The system hopefully sounds solid. Imaging holds. Transients feel clean. But vocals land too low—just enough to make the stage feel tilted. It may not be distracting, but it never quite resolves. Instruments might seem fine, yet the center feels sunken, like the singer’s performing from a seated position while the band stands around him.
You’ve checked phase. You’ve verified toe-in. The triangle looks perfect. But the image still slumps.
Maybe the problem isn’t horizontal—it’s vertical.
What to Do
Measure from your ears (while seated) to the floor. Now check the tweeter height. If your ears sit above that axis—and your speaker wasn’t designed to beam upward—you may be sitting outside the window. Try tipping the speaker back slightly using rear spikes, felt pads, or even folded paper shims. Just a degree or two can shift the beam back into alignment. Don’t go overboard—you’re aiming the wavefront, not the cabinet.
Can’t adjust the speaker? Try a slightly lower chair. Or a seat cushion that’s not pulling you too high.
Here’s Why That Works
Most tweeters radiate vertically in a narrow band—especially above 2kHz. The further you move out of that beam, the more you lose detail, edge, and placement. Around the crossover, this off-axis falloff can blur the handoff from tweeter to midrange, softening tone and shifting spatial cues. It’s not just frequency—it’s image height, clarity, and connection.
But align the vertical axis, and everything lifts. Vocals rise to eye level. The band no longer leans. The midrange regains its shape, and the treble opens without edge.
It’s easy to focus on toe-in and distance. But sometimes, it’s the angle you’re not looking at that holds everything back.
Aim the speaker at your ears—not just across, but up. When it hits, you’ll know. The voice won’t just sound right. It’ll be standing.
