RF-3 Two Channel Stereo Placement Question.

[Gene2]

Please forgive the double post, but I posted this on the Technical Questions forum and didn't get much responce.

Hi,

I’ve been an owner of a pair of RF-3s for almost ten years,
matched with the warm sound of my B&K Ref 7250 amp, they normally give a very
articulate but still reasonably warm sound. The majority of my listening is
music, so despite having a processer preamp (B&K Ref 20), I always optimize
the system for 2 channel direct stereo. I use the direct mode because I think
the DACs in my player (Rotel RCD 991) seem to sound better than those in the
preamp.

But a few months I changed flats, so I had the opportunity to
play a little with speaker placement to optimize the sound for the new room.
Back in my old place I had the RF-3s much closer to the back wall then the
majority of the advice I’ve read for placement of these speakers. Almost
everything I’ve read advises RF-3s should be at least around 12” from the away
from the back and side walls and toed in to point almost directly at the
listener. So I used this advice as a starting point when I got the system
running again. But in this position the sound was at best thin with little
bottom end and the horns just screeched. After spending about a month in
“speaker placement wilderness” I eventually moved them back to much closer to
the back wall. Well the speakers came back to life!! Now they have the full
sound again I’ve become too accustomed to.

Currently the inner corners of the speakers are 7.25”
(185mm) and outer corner 9” (230mm) from the back wall (that makes a toe in
angle of 11 deg). The speakers are 85.5” (2170mm) apart and my optimum
listening position is 110” (2795mm) from the speakers. I was wondering if
anybody here might be able to fill me in on why my placement is so different
than the conventional advice. I know about rooms and ears all being different,
so speaker placement will be different and how moving speakers closer to the
back wall will increase the level of bass, but mine is way beyond what I’ve
read.

Thanks

Gene

[quadklipsh]

Bro

I have been in the same fix from a few months of owning

These towers .

Depends what you expect from them and obviously the room

Acoustics play a big role.

Mine got better when I toed them in directly at my face

(Gave deeper soundstage).and also my thirst for the deeper bass

Bass slightly alleviated ,when I placed them opposite

the solid wall ,as opposed to large 10x10 feet window pane wall,covered with

Curtains.

Also they sound dramatically neater when placed 20 to 25 inches from

The rear wall. And 3 feet from the side walls .in my 16 by 15

Feet room they are 7.5 feet apart and 9 to 10 feet from me.

Hope that helps you partner !