• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Toe In

jrsystems

jrsystems

Super Member
I have my XRT1K's toed in to where they are pointing almost exactly at my listening position. A friend told me that he does not believe in toe in and said that I should keep the speakers on a straight plain with the fronts perpendicular to the wall.

Opinions?
 
Register to hide this ad
Potatoe... potahtoe...

Personally. I believe toed in.. BUT, in some cases, toe out will sound better. A lot of it will depend on your room setup, but personally, 99 times, I'm going with pointing at your listening spot.
 
I took notice at RMAF and some had toe-in while others did not -- as others allude to, it depends on your own set of ears & your room conditions which should be the deciding factor.
If one was to play with toeing in/out -- be patient -- with some speakers, a 1/2 inch move left or right can make a world of difference.
 
All depends on the speakers and your room.

With my former DQ-10's and Magnepan SMG's they needed to be toed in. My DCM TimeWindows do not.
 
Admittedly I have minimal experience of the XRT1K's (dealer demo, only), but a general comment is that some speakers are designed to not be listened to exactly on axis because they have a raising treble response to compensate for increasing directivity at high frequencies. They might have flat response 15 degrees off axis. Depending on room acoustics (reflectivity of side walls) instead of pointing straight ahead, strong toe-in with radiating axis crossing in front of the listening position might be advantageous.
 
There are a variety of factors that help determine whether your speakers should be toed in or not. The most important is - what does the speaker manufacturer recommend? The manufacturer of my speakers recommends little or no toe-in. My listening/placement tests bear this out.
The next thing I've experienced is a need to turn one or both of the speakers in to avoid a strong sidewall reflection. Corner placement can be a bear sometimes, especially where you have a glass or smooth stone surface right beside one speaker.
 
Paul Klipsch wrote several engineering articles explaining the advantages of toe in and the formation of a triangle..consistent with McIntosh recommendation. Wilson Audio recommends same.
 
Forget about what anyone says (including me). :D Try both positions, and see which position is best for your ears. You're the one who needs to be happy!
 
"In general, more toe-in increases center focus, but reducing stage width. Less toe-in widens the stage, but center focus will be sacrificed if you go too far. Sometimes it's a balancing act based on the room, the speaker and the preference of the listener."

I use very generous amount of toe-in with my SF Memento's as they are imaging kings with a very wide and sometimes spooky realistic soundstage while the focus is razor sharp.
 
david10024 said:
It seems to me most manufacturer's do not use toe in at shows.
Click to expand...
The sweet spot is usually much broader for a bigger audience. With toe in you get razor sharp imaging but the sweet spot can get very narrow such that only one person can enjoy it... Such is the case in my set up.
 
I use a minimal (almost straight ahead) amount of toe-in with my Vienna Acoustics Mahlers. However, with these speakers either sounds good - they are just different. Try both, let your ears decide.
 
I change the amount of Toe-in weekly; havent decided which I like best yet; but they are always somewhere between directly at me and directly forward. Sometimes 5 degrees, 7 degrees, 10 degrees, etc.... one of these days I will stop fiddling with them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks guys. I'll play around and report back.

I noticed in the owner's manual that they recommend 8 ohm taps on the amps. I preferred the 4 ohm taps with my B&W's so I went straight to those with the 1K's. Any thoughts on 8 ohm versus 4 ohm taps, particularly among owners of big Mac speakers.

Thanks!
 
exracer said:
I change the amount of Toe-in weekly; havent decided which I like best yet; but they are always somewhere between directly at me and directly forward. Sometimes 5 degrees, 7 degrees, 10 degrees, etc.... one of these days I will stop fiddling with them.
Click to expand...

You just need heavier speakers to solve your fiddling. ;)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom