Having burned your bridges and now gloating at your loudspeakers in your house, it's time to plan their most optimal positions. You are about to tackle the question of the very best combination of distances between the speakers, the walls, the furniture and yourself.

For those who are green on speaker positioning, why not get help from hi-fi salesman? Otherwise, you will need to do some research. So, consider that among the basics here is that the ideal height is so that the top of the speakers is about level with the top of your head as you sit in your favourite armchair.

Next, how far should the speaker be from the back wall? The best way to gauge is through hit or miss. Start with the speakers practically touching the wall, and listen to a familiar piece of music. Problems you can expect are bass-heavy sound. Should that happen, experiment with distancing the the speakers away from the wall a few inches at a time to see what sounds best. Mind you, a difference of six inches can matter!

How about moving speakers away from side walls, too? The goal is to have an equidistant triangle between you and the two sound sources. But it never hurts to try finding out if bringing the speakers together will be more fun.

Then we have to mention that other speaker buffs actually check out pointing and tilting (forward by a few inches) the speakers to get the most out of them. A lot of it depends actually on the speaker model and the room characteristics.

Surround systems?

With regards to surround systems, the combinations are of course endless. The center speaker is already a given the moment you put your TV in the middle. Next to get adjusted are the front left and right speakers, followed lastly by rear speakers.

If you're going to get more out of that new system, start it without spending a single penny!

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Pros: Classy look, Heavy metal base, easy to set up; works well with Sony SA-VE speakers; height-adjustable

Cons: Expensive

Summary: The Sony WS-FV11 speaker stands is all metal and big in terms of weight; easy set up (the base can be removed from the stand through the threaded bottom); when joined at the base and stand, gives impression of being one piece; speaker wire is effectively hidden via a hole in the base, a hollow stand, and a thoughtful cap covering the back of the speaker

Pros: The Bose UFS-20 floor stands are perfect for Bose Acostimass 15 speakers; good looking

Cons: not height adjustable; height of rear speakers could still be improved

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