advertisement


Speakers that sound good in corners or against the walls?

Tony L said:
Much is psychological IME. Turn the light out so you can't see anything and the space and depth happens - your brain just stops it as you can see the wall and speakers. Turning the lights off and listening in the dark is the best audiophile upgrade this side of class A drugs IMO, I'm amazed it isn't discussed more! If you could sell it it would cost £thousands.
Click to expand...

Getting the chair out away from the back wall helps immensely too.
 
I can confirm both Snell Type AII and K can be run very close or right up against the wall. I wanted to post a pic to illustrate how I have my A's set up but its on my phone, and I don't think PFM accomodates that.

I had the Type JII before and they needed for space for that back port to breathe more freely.
 
jamesd said:
This may be true but I think* I like my Snell JIII's in the corners the best.

* I think. I go back and forth. When I stick them in the corners, they have a more easy, back of the room presentation which I think I prefer
Click to expand...

I was referring to original Snell "J & "JII placement

Snell JIII was not Peter Snell but Kevin Voecks design

I have no idea how these were intended to be placed in relation to wall furniture etc.
 
When AudioNote UK demonstrate at shows they always use their speakers (based on Snell designs) close into the corners of the room and it works very well.

It is stated earlier in the thread that any closed (infinite baffle) speaker will work close to the rear wall but this is quite untrue. A speaker voiced/balanced for free space will sound strangely bass boosted if used close to a boundary, irespective of other elements of its design.

As Tony L writes a bit earlier, the impression of depth and stereo focus is an illusion that can be undermined by seeing the speakers flat against a wall. However, my experience is that speakers in free space do actually image better than those that are wall positioned.
 
I've got my front ported PMCs right against the front wall, gradually moved there over the first three months. About four feet in from the corners.
Both my old Sonys and Monitor Audio MA4s are now in the corners.
Might just be my taste in sound.
 
Yank said:
Getting the chair out away from the back wall helps immensely too.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes; I discovered this some years ago when I moved my sofa forward of the bay by a couple of feet. Easily experimented with, and to my mind proven beyond doubt with both the ProAc R4s I had and my current big ESLs.

Does help to have a rectangular room, of course, which allows greater experimental potential anyway.
 
Jodet said:
Turns out I have a problem with the Larsens. The '4' is two grand, the '6' is four grand.

Difference? Better drivers (they say) and slightly nicer cosmetics.

For a two grand pop in price? Sorry, I think the importer is going on a 'what he thinks the market will bear' plan. And I look at that 9" x 10" by 30" two-way speaker and don't see four thousand dollars.

If it were three grand? I'd probably be buying a pair. But at four grand it's a white elephant.
Click to expand...

They are cheaper over here (unusually) - $3100 for the Larsen 6.2s.
 
Can people clarify what they mean by speakers in corners? Do you mean really wedged in, or just close-ish? 30cm away? 50cm?
 
Jodet said:
Turns out I have a problem with the Larsens. The '4' is two grand, the '6' is four grand.

Difference? Better drivers (they say) and slightly nicer cosmetics.

For a two grand pop in price? Sorry, I think the importer is going on a 'what he thinks the market will bear' plan. And I look at that 9" x 10" by 30" two-way speaker and don't see four thousand dollars.

If it were three grand? I'd probably be buying a pair. But at four grand it's a white elephant.
Click to expand...

Jodet, I too have a bit of an issue with the Model 6 pricing too. Bearing in mind I have not heard it or directly compared it to my Model 4, I find that it would indeed really have to bring an awful lot to the table in order for me to double the price of my 4's for the 6. I am thinking it would be better to leap-frog the 6 and go for the Model 8, seems to be a bit more substance there for the money. But again, listening and all that would tell the tale, not just my own thought on value/pricing.

