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What good is Stacking?

Stacking 4311's

Having the tweeters and mids offset right and left, plus having 'presence' and 'brilliance' controls allows the listener to tune upper frequencies to their liking. That is, if they stack them with woofers on top and bottom of the pair so the mid and high are centered. The offset helps to spread the upper frequencies without beaming. I'm still messing around with adjustments.

As of now, I'm happy with all four units adjustments set to mid.
And I don't wire them in series or parallel. I just use the A and B speaker switches which allows me to use any pair or both. The bottom pair, when played alone, sound better than the upper two played alone. They're on 15" bases. Total stacked height is about 66".

I don't consider myself an 'Audiophile'. My friends think I have the best system of us all, and I know how to hook equipment up, so THEY may think I'm an audiophile. I've had the same set of speakers for 25 and 30+ years. My players have changed, my amps have changed, my listening areas have changed, but the JBL 4311's are the heart of any system I've had for many moons. They kind of grow on you. And they're reliable.

Someday I'll buy a better set of speakers. Maybe.

Rick
 
I've stacked speakers pretty much forever. Sometimes they sound great and sometimes not so great. Quite often they offset eachother's weaknesses. The experimentation part is fun and listening to the end result is fun. Say what you want about ruining the soundstage and imaging and ruining this and that. I'm going to continue to try different stacks in spite of what the purists say. Damn it; it's downright fun.
 
I stack 3 pairs of 4310's,4311B's, and 4312's together. Well, any combination (single or double, not triple since my receiver can only drive 2 pairs at a time) of these speakers can't beat my Ohm Walsh 4's. I think it is the speakers more than positioning or # of speakers ... Experimenting is fun, though.
 
This vs. That

I personally run side by side triamped JBL L220/222 pairs with big McCauley slant plate 2" throat horns with JBL 2441 drivers on top/between the pairs of pairs, in a pretty big room. I have in my possession, a pair of JBL L250's, ESS AMT1 Monitors, ESS AMT1D's and until very recently, Altec M19's. I've read all the technical information about the negative effects of stacking and side by side configurations. I believe I fully grasp that what is being stated is indeed technical fact, however, in my personal experience, I do not believe that it translates into the real world with 100% "this should be the case" certainty. I've owned many very well regarded speakers, and through hard work, have had the luxury of testing them in a direct A-B fashion, sometimes A-B-C. I ultimately rely on my own personal taste and expectations, but have, many times, had trusted audio friends over to give me their honest opinions about what they hear too. It is a unanimous decision for the triamped- side by side- L220/L222 pairs. These pairs also have been modified by transplanting the JBL L300's 800hz H92 horn and LE85 compression driver combo too-BTW. They are time aligned via a JBL DSC260 Digital System Controller. This debate goes round and round. The technical facts are there to consider. Your ears are the final judge. What matters is what you like personally, and furthermore, no person can say with absolute certainty what your system sounds like, unless they've sat in your room and listened to your system, period. With the technical facts being just that, I do understand one being skeptical, but I've also had trusted/knowledgeable audio friends pick from a small forest of great speakers and choose the L222/220 combo 100% of the time. There are other people that have much more than I do. I am not trying to come off like some big-bad "look what I got" show-off. I write about what I have experienced and with what speakers I have-and/or had, in context. We all have our personal "audio journey". Which path you choose, you will have to live with. If it is micro dynamic nuance wrt phase/time alignment/tonal coloration/exact acoustic precision, then share it, and be proud of what you've done. If stacking 20 pairs of Realistic Minimus 7's in a pyramid trips your trigger, do likewise. I can't tell you how you're gonna like a PBJ sandwich, can I? How can I begin to tell you what your system is going to do for you personally. You've got most all the bases of the debate covered. Find out with certainty for your own edification :thmbsp:
 
I've stated this in the past: There ain't no perfect stereo or we'd all have one.

Every AKer presently has, or has owned at some time an excellent system that meets their musical reproduction requirements that is within their price range. And they are damn proud of it, too! I'll wager that their particular systems are better than any of their friends systems. Unless you determine who you befriend based only on audio systems. But, then again, it's a hook to meet other people.

