[G Georgopoulos]

Hi Guys
I thought i start this topic to get your views/opinions on the best distance between speakers for best sound stage and stereo imaging,I see all kinds of distances and wonder which is the best one,anyway all opinons welcome.

[ricardojoa]

Wouldnt that depends on the speaker it itself too?

[Russell Dawkins]

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=136527.msg1452003#msg1452003

[JLM]

Also depends on the recording.

The smart aleck answer would be zero (headphones with crossfeed or binaural recordings, no turning/moving of your head allowed).

[decal]

It depends on everything involved, especially the listeners hearing ability.

[trianglezerius]

Placement varies from room to room because no two are a like.

[rodge827]

Placement varies from room to room because no two are a like.

+1

[milford3]

Just a starting point.  The distance between the mains (say ten feet) then the distance to your ears should be ten feet.  Small adjustments can be made from this point.

[Letitroll98]

The Cardas method then adjust by ear.

[FullRangeMan]

George seems you will find the answer in this thread, about post 16/17:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=107352.msg1457016#msg1457016
The distance between speakers is a variable from the room wide.
Rooms tend to be small today, so some audiophiles cant follow the ideal golden ratio suggestion in this case.

[Starchild]

There is no magic distance.  Everyone has setup methods they know and like (you know what you like and you like what you know).  Your ears, a tape measure, a laser guide and perhaps a spl meter will give you most of the information you need to set up your speakers.  Start with the ranges indicated by the manufacturer.  I've found over the years that the best sound was achieved with a setup that was consistent with the manufacturers recommendations.  Try the fartherest distance apart from the front and side walls that the manufacturer recommendeds and work in from there taking in consideration room configuration and the distance from your listening position to the speakers. 

[Don_S]

In my room with my speakers I found trade offs. Farther apart gave a larger, more holographic sound stage. Closer together gave more focus and much sharper bass. Now I can't decide what to do.    I am thinking of splitting the distance. 

[Folsom]

The equipment will set the capability; equipment that isn't real great will leave the singer sounding more like a ghost than a solid depending on speaker setup. I try to maintain their presence and stop before it's lost any. I adjust toe-in so that I haven't lost the singers solidness, and then move speakers outward. To my ears I can often hear if the soundstage is crunched or not, but generally the room limits how far I can move them out; with good equipment it can be pretty wide! But also if the singer starts to lose their qualities you've gone to far, and would have to toe-in but then it shrinks everything again. That's why I do toe-in then move them out to find the limit; as the reverse could mean a very heavy toe-in with a small soundstage so it isn't a good approach.

[maplegrovemusic]

The wider the distance of the speakers the larger the soundstage . Speakers set two feet apart you have a two foot soundstage  .....

[DaveC113]

Hi Guys
I thought i start this topic to get your views/opinions on the best distance between speakers for best sound stage and stereo imaging,I see all kinds of distances and wonder which is the best one,anyway all opinons welcome.

8.42 ft.

[glynnw]

I say 8.35'

But really it depends on too many factors to assign a value that works for all systems. I find that I usually wind up sitting at 1 of the corners of an equlateral triangle and toe the speaker in and out to get it where I like it.

[jimtranr]

I've found the "best possible" soundstage presentation--and the between-speaker distance to achieve it--to be room-dependent in terms not only of room size and shape and the location of my listening chair but also in the ability to control wall-, ceiling-, floor-, and ancillary furniture-generated reflections.

[JerryM]

8.42 ft.

I say 8.35'

In my experience, 8.28' is the spot. 

Out of curiosity, how far to the side walls from those measurements? Here it's 32" (2.67') on each side.

Have fun,

Jerry

[G Georgopoulos]

8 feet is kind what books suggest,i think it has to do with room size and the size of wall's horizontal distance the speakers are placed horizontally ,too big sound stage effects stereo imaging?,too small sound stage effects stereo quality/width?,from what you suggest i bite the bullet and say my preference is 1.8 meters/6 feet.

[Tone Depth]

It may have been Albert Von Schweikert that said to place the speakers at the separation distance that the mics were originally placed, but I wonder if that assumes that the mic sensitivity pattern is the same as the speaker dispersion pattern. It seems to me that the ratio of speaker separation to total room width should be proportional to the ratio of mic separation to total room width. This may be a good starting point, however room boundary characteristics such as reflectivity from the walls may also need to be accounted for. I'm sure that there are a lot of factors to consider, and that may be why many say place them where they sound the best.

Hi Guys
I thought i start this topic to get your views/opinions on the best distance between speakers for best sound stage and stereo imaging,I see all kinds of distances and wonder which is the best one,anyway all opinons welcome.