Speaker Asylum

General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

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Original Message

It depends entirely . . .

Posted by caspian@peak.org on January 13, 2010 at 21:29:53:
. . . on how the designer intended them to be placed.

Many small speakers are intended to be placed on stands, well away from walls. These are designed with up to 6dB of baffle diffraction step compensation (look it up), so they will not sound thin and anemic when so placed. They will sound thick and muddy when placed too close to a wall -- ESPECIALLY if they are rear-ported. (If they must be placed within a foot or so of a wall, then some big pads of sound-absorbent material behind them would definitely help. 2x2 foot slabs of 4"-thick rockwool, covered with sculptured acoustic foam, would be about the minimum necessary acoustic treatment.

A few small monitor speakers (see North Creek for some excellent kits) are designed for near-wall or bookshelf placement. These, by contrast, WOULD sound thin and anemic if placed out in the room on stands.

Define your placement limitations/purpose, and then shop for appropriate speakers.