Depends on the speaker, specifically the high frequency dispersion angle, but in general, yes. Most speakers have a 30 degree full bandwidth dispersion angle (+/- 15 degrees from directly on axis). If you can cover all your HT seats with that and not toe in, then you don't have to. Won't usually happen, BTW, except for a few specifically designed for the purpose.If one uses his/her system completely for movie with 5.1, 7.1,etc... Is toe in the left/right speakers necessary?
Anything with a sustained high end. No specific movie clip, but pink noise and REW would be a good choice.Which movie clip would you guys suggest to experiment this?
Most are, a few aren't. The good ones probably are though a theater speaker should, in theory, have controlled dispersion that covers all seats, usually with their -6dB point at 80 or 90 degrees (total, not +/-) A bit of toe-in on the L/R screen speakers will help get the high end to the seats on the opposite side of the theater while keeping the seats on the same side in balance. They also aim them vertically too.Are speakers in commercial theater toed in? Thanks.
If you don't already have a center, that's job one. More important than toe in, by a lot. At risk of repetition, 80% of the total sound in a film soundtrack is mixed to the center channel. If you don't use a center, that channel is spread evenly between L and R, but you will not get the right mix at all.^^ Thanks. My speakers are 7.5' apart and I am about 8.5' from them. I can see the point of having the vocal death center with stereo speaker pair.
What other way is there?I am curious about the 5.1/7.1 movie mix where each channel is mixed discretely, so would we want sound from left is coming from left, right from right, center from center?
The point of my question is why toe in the left and right trying to get image centered from them where there already is a center doing that. With discrete 5.1/7.1 movie mix, don't we want sound from left and right coming where they are instead of having center image from them by toeing in?What other way is there?
^^ Thanks. My speakers are 7.5' apart and I am about 8.5' from them. I can see the point of having the vocal death center with stereo speaker pair. I am curious about the 5.1/7.1 movie mix where each channel is mixed discretely, so would we want sound from left is coming from left, right from right, center from center?
Toe-in doesn't affect the position of the center phantom image, it affects the available seating area where the full high-end is present.The point of my question is why toe in the left and right trying to get image centered from them where there already is a center doing that. With discrete 5.1/7.1 movie mix, don't we want sound from left and right coming where they are instead of having center image from them by toeing in?
Toe-in affects speaker dominance only at the high end, because with toe-in you cover the seating area with full bandwidth, without it, the coverage is left or right dominant depending on where you sit. But it's a high-end only problem, mid band speakers are pretty wide, like 90 degrees @ 1KHz vs 30 at 10KHz.But I believe that there will still be sounds that image between L and R. Even if that never happens toe-in will still help the overall sound experience if you sit slightly off center. With no toe-in sitting slightly to the right or left will result in either the R or L speaker dominating in sound and distracting from the experience. The goal should be to never ever "hear" a speaker but to be in a bubble of sound.
And Lo! The dipole surround speaker born of necessity.But most of the time the biggest problem is usually poorly placed surrounds where you end up having a speaker in you ear.
If only we had polars. I once asked a rather prominent speaker manufacturer who sells on-line direct with an easy demo/return policy about polar plots of a couple of their speakers so I could design a room. I was told they had them, but didn't provide them. Huh? Why, because they show their speakers to be vacuum-enabled? That was my only possible conclusion. Nothing at all about off-axis response was available.Probably to do it scientifically having a polar plot of your speakers dispersion could guide you.
Finally, we recommend, with Klipsch speakers, that the midrange/tweeter horn be "toed-in" toward the listener to create the best imaging.
You asked about toe-in, so it makes sense folks responded with ways to adjust your speaker orientation for best imaging over the widest seating area. It's a set-up method.The point of my question is why toe in the left and right trying to get image centered from them where there already is a center doing that....
How about toe-ing the rear/back surrounds? Does it make a huge difference?
For my surrounds, i have them directly to the sides of the listening position and toed in towards the rear wall at about a 30 degree angle, but keep in mind that I have acoustic panels on the rear wall, but I find this scenario to work best for me as it covers the whole seating area, while not sounding too direct to the listener sitting in a seat closest to the speaker.How about toe-ing the rear/back surrounds? Does it make a huge difference?