Handy Speaker Placement "Rules"

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  • David Meek
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2000
    • 8938

    Handy Speaker Placement "Rules"

    Hi all,

    Here are a couple of quick and dirty "rules" that I've used off and on for years when it comes to the initial placement of speakers in a room. They are the "Rule Of Thirds" and the "Rule Of Fifths".

    The Rule Of Thirds is used by dividing your room into three equal segments length- and width-wise. Draw imaginary grid lines along the edges of the segments. The speakers will sit at the intersection of one set of grid lines along the short wall of the room and the listening position would sit centered on the grid line closest to the other short wall.

    The Rule Of Fifths works the same way except the room is divided into five equal segments. The speakers sit at the intersection of the outer grid lines parallel to the long wall and the closest grid line parallel to the short wall. The listening position will be centered along the grid line parallel and closest to the opposite short wall.

    A few thoughts:
    • It's my experience that the "thirds" rule will have a broader, deeper soundstage than the "fifths". But, the "thirds" has a MUCH higher SAF (spousal acceptance factor) cost - 2/3 of the room taken up by speakers and chairs (or couch. . .)?

      These work best in rectangular rooms or at least rectangular room segments.

      These are for initial placement of your speakers. The amount of toe-in, room make-up, furniture, flooring, speaker types, etc. will all have differing effects on placement, so experiment after getting the initial spot set (I'd mark it with tape).





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  • Burke Strickland
    Moderator
    • Sep 2001
    • 3161

    #2
    The "rule of thirds" would have my speakers standing in front of my projection screen, while the "rule of fifths" makes for a very well stocked bar.:>) No, seriously, the "rule of fifths" puts them to the sides of the screen and still within the locational parameters recommended by the speaker manufacturer. That is, side-to-side. Actually, from front to back, they are about a third of the way out into the room from the front wall, and they seem to like that location. :>) My seating row is about a fifth of the way into the room from the back wall, and takes up about the center third of the width across.

    Burke

    PS -- the dealer helped me set up the speakers intially and came out again after they were "broken in" to fine tune their placement and I have "tweaked" their position slightly a few more times in the two and a half years since then (most recently a couple of weeks ago after moving a bunch of other stuff out of the room), but the basic placement pattern fit the above description from the get-go.

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