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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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In Reply to: I've wondered the same thing, except posted by Jim McAtee on September 24, 2001 at 00:03:58:
A point source isn't necessarily better than a line source - it still depends on the execution of the design. For example, a point-source approximating speaker with poor phase reponse and/or system resonances will not image as well as a line source system with good phase response and freedom from system resonances.But let's compare apples with apples - let's say we have a perfect point source and a perfect line source. A point source will probably give you a bit better image localization if you sit in exactly the right spot, but a line source might very well sound more realistic. Let me explain:
First of all, a line source is not going to have reflections off the floor and ceiling like a point source will. So right away we eliminate that source of unwanted reflections.
Second, a true line source is much more tolerant of variations in listener height - you can listen standing, sitting, or lying down and it still sounds right. I like to get up and dance (when no one's looking, of course), and that's when I appreciate a line source the most.
Third, a line source creates a more realistic feeling of acoustic space. This is because the sound field set up by a line source is more like what you would get at a live performance, where you are probably fairly far from the performers. In the tyical room, you might be 10 feet from the speakers. As you move around the room, the volume changes noticeably. With line source speakers, the volume is much more uniform throughout the room. This is much more like the soundfield you get say 40 feet from the performers at a live concert.
If you have the misfortune of listening off axis, again a line source speaker will give you better soundstaging because the volume of the farther speaker will fall off more slowly.
A hybrid that seeks to blend a point source woofer with a line source mid/tweet ribbon or panel is a delicate juggling act. In my experience the most successful hybrids incorporate some sort of level control to best match the relative levels of the drivers.
Maggies are probably the most common line-source approximating speakers. If you get a chance to listen to a large pair do so - the sound field they generate really does have a very different feel from what you get with point-source approximating speakers. And if set up right, they can image and soundstage quite well.
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Follow Ups
- Line source vs. point source - Duke 21:01:34 09/24/01 (0)
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