Sierra-1 NrT for Home Theater ... 18 Feet Away! No, no?

[Pianist718]

So, I got my Sierra-1 NrT (l/r/c) being kind of far from listening position. How far? About 18-19 feet. Is this a problem? Someone mentioned to me that these were not designed to be used in such distance. That these are much better suited for near field.

Other option is to place these as surrounds and get Towers for mains?

thanks

[GirgleMirt]

About 18-19 feet. Is this a problem? Someone mentioned to me that these were not designed to be used in such distance. That these are much better suited for near field.
Where did you hear that?! There's absolutely no problem listening at that distance! Maybe the person was worried about room size? Assuming sitting that 'far' (it's not that far...) would be in a large room and an issue? Anyway, if you're not getting any problems 'filling the room with sound', you're good! :) Sitting too close is usually the issue.

But hey, you got them, just test it yourself, pull out a chair and put it like 8 feet closer to where you'll listen to. Then listen from your usual spot... If you wanted it to be 100% accurate you'd have to measure the SPL at both spots and adjust accordingly (sitting farther = sound will be less loud), but shouldn't make a very significant difference I'd assume.. Maybe just correct volume by ear.

Also, assuming you're 'new' to speakers, speaker placement and listening position can make a huge difference, and that can mostly depend on the room & what's in it, so experimentation is your friend! Try moving the speakers 1-2 feet forward, backward, or 1-2 feet farther from one another, or closer.. Try placing the speakers facing 100% forward, or pointing towards you, or mid-way between. All of these can make a significant difference. Same for your listening spot... Maybe for your room 12 feet is best, maybe it's 18 feet.. All depends on your room. Enjoy ;)

[GirgleMirt]

Oh and btw, one thing that begins to matter increasing listening distance is the distance between speakers... For instance, while the speakers being 8 feet apart might be ok when listening from 10 feet, if you're sitting 18 feet away, 8 feet would be too close together. Also the toe in's impact varies with listening distance, so again, experiment!

Any progress so far?

[davef]

So, I got my Sierra-1 NrT (l/r/c) being kind of far from listening position. How far? About 18-19 feet. Is this a problem? Someone mentioned to me that these were not designed to be used in such distance. That these are much better suited for near field.

Other option is to place these as surrounds and get Towers for mains?

thanks

People who say such things are usually the same crew that somehow believe Dolby Reference Level is actually some sort of listening standard or that a home theater system must be able to reach the peak SPL as defined by Dolby's use of the term Reference Level. I often wonder how anyone was able to get by before Dolby came up with the terminology (it is quite new) ;)

Personally, that is a volume level I can not stand listening at (far too loud for my ears) and it has been proven that prolonged listening to volume levels above 85dB can cause hearing damage. With Tinnitus and NIHL on the rise, I personally prefer the older 75dB level that installers used to calibrate to. Of course, the listener is free to choose any listening level they are comfortable with, the sound produced by the amp or receiver and the speakers does not change at different volume levels, provided you are not reaching the maximum output limits of the receiver or the speakers.

If the speakers sound good and you are able to reach the volume levels that you are comfortable with, you are good to go :)