Now I have to start another thread!

Rick in Lutz, fl.
 
Thanks Rick

You really stirred the pot with this thread. A "perfect" stereo is one that doesn't have anymore payments:banana:
 
Yeah, Gonzomeep! Man! If i could finance a new stereo I don't know what I'd do! I'd be berzerk! I shouldn't say 'If' because I could afford a really nice one. Got two daughters in college, however. Priorities, you know!

Paying for 5 cars and the usual mortgage, insurance, etc. But life is good!

Rick in Lutz, Fl.
 
motorstereo said:
I've stacked speakers pretty much forever. Sometimes they sound great and sometimes not so great...I'm going to continue to try different stacks in spite of what the purists say. Damn it; it's downright fun.
Click to expand...

gonzomeep said:
I ultimately rely on my own personal taste and expectations, but have, many times, had trusted audio friends over to give me their honest opinions about what they hear too...Your ears are the final judge. What matters is what you like personally, and furthermore, no person can say with absolute certainty what your system sounds like, unless they've sat in your room and listened to your system, period.
Click to expand...

Yeah, what they said. I certainly hope I didn't come off as trying to discourage anyone from playing around and trying things out. I've tried plenty of things that seemed goofy at the outset and fully expect to do many more. Try it. If you like it, keep it. If not, move on.

Ray
 
Ray-spkrdood

spkrdood said:
Yeah, what they said. I certainly hope I didn't come off as trying to discourage anyone from playing around and trying things out. I've tried plenty of things that seemed goofy at the outset and fully expect to do many more. Try it. If you like it, keep it. If not, move on.

Ray
Click to expand...
Your opinions are as valid and valuable as any others. No discouragement to anyone as far as I'm concerned. Great discussion with noteworthy POV's. Welcome to Audio Karma, where even the "little guy's" (like me) opinion has worth and should be carefully examined. I in turn, hope that I was not rude or harsh in my counterpoints, it was the last thing on my mind to do so when I wrote my 2cents, regards, Steve Gonzales
 
I just wanted to say I disagree with everyone here and the only thing important for any of you is what I think. None of your opinions are valid or valuable and I discourage all free thinking. I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wipers. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
 
dnewma04 said:
I just wanted to say I disagree with everyone here and the only thing important for any of you is what I think. None of your opinions are valid or valuable and I discourage all free thinking. I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wipers. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
Click to expand...

To quote Master Sergeant to G.I Jane " When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you." Now pick up your Tonka toys and go to your room! :finger:
 
what good is stackin?

its damn fun. and if anyone says you cant get good sound or different speakers cant sound good together, needs to come to the ville and hear my realistic 8 b's with a flipped pair of altec 95's on'em on a pioneer sx 650. there!!!


vegaman
 
I do not need to say anything.:D



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That's a fine looking stack there Alex. Let the purists have their single speaker. I'm with you on stacking speakers. Don't I wish I had a cathedral ceiling somewhere in my home. With my low ceilings I can normally only get 2 pair stacked but sometimes 3. My very first stereo had a pair of stacked radio shack speakers and my last one will have a stack of some sort as well.
 
Nice

alexkerhead said:
I do not need to say anything.:D



attachment.php
Click to expand...

The vertical aligned driver L100's appear to have had their mid's and tweet's replaced with LE5-12's and first generation LE25's. I believe that in 100% stock form, they had the LE5-2 AlNiCo mid and LE20, can you confirm? Very nice looking bunch of equipment. Must sound very nice :yes:
 
Nice. My only concern: Tape deck next to speakers (stray magnetic fields). Dangerous for valuable tapes.

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
Looking good, Alexkerhead

Impressive. Very impressive.

I'm curious to know the size of your room. And where do you sit in relation to the sweet spot?

I like a small room to listen in. It seems more intimate. Based on the distance between your speakers I'm guessing you have about a 12' x 15' listening room. Mine is 12' x 12'.

I also don't have a remote volume control!

Rick
 
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