Cardas speaker placement tool - The Golden Ratio

ohbythebay

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Many of you have heard of Cardas (they make Cardas wires, interconnects, etc.) and are well regarded. Also, you may have heard of the Golden Speaker placement rectangle rule or Golden ratio...

This tool from Cardas can make your life easier in figuring the distances and it will open up your sound dramatically...it worked awesome for me

http://www.cardas.com/speaker_placement.php


More info - both the tool and manual calc below MATCH
Use the golden ratio to get the best sound from your loudspeakers in any rectangular sized room


Very precise speaker placement can open up a whole new dimension in listening, so I will outline the system that is becoming the standard of the industry. This standardized listening room is a Golden Cuboid and is the model of math used in the system. This method will work with any panel or box speaker, in any reasonably sized rectangular room. You may find that you have already positioned your speakers this way by ear.

Active nodes are the main concern when placing speakers in a rectangular room. A node, or the frequency where speakers and parallel walls interact, is proportional to the speaker to the wall distance.

The three most importance nodes, in order of importance, are proportional to the distance between the speaker and:
1.The side wall nearest the speaker
2.The rear wall
3.The side wall across from the speaker

A secondary factor is the speaker-to-speaker time constant.

When you use this method to set your room up, the speakers are placed so the three nodes progress or differ from one another in Golden Ratio. This eliminates any unison or near unison resonance in the nodes.

Speaker placement, simply stated.
1.The distance from the center of the woofer face to the side walls is:
Room Width (RW) x .276
2.The distance from the center of the woofer face to the wall behind the speaker is:
Room Width (RW) x .447

This is all you need to know to place speakers in a symmetrical, rectangular room.


Where it set me up
golden ratio.jpg
 
I (partially) use this method also. It puts my speakers into the room too much, as far as my wife is concerned. So I have them closer to the front wall as they should be. Oh well...
 
It's great if you have a rectangular room. I struggle wth the most challanging configuration. A square room. Very difficult.

I would think it would still work...say the room is 12 ft square...the back and sidewalls would still apply. Listening spot would still be about 7 to 9 ft back?

If not..this will help....http://www.jimloy.com/geometry/golden.htm

Just teasing...that one made my head hurt...;)
 
I (partially) use this method also. It puts my speakers into the room too much, as far as my wife is concerned. So I have them closer to the front wall as they should be. Oh well...

Yeah...that took some convincing on my better half also ..she went for that but keeps pushing my listening chair BACK away from the speakers because it "Looks better"...lol
 
I use the Cardas method...

most of all, trust your ears:)

Dave
Agreed. Cardas is a good starting point, and then tweak from there for best balance of soundstage, center image, and tonal balance.
 
Agreed. Cardas is a good starting point, and then tweak from there for best balance of soundstage, center image, and tonal balance.

+1 I tried the Cardas method but it put my speakers too far out in the room, the wife didn't care for a pair of LaScalas sitting in the middle of the living room. :)
 
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