Monitor Placement

[skie]

Hi I have a pair of Yamaha HS80m and am about to pick up some Adam a5x. Currently my Yamaha are directly on either side of my computer monitor. When I install the Adams', since they are 5" speakers, is it better to have them closer together (where the yamaha's are now) and move the Yamaha's to the outer position, or does it make a difference?

Thank you!

[drloop]

Best is to have your nearfield monitors where you and your monitors will form a triangle with equally length of the sides. Your ears should be positioned so they are in the middle of the tweeter and mainspeaker of your monitors.
Read the manual to the Adam speakers and you will find the answer better explained.

[deepndark]

Yeah, I have both monitors on the speaker stands and me + the two monitors are a triangle. This was suggested when I read the manual.

[skie]

Thanks guys, yeah I'm familiar with the triangle rule, but for people with more than one set of monitors it would imply that you need to change your seat's position every time you switch back and forth.

[Olivier]

Thanks guys, yeah I'm familiar with the triangle rule, but for people with more than one set of monitors it would imply that you need to change your seat's position every time you switch back and forth.

[ Assuming you're in a home-studio situation and probably don't have endless room... ]

That is the only option you have if you want it setup in an equilateral triangle. But be aware that these rules sort of assume the rest of your room is also optimised in layout, acoustic treatment, etcetera. If that all isn't the case then don't focus too much on that.
I'd say decide on what it is you actually expect from both sets of speakers, make a checklist of what to test to see if they deliver this in the position they are in, and start experimenting.

Does it mean one of the 2 sets gets closer to the walls on the side ? What does this do for reflections ?

You can try to find out which set of speakers acts best in a wider configuration. Wider usually also means you perceive a wider stereo field. The ADAM's have ribbon tweeters, in my ADAM A7X's they help give great stereo. Maybe the A5X's have significantly better stereo defenition (i never made the comparison) So maybe the speakers with less defenition can take the wider position so both sets sound a bit the same defenition wise.... But on the other hand, what is the point of having two sets that sound the same ?

You see you can go on and on like this.

So... basically, what do you want from your speakers ?

[skie]

^Good point. I think I will have to choose between which ones I plan to make my "main" monitors and which ones I want to use for "checking". Since I'm more concerned with mid-range these days, think I 'll make the A5x's my main ones and use the Yamahas HS80m's more for bass-checking. Thanks for the feedback.