RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ?

Posted by Rick58 (A) on July 19, 2014 at 15:39:44

In Reply to: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? posted by AbeCollins on July 18, 2014 at 22:26:21:

Yes, there are probably no 'official' definitions of this.

I would say that the speakers are less than 6' from your ears, and likely 4' to 6' or maybe a little farther apart. ALSO, the wall(s) should be far away (>4') from either speaker, altho I guess if you're at a desk this may not be applicable (nor what I think the question is asking). I'm thinking it's a question applied to a 'standard' stereo arrangement.

I guess one could call it nearfield if you're less than 6' from the speakers but they are near/against a wall or near a corner in a diagonal setup too ... I may have that some day at my 'corner' computer hutch/desk ...

I think of my main system as nearfield, speakers are on stands are 6' from my ears, 6' or so apart, and ~3.5' from the side walls and 7' from the front wall (behind the speakers). Sub is over to the left against the front wall. I sit a little 'back' from halfway in the long dimension of the room (13x23x10').

There is no sense that the sound is coming from the speakers or sub, and 99% of the time the image is a little behind to way behind the speaker plane. I like the image to be in this location.

If the sounds are 'supposed' to be further back in a recording, I tend to hear them as more a part of a reverberant field, more diffuse than solid image. I suppose with treatments/better components? the images would be solid and sound as if they are 'behind' the wall. I do get a bit of that in some recordings, and Q Sound recordings.

I do also get some other phase-related effects (whether intentional or not) that place images out from the speakers, to the sides, and even to the rear. There's a faint guitar solo in 'Firecracker' (Lisa Loeb) that starts back in the soundstage, moves toward me, swooshes over my left shoulder to the left 'rear', then comes back into the soundscape. Pretty cool, I don't know if a non-nearfield setup can do that sort of thing as well, I don't recall trying it ...

In a more distant/standard setup, at least with my speakers/room, the image is still between/behind the speakers, further away and not as intimate. I've always returned to the nearfield setup after having tried it over the years.

If I ever get larger/floorstanding speakers ...? I guess I'll have to see what I want to do then. I think I'll always want the 'intimacy' with the soundstage tho.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - AbeCollins 22:26:21 07/18/14 (38)

Lots of interesting input. Thanks! - AbeCollins 22:39:04 07/22/14 (0)

I have a 12 X10 room... - excelit 09:23:54 07/20/14 (0)

Has nothing to do with how close the speakers are... - genungo 06:47:35 07/20/14 (0)

Why not try it for yourself? - Jaundiced Ear 02:29:06 07/20/14 (0)

Well, whatever the definition... - JeffH 17:53:32 07/19/14 (0)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - Rick58 15:39:44 07/19/14 (0)

one place that exemplifies near field is.. - hifitommy 12:12:14 07/19/14 (14)

Hhmm... - b.l.zeebub 12:58:31 07/19/14 (13)

RE: Hhmm... - middleground 17:53:32 07/19/14 (12)

RE: Hhmm... - Todd Krieger 00:43:58 07/20/14 (1)

RE: Hhmm... - cfraser 11:19:08 07/20/14 (0)

Is that a new experience for you? - E-Stat 20:32:35 07/19/14 (9)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - middleground 21:18:51 07/19/14 (8)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - Tony Lauck 05:20:05 07/20/14 (2)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - middleground 10:16:22 07/20/14 (1)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - Tony Lauck 10:42:44 07/20/14 (0)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - Todd Krieger 00:45:30 07/20/14 (4)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - middleground 05:25:30 07/20/14 (3)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - b.l.zeebub 08:43:32 07/20/14 (1)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - middleground 10:50:45 07/20/14 (0)

RE: Is that a new experience for you? - rick_m 07:36:41 07/20/14 (0)

This may or may not shed some light on the subject - Penguin 10:40:25 07/19/14 (2)

Now that made it perfectly clear and.... - AbeCollins 18:46:57 07/19/14 (0)

Cleared it right up for me - JeffH 12:06:07 07/19/14 (0)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - tomservo 09:48:50 07/19/14 (0)

This - Bill Way 08:58:59 07/19/14 (1)

Quad 57's - mbnx01 10:06:54 07/19/14 (0)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - fantja 08:47:23 07/19/14 (0)

sitting near enough to greatly reduce the room effect....... - mikel 08:15:42 07/19/14 (3)

They still treat recording studios... - cfraser 09:25:16 07/19/14 (0)

RE: sitting near enough to greatly reduce the room effect....... - Bill the K 08:56:09 07/19/14 (0)

+1 - Awe-d-o-file 08:38:26 07/19/14 (0)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - Frihed89 01:39:02 07/19/14 (1)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - MylesJ 21:51:12 07/20/14 (0)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - Todd Krieger 23:24:15 07/18/14 (1)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - Tony Lauck 07:43:05 07/19/14 (0)

Yes ... - three_sox 23:01:49 07/18/14 (1)

RE: Yes ... - pictureguy 21:37:08 07/24/14 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ? - Rick58 15:39:44 07/19/14 (0)

RE: What exactly constitutes a 'near field' setup ?

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