Thoughts on Improving My Soundstage?

stretchl
stretchl Posts: 1,334
I've put together a basic map of my listening room, below.

I'm wondering if what I perceive to be limitations in my soundstage won't be overcome by anything other than getting my speakers farther apart than they are now.

The current speakers are LSiM-705's, and it's impossible to move them farther apart because there are floor-to-ceiling cabinets/bookshelves on either side of each.

So I'm thinking that since I have a few of the LSiM-703's still around I might stick a couple of them on the bookshelves, a couple of feet higher than the tops of the 705's, and see how they fill the room. (I'd obviously disconnect the 705's for this test.)

Does anyone who's familiar with the 703's have any thoughts on how they might serve in a room this size, placed on bookshelves, maybe ten feet apart?

Thanks very much.

vyj2jfv8monz.jpg
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'
- Isaac Asimov

Hi-Fi
Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
Cabling by Groneberg
Visuals
https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto

Comments

  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    I’d say go for it.
    And, I may offer an idea. Homemade SDA with one set of the 703’s. It worked a lot better than I expected it to, you just need another integrated and and some resistors, or do it passively like the original SDA’s. :)
    http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/183376/turning-normal-speakers-into-sda-s/p1
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    A couple feet higher? Seems too high.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    Can you relocate them to the short wall? My experience with the 703's was they preferred that orientation.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    Can you sit 3 or 4 feet closer and minimize toe in to just a slight degree inward each speaker
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • SIHAB
    SIHAB Posts: 4,491
    edited October 2018
    That woofer at the back of the room could be the culprit. ;)

    What if you move them out into the room and dial them in.
    Gaff where they shoot best. Then, move them back into the
    original space and do what VR3 suggests. Dial them in there.
    When it's time for critical listening move them back out.

    The 703's should rock out the space. (though I haven't stuck them
    on a bookshelf.
    Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    SIHAB wrote: »
    That woofer at the back of the room could be the culprit.

    ROTFLMAO!
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'
    - Isaac Asimov

    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    VR3 wrote: »
    Can you sit 3 or 4 feet closer and minimize toe in to just a slight degree inward each speaker

    The listening position is a futon up against the back wall. There's really no practical way to have it out, as we use the space between it and the speakers a lot – it's my seven year old daughter's play area, we use it for games on family night, etc., etc. Plus, there's a flat screen mounted to the wall behind the speakers, and it's pretty high up above a fireplace/mantel. Moving the futon close would make viewing the screen pretty uncomfortable due to the angle.

    What I do once in a while, though, for critical listening, is sit on the floor in front of the futon. That puts me really low in relation to the speakers, however, and I don't hear an improvement in soundstage.

    Do you guys think the speakers are too close together? I know there's some numbers floating around somewhere about ideal ratios, but I've not seen them in a long time.
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'
    - Isaac Asimov

    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    Can you relocate them to the short wall? My experience with the 703's was they preferred that orientation.

    No. The wall to the left of the listening position is windows. To the right is, again, floor to ceiling bookshelves. I'll try to get a photograph sometime today.
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'
    - Isaac Asimov

    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    stretchl wrote: »
    Do you guys think the speakers are too close together? I know there's some numbers floating around somewhere about ideal ratios, but I've not seen them in a long time.
    The usual recommendation is that the speakers and the listening position form an equilateral triangle.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Speakers are too close together in my view, and those bookcases on both sides won't help matters either.

    Maybe try some 703's on stands, in front of those bookshelves so you can widen them out more. May or may not work depending on the traffic pattern for the room. Putting them inside a shelf won't sound good and too high will also subtract from other qualities.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    You could experiment by using a chair and sitting in front of the futon. See if that changes anything in regards to any rear wall cancellations.