spreading the speakers out some more...

organ

I was bored the other night and decided to try incresing the distance between loudspeakers. This is one of those wtf? moments. Before, I had them 11ft apart with each speaker being 11ft away from me. I spread them out to 16.5ft, each speaker still 11ft away from me. Whoa! Absolute insanity I thought was never possible in my set up. I've never heard my system sound so enveloping and realistic! Soundstage size increased a lot, image sizes are huge just like live music. When the bass kicks in, it sounds huge and poweful with authority. I love how the bass is now everywhere. It sounds like I'm in a huge bubble of sound. I thought I was going to loose center focus, but didn't. In fact, imaging is much better now. I am confused. This test was done on my pair of cornwall. Can't wait to try it on the La Scala.

I used a laser pointer during set up to make sure the drivers point directly at my head.

Have anybody else tried this?

BottomFeeder

Crikey!

I just moved my speakers to about 7 feet apart (up from about 5 feet) & they sounded soooo much better!!!

But 11 feet?

Then 16 feet? Is this distance common???

I know nothing, but now I KNOW that I know nothing!

leroyjr1

organ wrote: »

I was bored the other night and decided to try incresing the distance between loudspeakers. This is one of those wtf? moments. Before, I had them 11ft apart with each speaker being 11ft away from me. I spread them out to 16.5ft, each speaker still 11ft away from me. Whoa! Absolute insanity I thought was never possible in my set up. I've never heard my system sound so enveloping and realistic! Soundstage size increased a lot, image sizes are huge just like live music. When the bass kicks in, it sounds huge and poweful with authority. I love how the bass is now everywhere. It sounds like I'm in a huge bubble of sound. I thought I was going to loose center focus, but didn't. In fact, imaging is much better now. I am confused. This test was done on my pair of cornwall. Can't wait to try it on the La Scala.

I used a laser pointer during set up to make sure the drivers point directly at my head.

Have anybody else tried this?

Try putting them outside and see how that sounds

comfortablycurt

Ya know what that is? That's the cheapest modification you can possibly get for your system. Congrats on the discovery. Now you've gotta move them back and forth in one inch increments until you can really find that sweet spot.

Ricardo

When I had the 1.2's and didn't have the dedicated room, I had them like 8 ft apart, and sometimes when I stayed working from home I would set my laptop in a table in that wall; that put me like 4 ft from the wall. Loved how the sound came to me from that wall.

Conradicles

comfortablycurt wrote: »

Ya know what that is? That's the cheapest modification you can possibly get for your system.

Exactly. Speaker placement and room acoustics are so important as I am still learning.

My 2 channel rig is in my "Man Garage" and it is a huge room.
~ 23' x 23' with 10' high ceilings. Concrete floors and no real furniture or drapery to absorb the sound. This is what is called a "Live" environment.
My SDA's sound best in this room when they are only 4 feet apart!

I think people new to the audio world need to know that speaker placement and room acoustics are huge in determining how good their system will shine.;)

sucks2beme

Ideal speaker setup requires you to royaly piss off the wife.
Remove all excess furniture but you recliner and stereo stand.
But we live in the real world. Not going to happen.

jm1

I would suggest finding some music which has an instrument panning across the soundstage from one side to the other. The sound should transition across the soundstage with equal weight. If the sound jumps from one speaker to another, you have the speakers too far apart.

organ

BF,
Nice to hear. Have you spent more time to see how far out you can go?

Leroy,
The La Scala have been used in many outdoor concerts for many years lol. I guess they sound good outside too:).

CC,
Yup. Difinitely one of my best "upgrade". Never tried them this far apart before because I never tried breaking the golden rule of equal distance before. I'm gonna experiment slowly but just want to enjoy for now.

Conradicles,
I agree. The learning will never end:). Interesting thing with your SDA. I'm sure spreading them out even more would introduce a lot more reflections. Never thought speakers could be placed that close together but again, until recently I never thought I could spread them out as much as I did lol. The room is so important.

Sucks2beme,
lol:D. I have some nasty plans for sound treatment that will be very slow and subtle. I doubt anyone in the house will notice until it's too late lol.

Jm1,
Panning is excellent with more weight and body than before. Front to back panning have dramatically improved.





The reason I posted this is because so many pros and people in audio have said that spreading them that far out is a big no no. The only one who said to spread them out a lot is Paul Klipsch from what I remember. He recommended spreading them out far and using a center (set to mono and much lower spl setting) if you have to.
As much as I love Klipsch, I disagreed with his statement since I started. Silly of me to knock it before even trying.

BottomFeeder

organ wrote: »

BF,
Nice to hear. Have you spent more time to see how far out you can go?


I went from about 5 to 7 feet. Wow, what a wonderful, amazing, terrific difference.

Haven't gone any further because the left speaker will run into a sidewall if I do. I've got a tough room to deal with, but the sound of my system just improved so much.

Love it!!!

TNRabbit

I find the best, most natural soundstage with Carver Amazings (III model) when the listening position is @ 17% further away than the width of the speakers (slightly rearward of an equilateral triangle).

MillerLiteScott

My tweeters are 6'-2" apart. That is about as wide as I can go and still leave room on the sides and also to center on the room/TV.

ZOOPDOOP22

I've heard the equilateral triangle at 1:1 - 1:1.25 from speakers to listening position is ideal. "wasp" speaker placement. I'm pretty much at that 125% distance toed in pointed just behind me and it is great.

organ

That's cool. We all seem to have fond our favorite spots. I'm starting to think that the speakes/room interactions can make one build a set up that is quite strange and actually be optimal for the given room.

comfortablycurt

Unfortunately my living room is fairly limited for speaker placement options...but I am getting ready to completely rearrange it actually. I'm almost gonna turn it around like 180 degrees as far as the furniture arrangement. It should work out a lot better for my speaker placement and everything though. I can't wait to see how it sounds once it's rearranged. I'm hoping it will improve some.

erniejade

My 2.3 non TL, I had corner loaded, then I had them on the long wall, tried 3 feet from the corner, 16 feet apart and started pushing them closer 1 foot at a time, sounded terrible!

I then put them on the short wall, 3 feet from the corner, about 10 feet appart... Night and day. The bass came alive and the speakers sounded fantastic. I am still playing around with different parts of the room.

My amazing original, like it a bit more in on the short wall of the room. For me, every time I put anything on the long wall, no matter where it is on the wall or corner or in the center, it sounds terrible. As soon as I put anything on the short wall, it comes to life.

rru2s

I've always been one to separate speakers to the edges of the short wall for two channel.

My living room is 25 x 15.5 and My Polks are about 14 ft apart. I don't have much in the way of room effects because of 3 couches, thick carpeting, and heavy drapes. It has a large sweet spot beginning about 10 feet away and extending to the other end of the room. Those are Polk Monitor 70s.

My basement has a hybrid vintage system with two loudspeakers near the corners of the short wall about 28 feet apart. Also have a third speaker in the center of a triangle across the room. That system sounds good about 35 to 40 feet away, but up close you hear only the nearest speaker.

My bedroom is only 13.5 square and there is lots of furniture, so the speakers only about 6 ft apart, but sound great in that small room. Polk Monitor 60s.