Every issue of Wiedscreen Review they publish the "Editor's Home Theatres" (sic) and the mothership, I mean, the WSR Holosonic Theatre (sic) Lab. I gotta think that these guys know what they are doing with sound. BUT:

The Holosonic theater places the main listening almost dead center in the room, and two of the three home theaters in the editor's home place the main listener against a wall. From all I've read about acoustic theory:

One should sit 1/3 or 2/3 of the way into the room, and never 1/2 or against a wall. Imaging and, especially, bass response is often compromised by the sitting in the middle of the room or against a wall.

And yet these reference setups have the main listener in these "verboten" locations.

What's the secret?

---

And, yes, I am asking in order to learn -- hopefully -- that the "rules" about ideal seating, especially in the center of the room, are not true -- because in the garage I'm converting, the most logical sweet spot seat is very close to the center of a 17' x 14' room.... and there will likely be a row of seats behind that spot that sit VERY CLOSE to the rear wall.

For one example, look at the layout recommendations in the JL Audio manual for their now famous Fathom subs: http://home.jlaudio.com/pdfs/10456.pdf

Gary's holosonic theater layout would undoubtedly provide amazing imaging. Reber and I have discussed surround since the early '90s, and he has always advocated five identical speakers on an arc, aimed at a single listening position. However, getting any bass at all dead center in a room is as hard as holding a board in the air with one hand, and trying to hammer a nail into it with the other.

I assume that Reber cares not only about imaging (where I concur with his approach whenever it's possible) but also about good accurate bass. So I would think he's got some method for making it "right" in his reference theater. What's the trick? Is the drawing in WSR not to scale, and the sweet spot seat is not really dead center?

I've heard some pretty negative things about the image quality of their reference theater, despite using twin Barco 909s in there, so I've always been a bit skeptical about their setup.

Any such rumors about the audio? If I thought I could get away with my primary seating position in or near the center of the room, that would be GREAT...

I've always been a bit skeptical about their setup.
Agreed. The acoustic treatment is all wrong. And the bass response must be severely lacking as pointed out by the OP. Actually, seeing that each month always gives me a chuckle. :D

--Ethan