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Topic: If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways? (Read 6876 times) previous topic - next topic
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If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #1 –
Since you can rotate the mid/tweeter, you should be fine.  And if you sit in one place with the speakers pointed directly at your head, it shouldn't make any difference...

I hope this makes sense...  The issue is phase...  When two drivers are placed next to each other, one driver can be closer to your ear than the other (depending on the angle of the speaker).    The sound waves add or subtract en-route to your ears depending on the frequency and the difference in distance.    This a bigger issue with higher frequencies (shorter wavelengths).   

With a 2-way or 3-speaker which has one driver per frequency band, this is only an issue around the crossover frequency where two drivers are reproducing the same frequency.   

With one driver above the other, the frequency interference between the two drivers changes as you move up & down (such as sitting or standing), but it doesn't change when you move side-to-side.    If the drivers are side-by-side, you'll hear dramatic differences in frequency response as you move across the listening area.   

It's usually a better compromise to place one driver above the otherbecause the horizontal listening angle is usually greater than the vertical listening angle.  When you see a speaker with two or more tweeters (covering the same frequencies) the tweeters will normally be mounted vertically rather than horizontally.

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: peterh on
I was thinking of getting the focal Trios. These monitors can be placed upright or sideways

http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/n-pktq5q/66fsh...80.1280.JPG?c=2

http://vintageking.com/media/catalog/produ...l_trio6be_2.jpg

My question is if I put them sideways, will the audio image seem sideways? Because if so I don't want to get them. If not, why?


No the image won't be sideways because the image forms between the left and right speakers and they will still be left and right speakers no matter how each one is oriented.

That's not to say that the sound quality will be identically the same with either orientation of the tweeter/midrange panels. Strictly speaking the only speakers that are not orientation sensitive is speakers that are coaxial, that is they have concentric high and low frequency drivers like these:

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
No the image won't be sideways because the image forms between the left and right speakers and they will still be left and right speakers no matter how each one is oriented.

So if I have the left channel on the right and vice versa, then the image is upside down? ;~)
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #4 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
Since you can rotate the mid/tweeter, you should be fine.  And if you sit in one place with the speakers pointed directly at your head, it shouldn't make any difference...


Thank you very much for your response. I was just wondering what if I don't sit in one place with it pointed directly at my head?

Btw the woofer doesn't rotate, so if that's the case will the sound coming out of that be sideways?

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #5 –
- There should be minimum listening distance listed in specs (Which depends on distance between drivers and probably their frequency response, but don't quote me .... , as for the woofer > the position should be less important than tweeters).
- From what I remember, manufacturers usually state if the speakers could be positioned vertically or not, which should correspond to the type of build, most boxy ones should be able to lay down just fine.
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If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: peterh on
Quote from: DVDdoug on
Since you can rotate the mid/tweeter, you should be fine.  And if you sit in one place with the speakers pointed directly at your head, it shouldn't make any difference...


Thank you very much for your response. I was just wondering what if I don't sit in one place with it pointed directly at my head?


Counter-rotating just the mid and the tweeter does not completely offset the changes in off-axis response due to rotating the whole speaker, and these changes are usually stronger off-axis than on-axis.

Quote
Btw the woofer doesn't rotate, so if that's the case will the sound coming out of that be sideways?


In general all most speaker drivers are round and the response of the round ones is symmetrical about their axis of symmetry passing through the center of the speaker.  There is no top to bottom or side to side orientation of the sound coming out of the round driver.

Therefore, there is no difference in the driver's response from top to bottom or from left to right. 

I wonder if you are thinking that sound waves are polarized like some light waves. The answer is that sound waves lack polarization because they are longitudinal waves.

The sound waves generally radiate in spherical waves starting at the acoustical center of the speaker speaker which is usually near the voice coil. and moving out along the axis of symmetry  of the speaker. If the speaker diaphragm is flat, then the waves are often more like plane waves.

Any speaker system that has non-coaxial drivers introduces asymmetry in the speaker system's response  because of the displacement of the drivers from side to side or top to bottom.

Thus rotating the tweeter and the mid range only compensates for part of the difference in directivity created by rotating the whole speaker system.

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Any speaker system that has non-coaxial drivers introduces asymmetry in the speaker system's response  because of the displacement of the drivers from side to side or top to bottom.

Thus rotating the tweeter and the mid range only compensates for part of the difference in directivity created by rotating the whole speaker system.



What will the effect of that be?

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #8 –
I wouldn't expect a significant difference...  Maybe no audible difference...  Maybe the same order of difference you'd get by moving themby a foot or two, or by slightly changing the angle..  It might even sound better sideways (in your particular room).

If I'm reading the Focal website correctly, the 8-inch woofer ("subwoofer"?) kicks-in at 90Hz.    The acoustical wavelength at 90 Hz is about 12 feet (about 4 meters).  That's calculated form the speed of sound in the air.

With a long wavelength and the relatively short distance between the drivers (relative to the wavelength) the sound waves can't get out of phase with each other so the orientation shouldn't matter.

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #9 –
Quote from: peterh on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Any speaker system that has non-coaxial drivers introduces asymmetry in the speaker system's response  because of the displacement of the drivers from side to side or top to bottom.

Thus rotating the tweeter and the mid range only compensates for part of the difference in directivity created by rotating the whole speaker system.



What will the effect of that be?


I can't predict that from thousands of miles away. It takes about an hour's worth of measurement and analysis per speaker to come up with nice pictures that show the various relevant effects.

Here's a relevant white paper: Geddes on speaker directivity

Pretty pictures: Run Polar Map Program

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Quote from: peterh on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Any speaker system that has non-coaxial drivers introduces asymmetry in the speaker system's response  because of the displacement of the drivers from side to side or top to bottom.

Thus rotating the tweeter and the mid range only compensates for part of the difference in directivity created by rotating the whole speaker system.



What will the effect of that be?


I can't predict that from thousands of miles away. It takes about an hour's worth of measurement and analysis per speaker to come up with nice pictures that show the various relevant effects.

Here's a relevant white paper: Geddes on speaker directivity

Pretty pictures: Run Polar Map Program


So your saying it will change the sound in some way (change the size of the sweetspot etc.), but definitely not make it sound sideways. So if someone is strumming a guitar from up to down, the sound won't change to strumming side to side.

If I place my speakers sideways, will the audio image seem sideways?

Reply #11 –
Quote from: peterh on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Quote from: peterh on
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
Any speaker system that has non-coaxial drivers introduces asymmetry in the speaker system's response  because of the displacement of the drivers from side to side or top to bottom.

Thus rotating the tweeter and the mid range only compensates for part of the difference in directivity created by rotating the whole speaker system.



What will the effect of that be?


I can't predict that from thousands of miles away. It takes about an hour's worth of measurement and analysis per speaker to come up with nice pictures that show the various relevant effects.

Here's a relevant white paper: Geddes on speaker directivity

Pretty pictures: Run Polar Map Program


So your saying it will change the sound in some way (change the size of the sweetspot etc.), but definitely not make it sound sideways. So if someone is strumming a guitar from up to down, the sound won't change to strumming side to side.


Correct.