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It probably isn't as straightforward as your numbers suggest

Posted by David Aiken (A) on May 19, 2011 at 14:10:49

In Reply to: RE: Klaus: "It looks as if there is no straightforward answer." posted by KlausR. on May 18, 2011 at 08:54:13:

Is listening level going to be the sole determinant of whether we're as happy with the sound in the larger room as we were in the smaller room? I think not.

Those differences in side wall reflection levels are going to have an impact on the perception of spaciousness. There's no guarantee that the listener will want to maintain the same listening triangle and live with the soundstage differences caused by either a roughly 5 dB difference in side wall reflection strength moving between room 1 and 2, or a 10 dB difference moving between room 2 and 3, or a 15 dB difference moving between room 1 and 3. I think the impacts on things like perception of spaciousness are going to be much more noticeable to the listener than the difference in level which is probably easily compensated for by adjusting the volume setting. Changing the volume setting won't compensate for the differences in things like spaciousness, nor the change in decay time which will affect clarity of different sorts of music in different ways.

So, moving from room 2 to room 3, or from room 1 to room 3 may well result in the listener wanting to move the speakers further apart in order to maintain similar proximity to walls, and that will result in a greater listening distance as well if they choose to maintain the same listening angle between the speakers. That may result in a decision that other speakers are more suitable for the room.

Alternatively, neither the change in listening difference nor the changes in SPL are a factor but the increase in distance from room boundaries (distance to side wall is -85 m in room 1, 2.85 m in room 2, and 11.25 m in room 3) is likely to have an effect on boundary reinforcement at low frequencies (even moving from room 1 to room 3 the distance to side wall increases more than three fold even though room size only doubles). Depending on the speakers in question and their low frequency roll off, that may result in a decision to change speakers while maintaining the same listening triangle.

I don't think we can simply look at one factor in isolation and say "this change won't necessitate a change in speakers". If the listening triangle remains unchanged we change listening level, soundstage perception, and bass response to varying degrees, and how much soundstage perception and bass response change is going to depend a fair bit on the speaker. The change in soundstage perception, for example, is likely to be very different if the speaker is a normal box speaker like yours and mine, than it will be for something like a Shahinian or Bose 901 which has drivers pointed in all directions, or for a dipole or bipole.

I don't even think it's as simple as saying "this factor will be critical for this speaker but not for that one". All of those possible areas of change influence how we respond to the speaker in the new room and it may not be a single one of those changes but rather a combination of two or more which is the factor for some people. We're really talking about factors whose assessment is strongly influenced by personal preference when it comes to soundstage and bass performance. As far as level goes, what say that difference in level, small though a 1 to 3 dB change looks on paper, is the tipping point for a listener who has just been able to satisfy themselves with peak levels in the smaller room—they haven't been quite satisfied but they've been prepared to live with it. A bit more "inadequacy" to their ears at peak levels is the "straw that breaks the camel's back". A 1 to 3 dB drop in level may not be an issue if the speaker was capable of delivering more than adequate levels in the smaller room but if that were not the case and they were barely adequate in the smaller room, then that 1 to 3 dB change may prove to be the difference between barely adequate and inadequate.

"Unless you win the $$$-jackpot you won't move from room 2 to room 3."

Not necessarily true—you could move from a conventional house to an open plan loft style residence of the same total area and have room size increase on that sort of scale without needing to win the lottery but in general I do think you're right. Still, a small number of people also do win the lottery.

Regardless of the financial requirements of a large change in room size, my point was that it is possible for a change in room size to necessitate a change in speakers. Probably unlikely for most moves, but possible and I do think making the observation that it is possible is worth the effort in the interests of accuracy. We can say it's unlikely but, depending on the speakers involved and the size of the room change, it is possible and I think that possibility needs to be acknowledged.




David Aiken

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