You’ve probably done the work. Equal distances. Matched toe-in. Even symmetry left to right. Everything suggests this should be the spot. And yet, something’s unsettled. The low end might feel uneven—some notes too shy, others too long. The midrange could sound just a touch hollow, like the energy’s pulling inward. It doesn’t quite feel broken. Just… underformed.
Could be the problem isn’t in the speakers. It might be in the seat.
What to Do
Check your position relative to the room’s front and rear walls. If you’re sitting at dead center—50% of the room’s length—try moving. That central axis is where standing wave nulls often stack up. Slide forward or back by 6 to 12 inches while listening to music with deep, sustained bass. Look for a zone—typically around 38% to 42% of the room length—where the low end firms up, and the stage sounds more continuous. Don’t rush. Let your ears adjust as the balance shifts.
Here’s Why That Works
Rooms don’t just reflect—they resonate. And those resonances form patterns. Along the front-to-back axis, the first major standing wave creates a null at the exact midpoint. That null doesn’t just reduce bass—it can hollow out everything it touches. By stepping forward (or back), you land your ears in a more energized pressure zone, where wave reinforcement outweighs cancellation.
Symmetry’s important. But balance doesn’t always live at the center. Sometimes the sweet spot is simply a foot away from where you assumed it should be.
And that foot might be the difference between “not enough” and “now I hear it.”
