Speakers on your desk: how to position them Why tilt them towards your ears, how far apart to put them and how to decouple them from the desk
On a desk the speakers are very close to you, and that's exactly why a few centimetres change the sound. The rules are the same as in the living room, on a smaller scale.
The problem: the speakers aim at your chest.
Standing flat on the desk, almost all desktop speakers have the tweeter lower than your ears. Treble is the most directional part of the sound: it leaves the tweeter like a beam, and if the beam points at your chest it reaches your ears weaker. Voices go dull and detail gets lost.
Tilt them towards your ears.
The simplest solution is to tilt the speakers upwards, so that the tweeter faces your ears. A few degrees are enough: at 70 centimetres, raising the beam by 12 centimetres takes a tilt of about 10 degrees.
Alternatively you can raise the speakers on small stands until the tweeter is at ear height. Often the best solution is a bit of both: a support that raises and tilts.
My tilting supports. The tilting supports are two wooden supports that tilt the speakers upwards, or downwards if they sit on a high shelf. They suit any bookshelf speaker.
The triangle, up close.
The listening triangle applies on a desk too: the distance between the two speakers is roughly the same as between each speaker and your head. Usually that means one speaker on each side of the monitor. Turn them towards you, so that you see little or none of their inner sides.
Place them at the same distance from you and, if you can, at the same distance from the wall: this close up, a difference of a few centimetres is immediately audible.
The desktop reflects sound.
The desktop is a hard surface right in front of the speakers: part of the sound bounces off it and reaches your ears a moment after the direct sound, blurring it.
To reduce the problem, don't push the speakers too far back from the edge of the desk, and tilt them upwards: less sound hits the desktop. A trick: lay a small mirror on the desk between the speaker and your ears. If, when seated, you can see the tweeter in the mirror, that's where the sound bounces towards you.
Decouple them from the desk.
Many desks are light or hollow: the speakers make them vibrate and the desktop adds a boom to the bass. Try resting a hand on the desk while music is playing: if you feel it vibrate, the desk is playing along with the speakers. A rigid support or decoupling feet separate them from the desktop.
Away from the wall.
If the desk is against the wall, the speakers end up a few centimetres from it and the bass bloats, especially with a rear bass port. Bring them forward as far as you can and keep them away from the corners.
If you listen from a portable player, the DAP stand keeps it upright next to the speakers, with the cables tidy. For speakers in the living room you'll find the rules in the guide on how to position your speakers.
Desktop speakers on ExtrasoundOn Extrasound, the hi-fi shop that sells my supports, you'll find active speakers and bookshelf speakers that suit a desk.
Frequently asked questions.
Should desktop speakers be tilted?
Almost always: flat on the desk they aim at your chest. Tilted up by a few degrees, the tweeter faces your ears and voices and detail come through more clearly.
How many degrees should desktop speakers be tilted?
Enough for the tweeter to point at your ears. Up close a few degrees are usually enough, between 5 and 15: from your seat, the tweeter should be facing you.
How far apart should desktop speakers be?
Roughly the same as the distance between each speaker and your head, one on each side of the monitor.
Do desktop speakers need feet?
If the desk vibrates, yes: a rigid support or decoupling feet separate the speakers from the desktop and remove the boom. Test it with a hand on the desk while music plays.
Can desktop speakers go against the wall?
Better not: near the wall the bass bloats, especially if the speaker has a rear bass port. Bring them forward and away from the corners.