Posted by Art Tedeschi on April 21, 2004 at 16:13:21:
In Reply to: Long or short wall for A-1's posted by Ki Choi on April 21, 2004 at 13:53:42:
I've owned A-1's since 1981 and have set them up in a wide variety of room sizes. I have found that they work well in either position, but if your room is relatively wide (16' or more) and relatively long, then I would generally recommend placing them on the short wall (but at least 1/4 of the way in from the back wall - they like lots of breathing room behind them).
For smaller rooms, I recommend placing them on the long wall; this way, you can maximize the distance between the speakers, thus maximizing the soundstage width (and don't be afraid to place them near - no less than 1' - the side walls); unlike most "box" speakers, the line source dispersion of the SL's permits this placement with little deleterious effect upon the soundstage. With this placement, you will have the "huge headphone" effect that can be surprisingly satisfying.
Most importantly, these suggestions are simply starting points - don't be afraid to experiment with placement - you will be highly rewarded. Oh, one more thing - even with the speakers relatively close to the listening position, toeing the speakers in more than a few degrees can damage soundstage integrity.