B&W 802N - Any advice on positioning

[amdan]

Is there anything I should know about positioning these speakers. I currently have them about 60 inches from the back wall and 68 inches from the side walls. Any advice would be appreciated.

[DM3000 Owner]

Is there anything I should know about positioning these speakers. I currently have them about 60 inches from the back wall and 68 inches from the side walls. Any advice would be appreciated.

How do they sound? Try listening to source material you are very familiar with and moving them around.

[Eliav]

Is there anything I should know about positioning these speakers. I currently have them about 60 inches from the back wall and 68 inches from the side walls. Any advice would be appreciated.

Here is how I do it for my rectangular room :

1.use the following formula for INITIAL positioning relative to your room walls :
speaker to side wall = Room width x 0.276
speaker to rear wall = room width x 0.447
speaker to opposite side wall = room width x 0.724
speaker to speaker = room width x 0.447

2.make sure your sitting position is at similar distance to that of the distance between the speakers

3. fine tune your sitting position and toe-in as per your ears, whichever gives you the best imaging etc.

hope it helps
Eliav

[amdan]

I have tried this method and it doesn't work in my room. I don't get enough bass.

However thanks for the suggestion Eliav. This exactly the sort of thing I am looking for - starting point and guidance on how to adjust from there. The alternative is to try the infinite number of positioning possibilities!

[Eliav]

I have tried this method and it doesn't work in my room. I don't get enough bass.

However thanks for the suggestion Eliav. This exactly the sort of thing I am looking for - starting point and guidance on how to adjust from there. The alternative is to try the infinite number of positioning possibilities!

Amdan
The lack of bass is normally secondary to standing waves rather than speaker positioning, I am sure that appropriate room treatment will IMPROVE your lower ends.
Eliav

[dyazdani]

What are your room dimensions?

[DryLan]

Here is how I do it for my rectangular room :

1.use the following formula for INITIAL positioning relative to your room walls :
speaker to side wall = Room width x 0.276
speaker to rear wall = room width x 0.447
speaker to opposite side wall = room width x 0.724
speaker to speaker = room width x 0.447

2.make sure your sitting position is at similar distance to that of the distance between the speakers

3. fine tune your sitting position and toe-in as per your ears, whichever gives you the best imaging etc.

hope it helps
Eliav

Room width for positioning the speaker to the rear wall ? I don't understand that. the standing wave in this direction depend of lenght of the room.

[amdan]

The room dimensions are 5.58m (18' 4") by 5.86m (19' 3") by 2.886m 9' 6" (height). The speakers are on the long wall. They are currently 60 inches from the back wall and 68 inches from the side wall.

[chowhwk]

The room dimensions are 5.58m (18' 4") by 5.86m (19' 3") by 2.886m 9' 6" (height). The speakers are on the long wall. They are currently 60 inches from the back wall and 68 inches from the side wall.

you have a almost square room and will make positioning challenging.
If you start with the positioning suggested and find not sufficient bass, you can move the speaker towrards the front (facing you) wall and will have an improvement in bass. There may be some trade-off on soundstage and depth.

I am using N802 in a room of 6.6M X 4.9M.
At this moment in time, the speakers are 1.72M from the front wall and 1.32M from the sidewall. The distance between the speakers is around 2.3M and I sit 2.3M from the line joining the woofers of the speakers.

[Eliav]

Room width for positioning the speaker to the rear wall ? I don't understand that. the standing wave in this direction depend of lenght of the room.

This formula takes care of "active nodes" = the frequency where speakers and parallel wall interacts.
these frequencies are proportional to the distance between the walls (rear and side) and the speakers.
by following this formula, the three 'nodes" frequencies progress differently thus minimizing unison resonance in the nodes.
Eliav

[chowhwk]

This formula takes care of "active nodes" = the frequency where speakers and parallel wall interacts.
these frequencies are proportional to the distance between the walls (rear and side) and the speakers.
by following this formula, the three 'nodes" frequencies progress differently thus minimizing unison resonance in the nodes.
Eliav

This is a very effective method, athough you will find you have to put the speaker very much forward. The alternative you can try is to use the length of the room divide into odd numbers, same five and use this as the starting position to try.

[Eliav]

This is a very effective method, athough you will find you have to put the speaker very much forward. The alternative you can try is to use the length of the room divide into odd numbers, same five and use this as the starting position to try.

hi
how do you practically do this ?
Eliav

[chowhwk]

hi
how do you practically do this ?
Eliav

you start with one position, say 1/5 of the length of the room. Listen to the bass and see if it is coherent. Try it for a week before you move it towards you or towards the wall.
Only by trial and error you can get the position best for you.

Alternatively you can use the Wilson method, where you determine first the zone where the room effect is the least and then do the trial and error.