[AllanS]

The lovely bride is understandably a bit perturbed by the speaker sitting in the doorway.  Let’s say she did not appreciate my suggesting to close the door.  I told her I’d push them back against the front wall when not critical listening and will likely invest in some Herbie glides.



 But she would be happier if I arranged the room such that the speakers are set up at the opposite end of the room.  There are other advantages to moving to this end but the perceived problem is this end of the room is only 9’ wide.  The room is 19’ deep so I can come off the front wall as far as needed but side wall clearance would be limited.  Set up with Spatial’s min recommended 18’ (which I assume means to the edge of the baffles not the center) would leave less than 4’ between baffles edges or about 5’ center to center.
  I’ll bounce this off Spatial on Monday but I’m hoping someone has experience with narrow placement and/or minimum side wall clearance.  Does this limit stage width or limit performance in any other way?
Thanks much.

[Bingenito]

I would buy her something nice and leave the speakers as is! I never cared for speakers close together unless you are sitting 4-5 feet from them like actual studio monitors in the nearfield.

When I had a more narrow room I have tried this with other speakers and the soundstage just collapses. The unfortunate reality is that for the best sound the room dictates placement not aesthetics.

[AllanS]

I would buy her something nice and leave the speakers as is! I never cared for speakers close together unless you are sitting 4-5 feet from them like actual studio monitors in the nearfield.

When I had a more narrow room I have tried this with other speakers and the soundstage just collapses. The unfortunate reality is that for the best sound the room dictates placement not aesthetics.

Thanks.  If only it were that easy!  I set them up at 5’ center to center in the larger space to try the near field thing and was less than thrilled.  I’ve read others who like it but I bought the speakers with sound stage in mind.

[Bingenito]

Exactly and always best to try a free experiment vs. taking some random person's opinion online. Now you know for yourself.

You can pull off something like that with a pair of small coaxial monitors and subs but in my experience you need some distance from a true full range 2.5 way for optimal driver integration. The issue is that if you are seated 1.5x or greater than the distance of acoustic centers (width) you are out of the soundstage and sometimes the vocals thicken up too much as well.

Anyway good luck shopping for flowers and a doorstop 

[RonN5]

The further apart you can position them...up to a point...the bigger and more convincing the sound is going to be.  Assuming you keep them a minimum of 18" off the side walls, the center to center is still only 5'....and 18" may not be enough.  I'm voting for the Herbies.

[AllanS]

...if you are seated 1.5x or greater than the distance of acoustic centers (width) you are out of the soundstage and sometimes the vocals thicken up too much as well.

Anyway good luck shopping for flowers and a doorstop 

   I'm going to play with that 1.5X.  Thanks

I'm voting for the Herbies.

Me too.  Thank you.

[Bingenito]

Just a thought... if the primary wall is 12:00... Can you put the speakers on 3:00 or 9:00? Assuming that the room is >12ft wide just put some acoustic treatment on the wall behind you. Might be a good compromise.

[AllanS]

Just a thought... if the primary wall is 12:00... Can you put the speakers on 3:00 or 9:00? Assuming that the room is >12ft wide just put some acoustic treatment on the wall behind you. Might be a good compromise.

Thanks for the thought.  I’ve been considering this also.   3:00 results in the same doorway problem with the rear of the left speaker facing the doorway.  9:00 has a window in the middle of it that would eventually be covered by a TV.  Not great but not a show stopper.  Arranged this way the listening space would be about 11’x14’ with the speakers on the short wall.  The left speaker would open up to the desk area and the right speaker 18” from what is now the front wall, which is 14’.  I don’t know if treatment could compensate for one speaker on a wall and the other opened up to space but I think it is a doable compromise. 

[Tyson]

Just explain to your new wife that there are many things you are willing to compromise on, but this is not one of them.  And be sure to let us know how that works out! 

[Daryl Zero]

Just explain to your ex-wife that there are many things you are willing to compromise on, but this is not one of them.  And be sure to let us know how that works out! 

Fixed it for you.

[kd4ylq]

While it's ideal to have the room space around each speaker symmetrical in size, shape & and reflectivity, many (most?) of us don't have that luxury. It's worth shooting for though, within whatever practical constraints you have to deal with. I always start with the speakers and listening spot in an equilateral triangle, and frequently end with the listening spot back a little bit from that. Keep your front wall surface at least 3' from the rear of the Spatials - the sides are much less critical. Use a tape measure after you are zeroing in on an arrangement you can both live with and get the distance from the tweeters to your ears exactly equal (it's well worth the trouble). Good luck and happy listening!

[AllanS]

Just explain to your new wife that there are many things you are willing to compromise on, but this is not one of them.  And be sure to let us know how that works out! 

Fixed it for you.

   I guess I should explain that we’ve been married for 32 years so this is far from our first uh disagreement.  To her these are just eyesores that make music.  She doesn’t get motorcycles either but we’ve managed to survive.  I just remind her occasionally that I’m not at bars or racetrack blowing the milk money.

[AllanS]

Use a tape measure after you are zeroing in on an arrangement you can both live with and get the distance from the tweeters to your ears exactly equal (it's well worth the trouble). Good luck and happy listening!

Thanks much.  I’m hoping the Herbie glides and marking the spots will work out.  It’ll be quite awhile before that end of the room is cleared out to even try but I let on that the close spacing is going to be a problem.  I really need to show that I’m taking her concerns seriously and trying to figure out a solution.

[kd4ylq]

The WAF (wife acceptance factor) can sometimes a tough angle to deal with, but as you say - show that you take her issues seriously and you'll both be happy in the end. Our audio journey together started with live concerts when we were still in H.S. so the transition to home audio music systems was made much more easily because of our shared love of music. I see you have W to W carpet, which will help control early reflections; I guess "Herbies" are what we call "Moving Men" sliders for furniture. We have hardwood floors and I put castors on the Spatials (instead of the spikes or pads) so I can just roll them back to the front wall when not in use and be out of the foot traffic path. To control early reflections, we use area rugs between the speakers and back beyond the listening positions. You are on the right track and I'm sure you'll love the results. Experimentation is the spice of life (& audio) at least for me. Happy listening!

[franSSS]

Tell her she has the whole house for her self. Why would or should she begrudge you some space for your hobby? You are not taking up the whole house do you?  Its a home for both of you. NOT FOR HER AND HER DEMANDS ONLY.  Different story if you take over the whole house.

Some woman use the HIFI as a power struggle since they like the stress it creates.

[aniwolfe]

Nothing comes between me and my Spatials, so with that said is divorce an option?   

[Rusty Jefferson]

I can't tell how deep the area on the left in this image is but you might try putting them on the long wall with your listening chair in that opening.

[AllanS]

I can't tell how deep the area on the left in this image is but you might try putting them on the long wall with your listening chair in that opening.

On the left, where the rower is. is only as deep as the closet.  That wall has the door seen in the first image at the other end. 

In the bottom right hand corner of this pic you'll see the top of the baffle of what is now the left hand speaker in the first image.  Rotate that speaker 90 ccw and move the other speaker to basically where the printer is now would put the set up on the right hand wall in this image.  That wall is 11' which would basically give an 11x14 listening area that would be easier to treat than the current set up.  I've pretty well given up on the short wall in this pic and told her it won't work.