Setup
The configuration and placement of your monitors in your studio can affect their performance.
Use the following guidelines to get the best performance out of your monitors.
Placement
Place your monitors 3–5 feet (1–1.5 meters) apart from each
other and from you so that they form an equilateral triangle
with your position when viewed from above. Angle them
slightly inward so that the drivers face you.
In general, we recommend placing them at least 3 feet
(approximately 1 meter) away from the nearest wall and other
flat surfaces.
Tips:
Make sure your studio and monitors are equidistant from the
walls on either side of it. This helps ensure proper symmetry
of your stereo signal.
If possible, set up your studio and monitors in the "front" third of the room. This helps prevent
the reflections of peak frequencies from building up.
If possible, place your monitors on speaker stands instead of directly on your desk. Desks
tend to resonate sympathetically at low frequencies and may adversely affect the monitors'
bass response. If you cannot use speaker stands, try placing the monitors on isolation pads to
acoustically "de-couple" the monitors from the desk.
Use other sound-absorbent materials (carpeting, foam, etc.) to prevent reflections in the room.
Height
Position the monitors so that they are parallel to the ground
and that your ears are between the midpoint of the woofer
and the tweeter.
Orientation
If possible, place the monitors in their upright position;
avoid laying them on their sides. The woofer and tweeter
are
vertically
aligned
and
will
provide
the
best
performance when the monitors are upright. Placing them
on their sides may create strong reflections from nearby
surfaces resulting in spectrally unbalanced sound.
If your monitors must be oriented horizontally due to
Tweeters
space or line-of-sight considerations, place them so that
their tweeters are on the "inside" to improve imaging.
4