Hi

I'm creating a new system comprising of the SuperSat 50 L/R/C for the front and two SuperSat3 for the rear L/R. I would like to know if placing the SuperSat50 front L/R 78" (centre to centre) apart will be sufficient when the rear wall is 112" away. The ideal ratio specifies that the front L/R distance should be 84" but I simply don't have that much space. How will this effect the overall sound stage and stereo separation?

Thanks in advance,
Rocco

Rocco,

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like a nice lifestyle setup. Are you going to add a subwoofer? Is this a living room/family room? Based on normal recommendations, you would want the front mains an equal distance apart from each other and your primary listening position. If they are 78" apart, you would want to be seated 78" away from each speaker. If you're sitting against the back wall, it wouldn't be ideal; however, these are just guidelines. In my upstairs living room, I have my front 3 channels very close and it works well enough. 78" should give you good channel separation. I hope this is helpful. Good luck putting everything together.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Thank you for the reply.

In my current setup my speakers are 88" apart and my sitting distance is 98" away, which is a lot closer to the ideal of an equilateral triangle. Unfortunately, my new living room won't accommodate this setup. Having remeasured the living room space I can at most get another 2" inches of separation. However, will an extra 2" inches really make that much difference?

I've placed an order on two of the forcefield 4 subwoofers, figuring since I don't have a lot of placement options two subwoofers should help balance out any bass issues that may arise. I know GoldenEar recommends an x-over setting of 100Hz when used with the SuperSat50 but I'm hoping to set the x-over at 80Hz in order to avoid any localization issues but I'm sure having two subwoofers should eliminate any localization issues if I find the 100Hz x-over a better sounding option.



Thanks again,
Rocco

Hey Rocco,

'Will an extra 2'' really make that much of a difference?' The answer is, maybe. There's a lot of balance that goes into speaker placement. For example, placing the speakers closer to a corner will increase their lower end output, but too close to the corner and you'll hear strange reflections coming off of your side walls. There's more science and math than I care to understand. Your ears are your best bet here. Small tweaks can make huge differences.

I think with an 80hz crossover with the SuperSat50s will yield some significant holes between your subwoofer and your SuperSats. I could be mistaken, but I thought GoldenEar recommends a 120hz crossover for those speakers. Keep in mind that the SuperSats are just that; satellite speakers. You've actually already done what most would recommend to mitigate that issue which is purchasing 2 subwoofers. Are you able to position the subwoofers apart and near where your SuperSats will be located? If so, even with a higher crossover (100hz or 120hz). The SuperSat and ForceField subs should blend well enough together to avoid any localization issues you may hear.

Once again, small tweaks can make all the difference. Your best bet is to tweak it once you are in the space and let your ears be the judge.

Good advice from all here.

My answer to the 2" question is, not much. I have heard the SuperSat systems with less than ideal spacing and they still sound amazing. Biggest issue besides a slightly smaller soundstage is that off-axis seating position listeners will not be covered as well. Do what fits your space and design criteria, I'm sure you will like it.

Thanks for your reply.

Since the area has to be wired from scratch I'll have to definitely experiment. I'm hoping that a few inches won't make that much of a difference since the 78" works best in the new space.

Ciao,
Rocco