|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
In Reply to: Re: Disagree posted by JeffMO on July 23, 2002 at 13:19:35:
... is that the ears derive timbre not only from the first-arrival (on-axis) sound, but also from the reverberant sound in the room (the off-axis sound).Live instruments create a reverberant field that has the same tonal balance as the on-axis sound (horn instruments are something of an exception to this). This tonally correct reverberant field contributes to the timbral richness of live music. Reproduced music seldom has this quality because most speakers don't recreate a tonally correct reverberant field.
The current emphasis on good on-axis response stems from psychoacoustic research in the 60's and 70's that established the on-axis response as the primary contributor to perceived timbre. What has been overlooked by most designers is the still significant role the reverberant field response plays.
The old argument used to be flat on-axis response vs. flat power response, and unfortunately the latter called for on-axis peaks to compensate for driver beaming. The flat on-axis camp pretty much won out. But a more useful analysis would have been to look at what happens over time, and to design for similar tonal balance in the first-arrival and reveberant (later-arrival) sound. There are relatively few designs that get the reverberant field right, but those that do tend to excel at long-term fatigue-free listening.
If you'd like to easily evaluate a speaker's reverberant field response, crank it up a bit louder than normal and walk into another room, leaving the door open. If it sounds convincingly like live music back in there, then that speaker has very good reverberant field response (and very good dynamics, too).
Follow Ups:
DUKE,
In the evenings, I often listen with the music cranked up a bit, down the hall in another room where another computer is. The solo vocalists seem to sound very very real with prescence...kinda like standing right outside of a live jazz club.
Sounds to me like your 801's are making the magic happen! In my experience not many speakers do what you describe, but good sound from another room (or even down the hall) is a fairly reliable predictor of long-term listening enjoyment.
I think I am getting the best sound ever from my system in my room. Its not perfect. But it's working out pretty well right now.I can't believe how many variables and equipment choices it takes to get the sound right. Its really crazy and actually unfair. Its easy to give up and try something else. Fortunately for me, I live in a victorian home with 3 flights of stairs. There is now way I can move these suckers without professional help! So, they must stay and learn to behave and acquire some manners. :)
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: