8
Monitor and listening location placement in
a room
Sound is reected by the walls, ceiling and oor. The sound level at the listener
increases when reected sound is in phase with the direct sound. The sound level
decreases when the reected sound is out of phase with the direct sound.
If the room surfaces have not been designed to diract the sound energy, most of
the reected sound energy leaves the reecting wall in the same angle as it arrived
to the wall. Avoid placing the monitors so that the immediate side wall, ceiling,
and oor reections travel towards the listening position.
Direction of sound
arriving at the wall
Angle
Angle
the listening position
When room dimensions agree with the sound wavelength, sound energy
accumulates to form resonances. This resonance sound forms standing waves in
the room, with sound pressure maximums and minimums at certain locations in
the room depending on the resonance frequency.
Location of the monitor in the room aects how much the room mode resonances
collect energy and how audible they become. Moving the monitor locations may
help to reduce the levels of problematic room mode resonances.
The listening location may be unfavourably situated relative to the room mode
resonances. If the listening location is at the location of a null for some mode
resonances, the level of those resonances frequencies becomes very low and