Few things in life are as satisfying as an aha! moment: the solving of a tough problem, the solution to a puzzle, getting your stereo system dialed in.
One of the more common aha! moments for people is when they try easing up on speaker toe in.
Most speakers don't want to be toed in—the practice of pointing tweeters at the listener's ears—yet, the vast majority of setups I see have the speakers angled inward.
Properly designed speakers have evenly-balanced frequency energy on and off-axis. You can see this balanced energy spread when speakers are measured for reviews. Yes, they are hotter on-axis, but perhaps better balanced off.
If you want an aha! moment this weekend, use some tape to mark the speaker's current position, then face them straight forward without angling in. Sitting in the sweet spot, see what changes have taken place. Chances are good front to back imaging has improved. If they sound slightly thin, lacking in midbass, place them closer together. If the center image isn't as pinpoint as you like, angle them slightly, one degree at a time until it snaps into focus.
You might be surprised.
