Ideal Position and Setup for Statements in My New Room

[mlammert]

Back in 2009 I built a pair of full-size Statement speakers:

https://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?30977-Mark-s-Statements-Build-Thread&p=415052#post415052

Ever since the build they have been used in a pathetically ill-equipped room in our house. I now have the chance to move them to a dedicated room. :B

I have searched all over looking for some threads on proper placement and room treatment. However, I have not found quite what I am looking for. So, I figured I would ask.



This is in my basement.

The whole finished area of the basement is a big "L". But, the area that I will have for my listening room is just just the top portion of the "L".

Wall "A" is solid drywall. Wall "B" is a built in book shelf wall with many open areas all framed in drywall with various item sitting on the shelves. Wall "C" is solid drywall with two small basement style windows up toward the ceiling. Wall "D" doesn't exist. That is simply the end of the area where I can take over for my listening room. The ceiling is drop ceiling panels. The area is carpeted with berber.

I have basically 10ft by 15ft to work with.

This area will have nothing in it except the Statements, the equipment to run them, and a table and chair.

I would like to get some advice and suggestions on (1) what people would think would be the best layout for this room, (2) the best position to put the Statements in for optimal listening and (3) any treatments that I might be able to do to get the absolute best results.

I am also wondering what the best positioning is for the Statements is in general. Distances from walls. Distances for each other. Distance to listening position. Etc.

I am looking for a new "project". So, I am willing to put some money and effort into doing this as right as possible within this area.

Thanks as always, guys!

[mlammert]

So, in the meantime, I have been doing a bunch of research on speaker placement and room sizing.

I came across the "cardas" PDF document of various positioning based on room size and shape. It seems a lot of people reference this document, so I figured I would put a fair bit of faith in it.

The things that confuse me are:

1) If my room is 10' wide, then based on the cardas document, my Statements should be ~2.75' from the side. This only leaves ~4.5' between the two speakers. I could have sworn at some point I read the Statements should have more room between them than that.

2) Also, according to the cardas document, my Statements should be ~4.5' from the rear wall. Again, I could have sworn at some point I read the Statements should be 18" from the rear wall.

3) And, finally, if I am reading all this correctly, if there is ~4.5' between the speakers, the "perfect" listening position will be an equilateral triangle of the distance between the speakers. So, that would mean that I would be ~5' away from the speakers. Again, I could have sworn at some point I read that you should be father away than that for optimal listening.

I know when I first built my Statements I read some things about their proper placement. For the life of me I simply cannot find those references any more.

I know I am doing a lot of "swearing" above, but can anybody shed some light on if the "cardas" document is the golden rule (no pun intended) and how the Statements fold into this theory?

Thanks!

[gromit]

The official docs say to leave 18"-24" of space around the Statements. So if it's in a corner, it should be away from the back and side walls by 18"-24".

[Jim Holtz]

So, in the meantime, I have been doing a bunch of research on speaker placement and room sizing.

I came across the "cardas" PDF document of various positioning based on room size and shape. It seems a lot of people reference this document, so I figured I would put a fair bit of faith in it.

The things that confuse me are:

1) If my room is 10' wide, then based on the cardas document, my Statements should be ~2.75' from the side. This only leaves ~4.5' between the two speakers. I could have sworn at some point I read the Statements should have more room between them than that.

2) Also, according to the cardas document, my Statements should be ~4.5' from the rear wall. Again, I could have sworn at some point I read the Statements should be 18" from the rear wall.

3) And, finally, if I am reading all this correctly, if there is ~4.5' between the speakers, the "perfect" listening position will be an equilateral triangle of the distance between the speakers. So, that would mean that I would be ~5' away from the speakers. Again, I could have sworn at some point I read that you should be father away than that for optimal listening.

I know when I first built my Statements I read some things about their proper placement. For the life of me I simply cannot find those references any more.

I know I am doing a lot of "swearing" above, but can anybody shed some light on if the "cardas" document is the golden rule (no pun intended) and how the Statements fold into this theory?

Thanks!

Gromit has right. The Statements were designed to perform best with a minimum of 18" from the back of the speaker to the wall behind and from the side wall to the speaker. More room on the side is fine but 18"-24" from the wall behind is optimum.

That should put a little distance between the speakers. Careful about placing large objects between the speakers that would block the reflected backwave.

HTH

Jim

[mlammert]

Sorry for being AFK for so long. Life decided to throw some curves balls our way.

Thanks Gromit and Jim. I thought I knew the 18"-24" rule for the Statements but for the life of me could not find it documented anywhere. Thanks for clarifying the behind the speaker distances as compared to the side of speaker distance.

In the new setup I plan to have nothing in between the speakers except for maybe my Emotiva DAC and amp on a small stand/table.

Is there any reference as to how much space should be placed between the Statements?

Thanks again!

Mark

[Jim Holtz]

Sorry for being AFK for so long. Life decided to throw some curves balls our way.

Thanks Gromit and Jim. I thought I knew the 18"-24" rule for the Statements but for the life of me could not find it documented anywhere. Thanks for clarifying the behind the speaker distances as compared to the side of speaker distance.

In the new setup I plan to have nothing in between the speakers except for maybe my Emotiva DAC and amp on a small stand/table.

Is there any reference as to how much space should be placed between the Statements?

Thanks again!

Mark

There really isn't a set standard for distance between the speakers. The old audiophile rule (room permitting) that I've used for years is the listening position should be 1.5 times the distance between the speakers. You can always do it but it works well if you can.

HTH

Jim

[BobEllis]

Jon Marsh swears by the Cardas setup if other considerations allow. I'm going to give it a shot when I get my Ardent's finished. I won't be able to keep it that way, but it will be interesting to have a reference.

http://www.cardas.com/roomsetup.pdf

[mlammert]

Thanks for the info, Jim. I will try the 1.5x as soon as I get the speakers set up.

Bob, I don' think the Cardas setup will work with the Statements since the Statements require 18" min and 24" max distance from the rear wall. I don't know if the other Cardas measurements would still apply if you "forced" the space between the speakers and the rear wall to be 18"-24"? I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least use that as a starting point.

Thanks guys!

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks for the info, Jim. I will try the 1.5x as soon as I get the speakers set up.

Bob, I don' think the Cardas setup will work with the Statements since the Statements require 18" min and 24" max distance from the rear wall. I don't know if the other Cardas measurements would still apply if you "forced" the space between the speakers and the rear wall to be 18"-24"? I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least use that as a starting point.

Thanks guys!

The 24" is flexible. It'll still sound very good at 36" or more. It's when you slide it closer to the wall behind that the sound stage starts to flatten.

HTH

JIm

[mlammert]

Whew. Life. I tell ya.

Finally, I got the speakers moved to the new listening space. 24" back of speakers to rear wall. 24" from side of speakers to side walls.

That leaves 4.5 feet in between the two speakers. So, I am putting my listening chair approximately 6.75 feet from the front of the speakers.

Just need to get the amp and everything set up and I should be good to demo them.

My next plan is to line the left and right walls (B and C in my original diagram) with fairly heavy light blocking drapes. I am hoping that will not only diffuse the sound waves but also "even" things out so that the built in shelves on the left (B) don't "conflict" with the flat wall on the right (C).

Thanks again to all that have commented.

Don't they say something about slow and steady. I think I built the original speakers faster than this.

Thanks!