Why is the wall behind our speakers so often called the rear wall?

[Archguy]

 

[Archguy]

I'd scrap that overhead light most likely, and would definitely go for a higher ceiling if possible. In my main listening room there's a cathedral ceiling with complex surfaces up to nearly 20ft high. It makes a tremendous difference acoustically, but then so does carpeting and numerous other treatments.

 

[Gitfiddle]

For clarity, 'back wall' always refers to the wall at one's back.
It is the wall at the back of the room in relation to the front of the speakers.

Yeah adding clarity is good. I wasn't writing to call you out or anything. As I said, I personally think "back wall" should be enough. I'm just thinking its easy to avoid confusion with a few more words. So many people have never heard these phrases.

 

[Alannn]

If your rear wall is behind your speakers, then those speakers must be your rear (surround) speakers.

 

[dualazmak]

In my case, behind-between the L&R speaker systems, I have a room (actually our dining room) of rather acoustically dead.
And, behind my listening position I also have Japanese odd-shaped (not a simple rectangular) room with tatami(畳)-mat (Japanese heavy-thick-straw mats) and thick-paper-covered sliding doors (fusumas 襖); the room is quite/almost-perfectly dead acoustically.

As I shared in my post #11 above, however, I have small portions of "wall and sliding doors" behind the L&R speaker systems, and I have also a small wall left-behind of my listening position. Furthermore, I have left-side (looking from listening position) side wall "behind" the amplifiers etc. and right-side large-thick-double-glass-layer sliding-windows-doors (facing to our garden) usually doubly covered by thick drape-curtain and thin lace-curtain for sound insulation/absorption.

The ceiling is covered by diatom-panels carefully selected for proper sound absorption/insulation, the wooden floor is covered by a large carpet again carefully selected for proper sound absorption.

So,,, I need a lot of words describing my "walls, etc." in my listening environments. This is why I prefer sharing some photos of my listening room/environments which would worth hundreds (thousands?) of words.

Spoiler

Ref. here and here on my project thread for the latest system setup...

 

[Flaesh]

By the way, is there any agreement on the location of the right and left stereo channels?

 

[Archguy]

By the way, is there any agreement on the location of the right and left stereo channels?

We should take directions here from our nautical friends and stick with port & starboard.

 

[BenB]

I tend to agree, but we must consider the typical sensitivities and confusions of our American brothers. They can't help but be a bit confused, and use weird langwich at times.

View attachment 473192

I assume ze Germans have two different words:
Hörersrückwand
und
Lautsprecherrückwand
oder so ähnlich.
Talk about weird langwich.

 

[Flaesh]

We should take directions here from our nautical friends

Even if the ship is equipped with a rear bow at the front?..

 

[Chrispy]

I've never thought about calling such a "rear" wall. Just doesn't make sense.

 

[Bleib]

When I hear people refer to it as the rear wall, I always wonder what they would then call the wall behind them.

I think the wall behind people is mostly not even talked about, unless they have surround sound or if the wall is very close behind them causing tons of reflections

 

[boxerfan88]

To me, the wall in front of me when seated at MLP is called the “front wall”.

 

[Archguy]

Even if the ship is equipped with a rear bow at the front?..

Oh great. Now my brain hurts.

 

[Penelinfi]

To me it's easier to reference form the listener. The front wall is in front of you. You don't call it the rear wall for a TV. Why with speakers?

 

[Berwhale]

For clarity, 'back wall' always refers to the wall at one's back.
It is the wall at the back of the room in relation to the front of the speakers.

Try telling that to Quintus Teal See Heinlein's And He Built a Crooked House

 

[mixsit]

It depends on what your point of reference is. 1-From the speakers' point of view, it's the rear wall. 2-From the listener's, it's the front wall.

Also depends on your speakers. 3-From my speakers' point of view, it's just the baffle.

Gads. I guess I have to say '2 is the only one I can even see relating here.

Kyuu I'm here as I've honestly realized how far off I was with this, where you were spot on here. Your bringing 'points of references' forward in particular Sir.
Let me thank you.

 

[Subob]

We should take directions here from our nautical friends and stick with port & starboard.

How very POSH





* For clarity. Port Out Starboard Home.

 

[Mart68]

How very POSH





* For clarity. Port Out Starboard Home.

It's amazing that passed into common use.

 

[kifeep]

Everyone knows that the wall behind the main speakers is properly called upstage. Side walls may be interchangeably referred to as stage left / house right and stage right / house left.

 

[Berwhale]

* For clarity. Port Out Starboard Home.

For clarity, that popular origin story for posh is a myth...

Is the Word 'Posh' a Shortening of 'Port Out, Starboard Home'?

"Posh" is a word now best understood as a descriptor of something elegant or stylishly luxurious.

www.snopes.com