A simple question about speakers, please advise..

Bristol Pete

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Hello,

A simple question perhaps, but one I seek an answer to.

Presently, my rear speakers are about, if not less than - 1 metre away from my listening position. Therefore, I have the distance set at 1 metre on my Sony STRDB870 rec'.

However, sometimes, the sound seems to be right on top of me. So I was wondering. Would I be better off setting the distance to say 2/3 metres to try and delay the sound somewhat ?

I cant move the speakers at the moment but I could do with some advice before I enter the set up menu once again.

Also, is it correct to set the centre approx half the distance of the L&R fronts so that it hits the viewing point at differently, or set all three front speakers, in a line by the way, the same ???

In truth, I dont seem to be getting the best from my system and could do with guidance.

Thanks,

Captain Benefit.
 
The rear sound seems on top of you because at less than a metre away from your ears, it is on top of you.

Many of us are stuck with this problem and the route that I took was bipolar speakers fairly high up the side wall to get them as far away as possible.

Check that you don't have the rear levels set too high.

Ideally the front three ahould all be in a line on the same plane but again practicalities rule this out for some. Feed the correct distances from each speaker into the amp and let it sort out the delay itself.
 
Hi

As Ian says, leave the delay times as they should be but try experimenting with angling the speakers away from you or firing backwards at the rear wall. I have a similar problem with my rear speakers being fairly close to me and when they are facing directly at the listening position they are too "in yer face". Angling them so they fire backwards and the sound bounces of the rear wall sorted it out.:) It makes the sound less localizable and gives a better surround effect.
 
Ok thanks guys. however, my query on the front speakers now puzzles me. They are all ( fr, fl and c) 3 metres away. however, my amps manual states that the centre distance shuld be 1.5 metres closer to you me in the distance menu, at 1.5 metres, to create a better sounfield, although physically, it is actually 3 metres away...

Any opinions.?

I know there are no set formulas but whaddya all think ???

Sony amp by the way.

Captain benefit.
 
Ian has already answered this one, on your front 3. But you still obviously have to lean towards practicalities.
I think there is something wrong with the information you are getting if, you are being told to place the centre speaker 1.5 metres closer to you than the left and right.



Kev
 
I am not being told to 'place' the speaker 1.5 metres closer.

I am being told to simply set the distance within the amps menu at 1.5 metres even though the actual 'physical' distance of the centre is 3 metres.

i hope this makes sense....

Captain.
 
Oops sorry!

Still sounds a bit odd though. Listening tests will always prove best. Try a SPL metre, and see ( or hear ) how that works out. I find this works quite well for the main 5 speakers but, i only use it as a starting point for the sub levels.


Cheers
Kev
 
Originally posted by Captain Benefit
I am being told to simply set the distance within the amps menu at 1.5 metres even though the actual 'physical' distance of the centre is 3 metres.

i hope this makes sense....

It doesn't make sense to me unless the delays in your amp don't work properly below a certain distance. I don't recall seeing any such instruction in a Marantz or Denon handbook but I could be wrong.

I'm not sure that such a small amount would be noticeable but there is only one way to find out and that's the "suck it and see" test.

Your original problem was the sound seeming "on top of you" which won't be affected by the delay settings.
 
Yep, gotta agree with Ian on both counts here.

1. My speakers would be under 2 meters away from my ears therefore I placed them high up on the backside walls facing each other. Almost perfect sound from close ranging speakers.

2. Set your distances to whatever the actual distances are. I found messing around did nothing but destroy the soundstage at worst.

3. Use a Sound Pressure Level meter to set every channel to 75db at ref level.

4. Sit back with tons of beer, turn it up and watch your marriage disintegrate.
 
While I risk teaching grandmothers to suck eggs it's just possible that someone hasn't picked up on this: the reason why one would want to specify the distance of the speakers in an amp setup menu has nothing at all to do with volume. All this does is to introduce a delay to the sound. The idea is that sounds from different speakers should all reach your ears at the same time. Thus, closer speakers need to emit the signal slightly later than farther away ones.
 
I had a sony amp and what it says is that you can tell the amp that the centre speaker is closer to you than the front pair. If you use a compass to draw a circle with the disatnce from the front speakers to the listening position as the diameter (scaled down off course), you will see that if you have the front three in a straight line then the centre will be closer to you than the front left and right, the sony amp will let you set the centre 1.5m closer to you than the front pair and unless you have a massive room this should not be needed. e.g if your front pair are 5 metres away then the centre can be 1.5 metres closer to you as a maximum recommended disatnce. e.g 3.5 metres from your listening position
 
Originally posted by NicolasB
While I risk teaching grandmothers to suck eggs it's just possible that someone hasn't picked up on this: the reason why one would want to specify the distance of the speakers in an amp setup menu has nothing at all to do with volume.

Try looking two posts up from yours, Nicolas :p
 
Well, yeah, but if someone actually did think that speaker distance settings were all about volume and had never heard of the idea of introducing delays then I'm not sure that post would be quite enough to correct the misaprehension.

I'm making it extra clear, okay? :)
 
Just to add something. The speaker delays work the opposite to what you would think. Setting the speaker distances greater i.e 3m instead of 1m will make the sound appear to arrive at that position earlier.
 

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