Bass only when I stand up…


Weird experience.

Wired up my system and sit down in my office chair. The bass disappeared. Stand up, and alakazam, the bass is back full and wonderful. It’s like swimming in the sea, there are horizontal layers of different temperatures. Quite distinct.

Ok, system info:

Speakers - PMC MB2SE

Power amp - Marantz 8807

Preamp - Marantz 8005

Sources - Pioneer LX800 or N70ae

Room - carpeted, 4.27x5.5x2.75m, acoustic insulated plasterboard and timber frame

Shape? Left side where door is, has duct risers that create 800mm boxes either side of the door. I’ve tried attaching a photo but didn’t work. Try here: link

Speakers placed 600mm out from the 4.27 wall, with the opposite wall being a library and office desk.

Tried? Raising front and rear speaker stands 1” to point speakers up or down slightly with no effect.

I welcome ideas 💡 yet realize there are constraints here too.

johnread57

I have the same issue without a solution except hanging the speakers for the celling to invert the problem.

I'm hoping someone somewhere has solved this.

Standing waves and null zones.  Only way to really solve is experiment with placement (speakers and listening position), and then augment with bass traps.  Analyzing using REW or the like will help in a more efficient journey towards a solution, as I wouldn't look forward to lugging those phenomenal speakers you have across the four corners of the room.

Speaker position is everything.  I have had this experience too.  The factors affecting the bass are distance from front wall, side walls and most importantly, distance between each speaker.  First, experiment by moving the speakers closer together in 3 inch steps.  When you hear a change go back and move them in finer increments.  Do the same procedure from the front wall.

As a rough generalization, very rough- the speakers want to be between 1.83-2.74 meters apart.  Sure, bigger speakers with big drivers can be further apart but in general 2.44 meters, plus/minus will be the sweet spot.  1 meter from the front wall minimum will help the bass and the soundstage.  Lastly, listening position is critical too.  Start with listening position equal to the distance between tweeters.  Then try moving back to 1.1-1.2 times the distance between tweeters.  Try to keep some distance from the back wall while moving those speakers away from the front wall as far as possible.

Bass traps in the corners will remove mudiness in the bass notes but they are not a cure for no bass. Ie. Bass traps don’t make more bass, they make the bass you have better.