How to set up and position your speakers

[What Hi-Fi?]

Make sure your speakers are set up and positioned correctly in order to really hear them at their best.

How to set up and position your speakers : Read more

 

[Markmaguire]

It always puzzles me that speaker manufacturers specify to put speakers on stands and a certain space away from the wall and each other. But their publicity photos often show them positioned on a single piece of furniture - often with a turntable, and pushed back against the wall with a parallel focus - not toed in.

 

[eoc69]

In my opinion, speakers always sound best when firing straight ahead, toe in only makes the speaker sound brighter

 

[Hifiman]

I wonder if anyone has performed a proper controlled study of ‘running in’ hifi equipment whether it be speakers, electronic equipment or analogue sources? While it seems more plausible that components which move, such as speaker cones, could benefit from doing this than, say, electronic ones (ever ran in a laptop?) I have yet to be fully convinced of its benefit in any situation.
I say this because I wonder if it is actually our ears/brains which are being ‘run in’ rather than the equipment, by which I mean we simply become more accustomed to the characteristics of the component over time and wrongly ascribe this ‘improvement’ to the equipment bedding in.
I have observed this most often when changing back to headphones I have previously used. Suddenly the original raw edges are there again until I get used to them once more.
It would be fascinating to conduct a study which objectively tests this.