Speaker positioning questions

[jroitgrund]

In an imperfect world, there isn't a single listening position (let's say you have a dozen guests over), and because the of the space they take up, the speakers can't be too far from the walls as suggested in many placement guides (e.g. most of the positions in http://noaudiophile.com/speakercalc/ have the speakers more than 1/3rd of the way from the main wall).

So I'm curious about a few things:

1. How much worse (I guess this is speaker and room dependent, but as an idea) will poorly placed speakers sound? If we use the "speaker preference" rating used in speaker measurement reviews across this site (e.g. https://sites.google.com/view/speaker-data/speakers/preference-ratings-graphs?pli=1), how many points would they lose? Or, could you give an example such as "I'd rather listen to well-placed $xxx speakers than poorly placed $xxx speakers"?
2. Assuming you can't place speakers perfectly and will have to compromise, and that there isn't a single listening position, what's the most important part of positioning (distance from side wall, distance from main wall, symmetry) ?
3. Is it a good idea to get front-ported rather than rear-ported speakers if you can't place them far from the wall, or does it not matter as long as they're at least about 1ft away ?
4. Is it pointless to invest in good speakers if they won't be placed well? If so, what would you consider a cut-off budget wise?
5. What are the most important aspects of a speaker (ideally, which can be measured with a spinorama), assuming there isn't a single listening position and placement may not be optimal? For instance, is it a good idea to focus on speakers with similar on- and off-axis responses (my understanding is this means room reflections are less bothersome)?
6. How important are reflections from whatever the speaker is placed on (this is mentioned e.g. in the ASR review of the Yamaha HS7 https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/yamaha-hs7-review-studio-monitor.19761/)? Can and should you avoid those using rubber feet, or foam pads?

Thanks for any answers

 

[AudioStudies]

#1 - I don't think you would ever be able to put a numerical value on that, as it would depend in what manner the speakers were poorly placed.
#2 - I think the answer to this will depend on whether or not the speakers are toed-in or not. It is more about where the first reflection occurs, than distance from side vs main walls.
#3 - Front ported could be beneficial and I think the distance where it won't matter to use rear ported will vary with the speaker; and also whether or not there is anything between the speakers - such as an equipment rack
#4 - Investment in good speakers is a good idea because your situation may change to one in which you can position them properly. Especially now that there are many excellent and affordable powered monitors.
#5 - I don't think you can point to one aspect alone, but if forced to do so, I would choose frequency response.
#6 - Foam pads may be beneficial, not detrimental -- depending on the speaker and the material the pads are made of.

 

[kiwifi]

In an imperfect world, there isn't a single listening position (let's say you have a dozen guests over), and because the of the space they take up, the speakers can't be too far from the walls as suggested in many placement guides (e.g. most of the positions in http://noaudiophile.com/speakercalc/ have the speakers more than 1/3rd of the way from the main wall).

So I'm curious about a few things:

1. How much worse (I guess this is speaker and room dependent, but as an idea) will poorly placed speakers sound? If we use the "speaker preference" rating used in speaker measurement reviews across this site (e.g. https://sites.google.com/view/speaker-data/speakers/preference-ratings-graphs?pli=1), how many points would they lose? Or, could you give an example such as "I'd rather listen to well-placed $xxx speakers than poorly placed $xxx speakers"?

1. Assuming you can't place speakers perfectly and will have to compromise, and that there isn't a single listening position, what's the most important part of positioning (distance from side wall, distance from main wall, symmetry) ?

Better to place speakers flush against a wall with absorbsion between, as SBIR frequencies will be higher and easier to control.

1. Is it a good idea to get front-ported rather than rear-ported speakers if you can't place them far from the wall, or does it not matter as long as they're at least about 1ft away ?

Avoid ported speakers as they are more difficult to integrate. For bass get multiple subwoofers instead and even the response with DSP and MSO.

1. Is it pointless to invest in good speakers if they won't be placed well? If so, what would you consider a cut-off budget wise?

No, but room treatment is as important as the speaker, maybe more so. The best speakers will only sound as good as the room that they are in.

1. What are the most important aspects of a speaker (ideally, which can be measured with a spinorama), assuming there isn't a single listening position and placement may not be optimal? For instance, is it a good idea to focus on speakers with similar on- and off-axis responses (my understanding is this means room reflections are less bothersome)?

Wildly different on axis an off axis response would be a red flag. You don't want to have to hold your head in a vice to stay in the sweet spot.

1. How important are reflections from whatever the speaker is placed on (this is mentioned e.g. in the ASR review of the Yamaha HS7 https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/yamaha-hs7-review-studio-monitor.19761/)? Can and should you avoid those using rubber feet, or foam pads?

Rubber feet/pads prevent cabinet vibration being transferred to the room via contact. A decent cabinet won't vibrate in the first place.