:
There are a number of considerations regarding initial placement, particularly involving
bass response and basic imaging. In general, bass response is strengthened when the
speakers are placed close to the rear or side walls, while imaging is enhanced by pulling
the speakers further into the room, away from walls. With your VR loudspeakers and the
following suggestions you will be able to achieve both deep and powerful bass and an
open sound stage.
ROOM CONFIGURATIONS: If you have a room with fairly rectangular dimensions,
you can place the speakers on either the long or short wall. If your room is cubic, you
will have far better results placing the speakers diagonally. See next section.
ON LONG WALL: Placing the speakers on the long wall enables you to achieve a very
large and wide sound stage. In fact, using an equilateral triangle as your starting point,
you can space the speakers as far apart as the listening distance, even if this is 15 feet.
Since the VR's have very wide dispersion, there will be no hole in the middle effect.
Place the speakers about 2-5ft from the rear wall, with this distance being the bass
optimizer. If you wish to achieve more depth, move them further into the room. If you
wish more bass, place them either closer to the rear wall or closer to the side walls.
*Note: Do not use the same distance from the rear wall and side wall, as this
distance will result in too much boost at this wavelength. Stagger this distance
by 40-70%.
Do not toe the speakers in at first, place them parallel to the side walls. In general, the
sound stage will be constrained to the distance between the speakers, so if you have the
VRs only six feet apart, you will hear a small sound stage. Since there will be a lot of
overlap between the left and right channels, the center image will be very dense and
monophonic. To correct for this, separate the speakers further; 8 feet to 12 feet apart is
not too much in a large room, but remember, the spread depends on the listening
distance. If you have to spread the speakers well apart but can’t sit far enough back due
to furniture and cosmetic considerations, you may have to toe the speakers in, with the
tweeters aimed directly at your ears.
ON SHORT WALL: Placing the speakers on the short wall and sitting far back in the
long end of the room may give you a concert hall experience if your room is large. Long
reverberation times due to long distances from boundaries can impart a ‘grand’ sense of
scale with classical music, although smaller rooms might curtail this effect somewhat.
Also, too much boundary reflection will result in echoes that may interfere with the
direct sound and blur imaging somewhat. If you suspect this condition, clap your hands
while standing at the speaker position. If you hear distinct echoes, you will have to treat
the room with specialized tuning products from Michael Green, RPG, ASC tube traps,
Sonex, generic foam panels, and the like. If decorating is a consideration, try using rugs
hanging on the side- walls at the first reflection point, and behind the speakers, directly