If you're doing the same thing, here's some advice to follow.
- DO realize that speakers are most effective at ear-level. If you're a stickler for sound, the floor is not the best place for them.
- DO know that subwoofers are omnidirectional, meaning that they project in all directions at once. They can be placed anywhere it's convenient, such as behind a couch or in a corner.
- DON'T put speakers in a corner. Every room surface near a speaker will reinforce bass tones. If they're going to be near the floor, keep them away from other surfaces like walls and the sides of hard furniture.
- DO look at your speakers construction for placement clues. If they have unfinished backs, they're meant to rest against a wall. If not, they're designed to sound best a few feet from the wall; sofinding the best floor spot for them could be a struggle.
- DON'T annoy your neighbors. If you live above somebody else, re-think the idea of resting your speakers on the floor. Each building has it's own weird acoustics (especially the old ones), so you might unknowingly amplify the sound for them.
- DO realize that carpeted floors will absorb some sound from your speakers.
- DO know that hardwood floors are very susceptible to the vibrations cause by speakers resting on the floor, causing sound anomalies.
- DON'T use speaker spikes. While they'll help reduce the effects of vibration, they might scratch your wood floors or leave holes in your carpets.
- DO know that the most important thing is that all speakers (except the subwoofer) have an unobstructed path to listeners' ears. They're fine on the floor, but not behind a couch or chair.
