Speaker placement?

[www.records]

Can someone give me an idea of where to begin with placing my Model 17's in a small listening room? Room is 10x13x8, carpeted with a double window along one long wall, and a double folding door along a short wall.

Right now they are on a short wall, on both sides of double doors. When I moved them in, I really didn't have a choice for placement, due to this being my computer, LP, music room. And trust me, it is stuffed. My daughter recently moved out, so I am going to make the spare bedroom into an Lp room, but plan on keeping my current room (it is away from the living and bedrooms) for computer and stereo. Would putting them along a long wall on either side of the double window have advantages? Actually I need some guidance here. I am trying to make placement plans.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Steve

[www.records]

Is my room just totally unacceptable for these? I know it is small, but it is all that I have to work with. If I am SOL, go ahead and tell me, I can take it. Just looking for a little guidance as to where to start with placement.

I am thinking in the corners along one of the long walls? Towed in towards listening chair?


I have done some searching on the net, but keep finding setup for HT. I am hoping someone will give me a starting point and I will take it from there.

Steve

[GM]

Greets!

No typical room likely to be used for Hi-Fi or HT is acceptable as is, so it becomes a matter of how much you're willing to compensate with the speaker system and/or room treatment. Since there's no scale drawing of your room or (fixed) furniture layout and the speakers are built, all I'm going to say for now is that normally they should go on the narrow wall and in such a small room you either do a nearfield setup for one person or stick them in the corners and sit at least as far away as the distance between them and do a search for DIY room treatments (diaphramatic absorbers, bass traps, etc.) to smooth the room response out somewhat.

Remember, you have studio monitor drivers that were originally optimized for small rooms/nearfield apps, so studying up on recording studio control room design seems the thing to do...........

GM

[billfort]

Yes, 10 x 13 is very small but in my opinion, you stand the best chance of getting an Altec to work acceptably in there by using a 604 so you have a good starting point.

The smallest room I ever used my 604-8G?s in was about 11 x 12 and even though I never experienced what they are truly capable of until I got them in a larger space, they weren?t half bad in there. Originally I used them on the short wall but they where a little better on the long wall (if you can call it that), maybe just because of reduced side wall reflections and a touch more seperation.

It definitely got better with room treatments at first reflection points and lots of absorption on the wall directly behind the listening position ? which had to be right up against the absorption panel. Moving from rectangular cabinets to corner cabinets was a big improvement and even though a true corner cabinet gives you much better floor-space utilization that just putting the 17 cabinet there and turning it, try it anyway.

The main thing is that my experience is pretty pointless here ? different room and I?m sure a completely different system. You have some major room limitations to deal with and you have to try the 17?s in all possible locations. Maybe you should do what I did, empty the room, set up only your system and try the speakers anywhere you can get them to fit. When you find something you like, tweak that location with room treatments which I feel are critical in a space this small.

Once you?ve got by all that, THEN think about how you can jamb everything else in there without compromising listening too much. I managed to fit a stereo rack, separate TT stand, a futon, coffee table, end table, a few hundred LP?s and my Altecs in that little 11 x 12 space. It sure as **** wasn?t the greatest room but I can?t think of any other speakers I would have preferred in there.

[www.records]

Excellent gentlemen, thank you!! Just the kind of responses I was hoping for. I was beginning to think that my room situation must be a total disaster. I will begin doing some studying and then try different positioning. I will also check into cheap room treatments possibilities.

Thanks again for your feedback and responses. I may just make this strictly a listening room, and move my 4,000 Lp collection and computer to the spare room. The Lp's are definately going to a dedicated room.

[selmerdave]

Steve, if it makes you feel any better my room is 7' x 9'. I have many dreams about larger listening rooms...

Right now I sit on one of the short walls against the wall. The 604's are about 5' from that wall, with a very slight toe-in and the drivers are centered probably about 18" from the side walls (leaving about 4" between the cabinets and the walls and about 2 1/2' between cabinets). It's about two and a half feet behind the cabinets to the back walls.

I've been in this room for about two years now and tried a few different configurations, and at the moment this is my preference. One thing that didn't work was speakers in the corners of a short wall and me at the other end of the room. Also I much prefer it with me against the wall compared to being out a couple of feet in the room, I don't know if that's cutting down on some of the reflections. For a while I had the speakers set up on one of the long walls and that was okay but I seem to prefer the current setup. I have some sheets of cork on one of the walls but certainly could benefit from a LOT more room treatment, unfortunately it gets expensive too and there are limits when you are renting.

So I wouldn't give up but don't be surprised when you start having those dreams.

Dave

[Adhoc]

Like some others already said, I would place the speakers at the short wall. If listening height is at about 38", places for listening position to check out would be 51-57" from a side (=long) wall and 57-62" or 67-75" from the back wall. At least in theory these 2 positions should give few problems with room modes (based on room size 10x13x8'). Avoid a "perfectly centrered symmetrical" position, just a few incehes off centre can make a huge positive change.

A good informative page to read is http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html The setups on this page is for recording studios but it is just as relevant for your listening room. Through some of the links you will also find drawings on panel traps and bass traps (which GM mentioned) where to place them and so on.

[www.records]

Adhoc, thanks for the website. I have it saved for future reference. It will be another month before I can begin moving my system around and setting up my room.