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In Reply to: Some pictures of our new system posted by Christine Tham on August 7, 2005 at 02:40:33:
Christine, why is the B&W pictured so close to the wall and behind the cabinet? I have the 7xx series, very similar, and I know they sound better with a lot more room behind and to the sides. Also, try to avoid any objects between each speaker, the sound will merge better. B&W make every effort to avoid directivity, which means the sweet spot is large and the sound diffuses very widely, but the constraint is that front neighbouring objects are a problem. Wooden floors are also a big problem, make sure you isolate the speakers correctly, and try to tilt them back slightly to align the drivers.Nice setup!
Follow Ups:
the speaker is in that position because that is the best spot for it, after experimentation with various positions. it's actually not "behind the cabinet" - it's adjacent to it (probably looks that way because the angle tricks the eyes), and there is no obstruction of the speaker drivers.the cdm 7nt series are rear as well as front ported, and according to b&w needs to be about 1 foot away from a wall. this is certainly confirmed through trial and error as well. you lose a lot of bass if you move them away.
the cabinet is probably too close to the speaker, but ironically probably a good idea, since it minimises hard reflections from the side wall. you must remember, the rules are different for surround speakers compared to front speakers - you actually don't want reflections (unlike normal stereo speaker positioning where reflections from the back wall reinforce and expand the soundstage).
the "wooden floor" is not a problem because it is not a true timber floor, just a "simulated" one (it's actually timber veneer laid on top of a concrete slab).
> the cabinet is probably too close to the speaker, but ironically probably a good idea, since it minimises hard reflections from the side wall. <You might be getting fewer reflections from the wall, but you're getting worse reflections from the side of the cabinet. The reflections from the wall are a known quantity and considered when the radation pattern of the speaker was designed, reflections from an item placed to the side/front weren't. They'll also have phasing issues.
> you must remember, the rules are different for surround speakers compared to front speakers - you actually don't want reflections (unlike normal stereo speaker positioning where reflections from the back wall reinforce and expand the soundstage). <
It depends on what you're listening to and the loudspeakers, but all reflections are inherently bad and should be avoided. "Expanding the soundstage" also blurs the image and creates an uneven response. But for movies, the surrounds should be diffuse and sometimes wall reflections help, but for music, that's not the case.
If your speaker is in the "right" position, the rack isn't, but then, sometimes we all have to compromise.
*** You might be getting fewer reflections from the wall, but you're getting worse reflections from the side of the cabinet. ***maybe, but there's no clear path for these reflections to get to the listening position, because they then get absorbed by the back curtains. You have to understand, i've done some thinking about this.
*** It depends on what you're listening to and the loudspeakers, but all reflections are inherently bad and should be avoided ***
Not necessarily. Most speakers are designed assuming reflections from a back wall. There's lots of evidence that anechoic rooms are very bad for audio, so not all reflections are inherently bad.
What you want is some liveliness from the room, but not a completely dead one. The prevailing opinion is to make one wall relatively uncluttered (usually the front wall), and make all the other walls either "complex" (ie. the equipment rack, bookshelves, etc.) or dampened (ie. using curtains or other sound absorbing material) or "open". And either the ceiling or the floor should be dampened (carpet or rug works).
This is exactly what i've done with the current setup.
*** But for movies, the surrounds should be diffuse and sometimes wall reflections help ***
You should do a search, there's been a thread on this. "surrounds should be diffuse" is NOT generally considered best practice anymore - this was (is) a THX recommendation, and THX is wrong. diffuse surrounds completely destroy imaging. Look at the setup for the mixing soundstage at Skywalker Sound, they aim for pinpoint imaging just as i do.
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