HotHardware posted a good guide on speaker positioning. They even cover the basics of how sound travels through air. The guide is backed up by picture diagrams. Give it read to improve your sound experience. Here is a snip: When placing your speakers, start from your listening position. Place your speakers well apart and well away from the sidewalls. The basic rule of speaker positioning is to use a triangle. The distance from you to each speaker should be more than the distance between the speakers. This will give a good sound field to work with. By "toeing in" your speakers (angling them toward the listening position), you often improve the stereo image. Experiment with position to get the best results.