Speaker Sweet spot

Tried searching for this as I seemed to remember someone asking similar question - couldn't find it so apologies if this is a duplicate.....

I've set up my speakers in the room and the "sweet spot" i.e. listening position where soundstage /imaging is best is very specific to a particular point (apex of triangle with speakers and listner). Q - is this normal - should the sweet spot have a slightly wider area so more than one person can be in it at the same time? So am talking about extending the sweet spot on either side of current position (rather than say further backwards or forwards)

Or is the term " spot" a clue to the fact that by definition the sweet spot is a specific point?

Anyone got good results from using Cara softare (www.cara.de) or similar?

 

it depends on your speaker and your room, but generally speaking the better the image the more localised it is.

 

Oh thats good cause the image is awesome!!

Mate was amazed at the difference to the image from just moving a couple of inches along the couch

But only one person can be in that spot

 

Yeah, I have used CARA and been very impressed with the results.

I now consider it a pre-requisite before putting speakers anywhere.

 

Gonig to try Cara tonight - that sounded good eh?
Hope she is as good as you say.

Speakers are LSA 2s and are officially my new speakers (I have had these, some Lumleys and ART Stiletto on home demo)

 

Not happy enough with the Lumleys kmac?

 

Yeah, decided to ditch them in favour of the LSa 2s - to me the Lumleys are good, but far more suited to classical and traditional jazz - a bit too refined. The LSAs are more the kind of sound I'm looking for - excellent soundstage and imaging.

There was a WAF element as well, to be honest - Lumleys a bit fugly.

 

When you guys mention using Cara. Is that just the test CD?

 

No the software - you can input room parameters etc.

 

In my experience, no toe-in usually increases the sweet spot size...

 

Yeah, i second that.
Larger sweet spot but a little less focus.

You don't have to compromise though. You could have 2 different position settings.
One for when you have your mates round and one for when you're listening alone.
Just keep the innermost front spike/cone in the same position all the time and use something to mark the floor where the outer spike/cone sits in both the settings.
That way, you don't have to keep trying to find the right amount of toe in again when your mates go home.

 

Great idea - thanks Andy

 

Yeah no probs mate.
You'd never guess i don't get out much:duck:

 

remember distance from the wall behind the listening position will also effect the sound.

This is highly Dependant on the room and speaker position [statment of the obvious] and is nearly always unique to your own room.

my best position does not correspond to the normal ideas....very wide placing along the long wall and firing across the short wall.

remember its the tweeter that has very narrow sound beam often as small as 11 degrees off axis. With maybe another 10 degrees of limited output....you'll often see a 360degree plot for the tweeter in the specs ...this will give you an idea how you can set the speakers up.