Corner STF1 rocks! I Need help with Fronts??

[Windswell]

On the advice of the Most Exalted Dr. Hsu, I bought and placed an STF1 in the corner, and it rocks this mid-size, open room, at least enough for my 61 year old ears.

I'd like your advice about the Spread on my L/R Fronts Polk RtiA1's, and TL3 rears, unfortunately purchased before I discovered HSU or I'd be all HSU. I'm 50% music, 50% movies, but not many action or horror movies with a lot of effects. I've attached a detailed drawing floor plan and a photochopped photo of my living room. This should probably be optimized for a seating position compromised between seats 1,3 and couch 2. Moving the furniture is not an option except to add a chair next to seat 1 and get us both off the couch and closer to the TV for movie viewing.

Currently the Fronts are 13.5 feet apart, where the blue rectangles are in the photo and drawing. I'm thinking of moving them in to 7 feet part (on center), mounted on the wall at tweeter-ear height, shown as 2 RED rectangles on the sides of the bookshelves. The cherry bookshelves are 14 inches deep. The RtiA1 is 11.5 inches deep, so it will be recessed 2.5 inches, and slightly more if I toe them in a little. My ears aren't so great and I'm a little nutty about this at this point, so your advice is appreciated.
1.Will the sound stage be wide enough at the 7 foot width? Or even better than at 13.5 feet? What kind of music or movies (Master and Commander) would be good to test this? It would be possible to hang the speakers at the 7 ft. RED rectangle location, then move them onto wider stands for movies with more action.
2.Is the 2.5" recess on one side of each RtiA1 a problem enough to be worth pushing them away from the wall somehow?

The TL3 side/rear/surrounds are currently sitting on furniture slightly above ear height at the blue rectangle positions shown on the drawing. Some say they should be a foot or two above ear height to be more diffuse or something? Since they're wall hung, it won't be easy to aim them down at the seating position 2. And my slightly failing hearing in the high frequency range means I'm already kinda diffuse on dialogue and high range details.
Thanks.

Thanks in advance.

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi Windswell,

Welcome to the forum, I'm so glad that you like the subwoofer, and thank you for sharing this photo and diagram!

I do think that you will get better results by moving the main left/right speakers inward. At least you will have less sidewall reflections to worry about, and the front soundstage should be better. You should experiment with that config if possible. Also experiment with having the rear speakers mounted one or two feet above ear level to see if that provides more rear ambience. Note that when the speaker is mounted with tweeter above ear level, sometimes one will get better results by flipping the whole speaker upside down so that tweeter is closer to the ear than the woofer.

Thanks!

Sincerely,