What is Your Ideal Speaker Placement?

So, what is the ideal placement for your sound system? In a perfect world, you'd have a square room with minimal obstructions between you and the speaker. But that's not always possible, and so you'll have to accommodate for what is in each room. Remember that you want enough space for each speaker to have individual audio fields without getting echo-y or otherwise distorted.

What Does That Actually Look Like?

To find the correct placement for your space, you need to do some trial and error to place each type of speaker.

• Front Left & Right Speakers: Place these far enough apart to distinguish sounds coming from either direction. If your room is asymmetrical, you may need to tinker with the channel's panning and volume levels.
• Center Channel: Equalize with your front speakers in mind to get a smooth range of sound, especially with dialogue. Most setups have this speaker above or below the screen.
• Surround Speakers: Space them apart from the same distance as your front speakers or a little wider and face them towards you. Or place them behind your seating position and angle them toward you.
• Subwoofer: Work in any spot, ideally in a corner with no X-factors like furniture, carpeting, or thick wall construction to interfere. Clean, punchy bass is the goal with no rattling of windows or dishes, so try placing them near your seating locations for the best impression.

What About the Room Size?

Of course, the size of your room is another crucial factor in finding the perfect sound system. You might think that the larger the speaker, the better, but if you don't have enough space for the sound to move, even the best quality speakers will leave you disappointed with your sound system. Instead, you'll need to choose the sound system that fits your space.

Small Rooms

A small room is typically a bedroom-sized room with an 8-ft. ceiling. You'll need to place your speakers about 6 to 8 feet away from the listener. But which speakers should you get? Giant floor speakers will be too much power for this setup, so you're better off with a two- or three-channel system instead. Don't forget to consider on-wall speakers to free up floor space and tweak your sound with acoustic panels.

Pro Tip: Remember that desktop speakers are designed to provide sound at close distances and aren't ideal for a full-room setup.

1. Dust Be Gone

Dust is possible the most destructive enemy of any speaker. It infiltrates your wire connectors where the wire and metal meet, disrupting the electrical signals and adding annoying noise to your system's sound. Not to mention dust can also damage your wiring and ruin the effectiveness of your speaker.

So how do you fight off dust? Regular cleaning using dust pads, dry cloths, air canisters, and vacuum cleaners. Just make sure to avoid damaging the cone drivers or tweeters, and never, EVER, use any liquids.

You can also place your speakers in a room with minimal dust or store them in a protective case when not in use.

2. Heat, Go Away

Another danger to your speakers is heat, which primarily comes from exposure to the sun. If left in direct sunlight, your speakers can overheat and damage the electromagnetic voice coils and totally ruin your sound.

The best way to avoid heat is to keep your speakers away from any windows and avoid direct sunlight. Don't forget to keep your speakers away from any hot areas in your home like fireplaces, heaters, and vents. And if your speaker has vent holes, make sure to keep them free of obstructions.

Which Waterproofing is Which

Before diving into the different types of speakers, you first need to understand the terminology. Weatherproof speakers and waterproof speakers do not mean the same thing, nor do waterproof or water-resistant speakers. But it's vital to understand which you’re looking to determine which will suit your outdoor audio needs.

• Waterproof Speakers: Are covered or treated with materials to prevent the permeation of water so that they can come into contact with water without damage.
• Water-Resistant Speakers: Provides lower protection against water, with coated or treated materials that don't allow water to pass through easily.
• Water-Repellant Speakers: Offers more protection than water-resistant speakers because they are covered in thin-film nanotechnology.
• Weatherproof Speakers: Made to withstand the elements, whether that means humidity, steam, rain, or light sprinkles, and come with tough casings and sealed cabinets.

Pro Tip: To survive submersion, waterproof speakers must have an IPX level of 7 or higher.

Wired vs. Wireless Speakers

Deciding whether you need wired or wireless speakers for your outdoor audio is essential since you need to keep the possibilities of wires in mind.

With wired outdoor speakers, you'll have more capacity and control over your musical setup and speakers that outperform any day of the week. These usually have underground wires and an omnidirectional design so anyone can listen to crisp audio from any spot in the yard. But you would need to find more outlets to plug in every speaker.

Wireless weatherproof speakers are designed to be relatively invisible with enclosures meant to blend in the background like rocks, animals, lanterns, flowerpots, etc. You can make your music appear from out of nowhere and have your guests solely focus on the good times!