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RE: Yes there is a distance too far

Posted by Barry (A) on January 20, 2016 at 17:10:54

In Reply to: RE: Yes there is a distance too far posted by Norman M on January 20, 2016 at 14:25:22:

Hmmm. I wasn't clear. It's probably not possible to generalize from my setup. Soundstage and imaging depends on the ratio of direct to reflected sound which includes distances as well as speaker toe-in and absorption.

It is true, that a delay of reflections off the front wall of at least 10mS is desirable. In any room, it helps if speakers are ideally at least 5.9' from the front wall.

I agree with you that back wall treatment is critical so as not to "color the issue". Placing absorption directly behind the listening seat on the rear wall is essential. That rear wall is 7.9' behind me.

You're also right that the speakers don't integrate properly if that's what you meant by " as the speakers get closer to one's ears images can also become too diffuse and lose body". I'm a little over 11' away to optimize that for my listening tastes.

Here's the tricky part. The diffuse sound I encountered by moving my speakers too far out from my front wall is likely due to the nominal toe-in of my speaker placement. I purposely set the speaker toe-in with Room EQ Wizard to achieve a gradual roll-off of high frequencies at my listening chair per the 'B&K house curve'. This set-up images well with tweeters in, sounds more balanced, the speakers totally disappear, and it creates a big soundstage.

Optimized this way makes moving the speakers further out sound worse. It necessitates some absorption behind the speakers to damp excess reflected sound and improve imaging. Interestingly, the measured frequency response was better without the absorption, but to use a technical term, the sound "sucked".

There is still a "to far out" from-the-wall distance for speaker placement even considering room treatment but maybe you won't encounter it in the average-size listening room if the speaker is aimed right at you.

That bottle of wine is now empty.

Edits: 01/20/16

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