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Home theater cinema, multichannel music, and stereo music are 3 scenarios affecting how the majority of us layout our array of loudspeakers and subwoofers.
For MCH and stereo music, I totally understand why the Left, Center, and Right (I'll call Front soundstage) speakers are placed in relationship to the listenening position. Guidelines for proper stereo imaging recommend a separation of L and R speakers by a distance equal to the distance from the listening point to the bisect point of the above L to R speaker line.
Other positioning guidelines have recommended a 60 degree subtended angle from the listening position to the L and R speakers.
My question is, is this really the IDEAL front soundstage for home theater cinema? While at the movies this evening, it dawned on me that from my seat, my subtended angle to the far L and far R edges of the screen were well inside (smaller than) 60 degrees. And, my seat was a lot further back in distance from the screen than entire width of the screen (practically speaking, this being the furthest possible separation of the L and R speakers). Of course, these angles and distances in a theather change drastically from the front rows, to the middle rows, and all the way to the back rows.
The new Harry Potter film had an extremely tight and convincing soundstage. Center channel dialogue was distinct, front soundstage music, directional cues, panning effects across the front all were convincing and it "sounded" inclusive of the action that was occurring on screen. I moved around to different areas of the movie theater, and I believed there were no appreciable differences in the front soundstage credibility.
So, the reason for my post is this: In our homes, why aren't the front soundstage speakers aligned within the parameters of the widest dimension of the display? Is it a "psychoacoustic phenomena" that keeps that front soundstange credible, as long as the dimensions stay within the screen diameter as the largest separation of speakers (as it seems to work at the movies).
Alternatively, which would sound better (anyone do a double blind study?) the above layout or the layout that keeps the proper distances based on the listening spot's distance to the center with the subtended angle of 60 degrees to the L and R speakers?
Many of us have to make compromises with our ultimate positioning of speakers, for various reasons. Just asking if we indeed have more flexibility in placement options if Front Soundstage speakers can successfully (and even ideally?) be placed within the front width dimension of a homeowner's display. ( I realize that this now becomes problematic with imaging and soundstage with stereo reproduction, but theoretically okay for those doing predominantly HT?)
For MCH and stereo music, I totally understand why the Left, Center, and Right (I'll call Front soundstage) speakers are placed in relationship to the listenening position. Guidelines for proper stereo imaging recommend a separation of L and R speakers by a distance equal to the distance from the listening point to the bisect point of the above L to R speaker line.
Other positioning guidelines have recommended a 60 degree subtended angle from the listening position to the L and R speakers.
My question is, is this really the IDEAL front soundstage for home theater cinema? While at the movies this evening, it dawned on me that from my seat, my subtended angle to the far L and far R edges of the screen were well inside (smaller than) 60 degrees. And, my seat was a lot further back in distance from the screen than entire width of the screen (practically speaking, this being the furthest possible separation of the L and R speakers). Of course, these angles and distances in a theather change drastically from the front rows, to the middle rows, and all the way to the back rows.
The new Harry Potter film had an extremely tight and convincing soundstage. Center channel dialogue was distinct, front soundstage music, directional cues, panning effects across the front all were convincing and it "sounded" inclusive of the action that was occurring on screen. I moved around to different areas of the movie theater, and I believed there were no appreciable differences in the front soundstage credibility.
So, the reason for my post is this: In our homes, why aren't the front soundstage speakers aligned within the parameters of the widest dimension of the display? Is it a "psychoacoustic phenomena" that keeps that front soundstange credible, as long as the dimensions stay within the screen diameter as the largest separation of speakers (as it seems to work at the movies).
Alternatively, which would sound better (anyone do a double blind study?) the above layout or the layout that keeps the proper distances based on the listening spot's distance to the center with the subtended angle of 60 degrees to the L and R speakers?
Many of us have to make compromises with our ultimate positioning of speakers, for various reasons. Just asking if we indeed have more flexibility in placement options if Front Soundstage speakers can successfully (and even ideally?) be placed within the front width dimension of a homeowner's display. ( I realize that this now becomes problematic with imaging and soundstage with stereo reproduction, but theoretically okay for those doing predominantly HT?)
