Don’t spend a lot of time getting the measurements exact. Unless your room is perfectly acoustically symmetrical, best speaker placement will not be symmetrical. You have to listen to find the best location for each speaker independent of the other. You can start with them close to being symmetrical, but don’t be afraid to move them independently to find a better location. It can be a lot of work to get right & it would be nice if it was as easy as exact measurements.
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Curious question, why do you need “laser guns” to decide/see where you should have your speakers and not just use a simple measuring tape?
I just use a measuring tape and all my 6 speakers, don’t count the center and the sub since they are just “playing with themselfs”, and my speakers is perfectly placed on the millimeter.
Everyone of them.
Laser measuring tools are quick, precise, and take little effort.
But the end result is the same with a measuring tape.
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Measuring tapes often require a second set of hands; when I’m in speaker set up mode, my wife is typically away from home! My Bosch laser rangefinder is also very useful for my photographic pursuits.
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no dog in this fight, but nowadays, some of these laser measuring tools are cheaper than a good tape measure
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Ok, then I know.
Well, I’m happy with my old and trusty measuring tape but yes, it would bee nice to measure in less than a second…
It might be important for me to follow-up on this.
The laser provides a good starting point – and also a means of recording the distance once everything is in place. Since this post, I have started with equal distance, but since relocated the speakers based on an SPL meter since the room reflections are dealing some SPL differences across the band.
My speakers no longer sit equidistant. They sit equi-SPL through positioning, toe-in and QRD panels to help balance reflection energy.
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Gary…do you measure distance from the front speaker baffle to your ear height when seated? I found it is much more accurate and really locks in the soundstage this way…rather than distancing to the back wall behind the speakers. Most rooms are not square from my experience distancing speakers…
Yes, also use a laser measuring device to dial that distance in.
Just checked it again, and God forbid the left speaker was a 1/4" further away from my listening position than the right speaker. I’m going to have to fasten my listening chair to the floor, it must’ve moved a smidge.
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I also use the Bosch laser tape measure. Great tool.
I have also found that beyond using a laser tape that a laser square provides a quick way to align the direction of the speakers to the listening spot.
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Because it uses lasers, man - ain’t no other reason needed: Lasers are (and always will be) cool 
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Not only do they allow you to measure quickly and easily, they also do stuff tape measures don’t - you can put it on the top or a side of a speaker (assuming it has flat surfaces), point it back toward the listening position and move it around to see where the cabinets are aimed and tilted with respect to the chair.
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Yes, but the second one is even better for this purpose as it not just provides a spot but draws a line on walls or floors which also moves up barriers (like seats).
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Correctamundo - I have the same set. But you don’t HAVE to have the line thingy. Don’t want to scare anybody off. Once you go there you won’t look back though.
Right…I aim the laser dead center from the top of my speakers from the same spot (left and right)to a target taped on the head position of my listening chair. Boom…easy peasy!
It’s also useful to use the compass app on your phone to help adjust speaker toe-in. Just take a heading of the wall behind your speakers (or a straight line from speaker to speaker if you have a diagonal setup), and then compare the heading of each individual speaker relative to the first heading.