B&W 601 - Can you lay them horizontal?

 

New member
Username: Jmp89

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jun-09
Might seem silly question, but getting new bookshelves and the B&W I own do not fit at the moment vertically. Curious - can you lay them horizontally and not compromise sound or long-term viability of hte speakers in any way? Thanks.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Artk

Albany, Oregon USA

Post Number: 10090
Registered: Feb-05
They won't sound as they designed to sound however you have to do you must.
 

Platinum Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 13699
Registered: May-04
.

Sideways mounting is not a terrible problem with these speakers - just a problem. The issue would tend to be more why you want to do that. If they are going on a shelf, then you will have a very different sound than the speakers were intended to provide when placed on stands out in the room. The stands provide a certain degree of stability and flexibility of placement that you can't get when you have to put the speakers in a certain location. I've never come across a speaker that had to be put somewhere to fit that sounded very good IMO. Unless the manufacturer has designed the speaker for shelf mounting - I don't know of anyone building such a design right now - the frequency response of the speaker will very likely change drastically when it is shelf mounted.


You should consider the height of the tweeter vs the height of your ears when listening - which is typically seated and about 36" off the floor. Once you begin to move the speakers higher or lower the sound of the speaker changes. And many listeners prefer their speakers toed in towards their listening position to "aim" the tweeters at their chair position which focuses the soundstage and gives more 3-D sound images. Those benefits usually aren't possible with shelf mounting.


So, all in all, I'd say you will not hear the same sound with the speakers mounted on a shelf as you would if they were properly set up in the room. If that doesn't bother you, then you can put the speakers were they fit.


.
 

Silver Member
Username: Magfan

USA

Post Number: 437
Registered: Oct-07
If these are a verticle array when standing on the ground, tweeter above the woofer on centerline, than when turning sideways you may want to experiment with tweeters inside or outside.
Try woofers on the outside, tune 'em in if you can make adjustments, than try the tweeters on the outside.
Since they are not being used in the intended setup, it may not make much of a diff, but you never know...
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