I feel I got a good deal when I bought my Model 4's, they were just being imported into the US at the time, and I was first onboard with my pair here. Got them for $1595/pair. Not too long after, once the new dust settled with distributor pricing etc., they went up to 2K/pair, and all the other models too shifted upwards. With that being said, I do think the 4 is a very good buy, providing one likes what they bring to the table to begin with. To my ears, it is a solid little performer, and one I don't think I could easily replace with much else.

Sorry for the slight diversion, back to the OP now....
 
Tony L said:
Much is psychological IME. Turn the light out so you can't see anything and the space and depth happens - your brain just stops it as you can see the wall and speakers. Turning the lights off and listening in the dark is the best audiophile upgrade this side of class A drugs IMO, I'm amazed it isn't discussed more! If you could sell it it would cost £thousands.

PS when talking about wall proximity speakers I'd still toe-them in to taste, speakers firing straight across the room seldom create a great image IME. I tend to like a gentle toe-in with most speakers, i.e. to still be able to see a bit of the side of the cab, but not much.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I almost always listen in a darkened room.

Million dollar idea: the audiophile light switch. It has two settings, off and off.
 
Did you look at these? I have no experience with them just wanted to pass it on
http://www.thehornshoppe.com/
Hand built, single driver (not the GHH!) loudspeakers that are rear loaded, folded, corner horns. Designed to be placed in the corners of the room and capable of high SPL using SET (or other flea power) amplifiers.Corner placement is not required but suggested for maximum extension and output. The Horn uses a single (plus a Heil maybe!) 4.5" full range driver (actual cone diameter is about 3.5 inches) and the pair are capable of 98-100db (peaks) in an average size room with a 3 watt ( or greater) amplifier. No restrictions on power. An easy 8 0hm load. Size 30"tall, 11.5"deep, 6" wide.
 
Jodet said:
I'm moving my 2-channel system to a new room. And I'm pretty tired of speakers that want to be three, four, five feet into the room.

I'm a Harbeth/Spendor/Quad/Proac kinda guy.

Any recommendations for a speaker I might like that is happy closer to walls?
Click to expand...

I used to run both ls3/5a and small Spendors and had to clear all the boundaries to get the listening parameters right. When I replaced them with MAD 1920s, I was delighted to find that these fabulous speakers with rear-firing ports work best close to a back wall (25cm) and yield great bass and great depth to the soundstage. I have the option of placing them wherever I want, but rear wall proximity is the best result for me. Recommended.
 
Hook said:
Agreed. I almost always listen in a darkened room.

Million dollar idea: the audiophile light switch. It has two settings, off and off.
Click to expand...
I would suggest a deluxe statement no compromise model with 5 fs off.
 
TimF said:
Jodet, I too have a bit of an issue with the Model 6 pricing too. Bearing in mind I have not heard it or directly compared it to my Model 4, I find that it would indeed really have to bring an awful lot to the table in order for me to double the price of my 4's for the 6. I am thinking it would be better to leap-frog the 6 and go for the Model 8, seems to be a bit more substance there for the money. But again, listening and all that would tell the tale, not just my own thought on value/pricing.

I feel I got a good deal when I bought my Model 4's, they were just being imported into the US at the time, and I was first onboard with my pair here. Got them for $1595/pair. Not too long after, once the new dust settled with distributor pricing etc., they went up to 2K/pair, and all the other models too shifted upwards. With that being said, I do think the 4 is a very good buy, providing one likes what they bring to the table to begin with. To my ears, it is a solid little performer, and one I don't think I could easily replace with much else.

Sorry for the slight diversion, back to the OP now....
Click to expand...

I'd buy a pair of 4's for $1595 on the spot. Funny, the dollar is so much stronger than the pound yet so much Brit gear keeps going up anyway.
 
kitemap said:
Do you ever regret selling your LVs to me?
I think they are bloody fantastic!
Click to expand...

Yes and no, I miss what the LV's do with soundstage and the mid range detail but the Primes reproduce bass better than anything I've heard so far with the LV's qualities to boot.

It's quite a call but I think the primes are better than the Audio Notes which I thought were the best all round speaker I've owned.

I know I will go back to LV's at some point though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top