The Listening Sweet Spot

[jimmy]

Jack, I can answer many questions.

Yes, money will buy quality. However a little research & listening will be required. And, best to audition in that proposed system in the owners listening room.

In my response, do you really believe someone would drop $10K to $50K on a whim? I do not believe so, and if so, then they deserve the junk they bought.


Again, you state a professional musician with years of experience does not know quality playback? Whatever you say.......

You are only guessing the quality of my system, yet have not heard it. Sounds like a post I read that every circuit can be written down on paper with a known & guaranteed result.

 

[kby]

Originally posted by jimmy
...Again, you state a professional musician with years of experience does not know quality playback...

To be honest in my opinion, many don't. I would argue that this is especially true if the kind of music your in is most 'studio' music that is miked and done through speakers.

Even for acoustic music, the experience on stage is different than any place in the audience, and different places in auditoriums are often different. I don't find my experience in the audience of concert the same as when I'm on the stage (as an semi-professional/involved amateur type).

I agree with lynnm that the definition of sweet is somewhat subjective. I actually thought about it a while ago while I was at a chamber music concert of some friends in a fairly well-designed auditorium. I wasn't sitting in one of the greatest seats (stage right close to the front), and to be honest when I closed my eyes I couldn't really tell acoustically where each instrument was most of the time. Sure, I could tell the group was "out in that direction" but where each instrument was? No. Admittedly I might do better with a full orchestra which (a) has a bigger footprint and (b) would have instruments that are just easier to place (this was piano quartet stuff).

As far as Thatch's comment, my opinion is that that means his combo was able to recreate the balance that's neccessary to sound like an orchestra at a distance--like listenening to the group from the foyer of the concert hall. That's one level of good, but doesn't really address the sonic imaging/sound stage issue, which should be based on hearing the group in the concert hall, not the foyer.-kby

 

[BrianB]

Re: Large sweet spot: a solution.

Originally posted by Gerrit
By angling the speakers to cross in front of the listener, first reflections from sidewalls are delayed to such an extent that they are less likely to interfere with the stereo image.

Hi Gerrit,

I'm surprised that no one else has commented on your suggested speaker placement. I myself have found that some of my favorite loudspeakers (Audio Note, Living Voice, etc.) sound best in just such a configuration!