Improving imaging

Thank you for the interesting & informative responses. Yes, while some things have remained the same (speakers & amp & interconnects) pretty much everything else has changed (but for the better I'd hoped).

Mainly, I've moved which obviously implies new/different room acoustics. While it is indeed a 'variable change', now it's pretty much a constant (and I'll just have to work around it).

You've confirmed my belief that overall it's the speakers being the most important component. However, these same speakers provided good imaging before so I'm not sure it's them (unless they themselves are/have degraded over the past 5 or so years). I've tweeked/optimized the speaker placement, toe-in, levels, etc. and the best results are speakers that are approx 9 ft apart, with about a 30deg toe-in which focuses them on a 'sweet spot' at ear level about 12' in front. Since imaging has otherwise gone from being present to virtually non-existant makes me think there something else is the 'weak link' in the chain.

I'm going to take a good hard look at my interconnects & cabling. They've just 'sat there', sans any maintenance at all so it's likely they could use a good cleaning or maybe even replacement.

Beyond that, it could very well be that while attempting to upgrade my pre-amp, sources, etc. I may have indeed disrupted my overall 'system synergy'. Now, since overall component synergy is more 'by the grace of the gods' than formulaic, how to rectify.

From the sound of your last description of the sound you get and the fact that you moved, requiring you to reconnect all of your components, you may have the polarity on the speaker cables reversed. Make sure they are connected properly.

I just went through this with my speaker cables. I am thinking of switching to Synergistic Research cabling on the stereo part of my home theater. So, after changing to my rear S.R. cables to see how they sounded on front, I was amazed at the better soundstage and imaging. When I went to put back in my Wireworld Silver Eclipses, I noticed that they were pretty nasty. I cleaned them three months back with Caig Pro Gold and DeoxIt. Well, after cleaning them, the "magic" reappeared. I don't know if it is Atlanta's humidity or what, but I guess I am going to have to increase the interval that I clean my cables. Mmccoy, I would be willing to bet that after a good cleaning you will hear a nice improvement in everything--soundstage, imaging, detail, bass, highs, etc.

Best of luck.

Gregg

As I've posted under 'OTA cables', I found that the height of my ears relative to the speaker height made a vast difference in imaging. Also forward and back. Try listening while sitting in an adjustable height chair. Your new room acoustics may require a different height.

i tink the room is the most important component. unless someting is physically wrong w/yer system/set-up, the fact that yuve changed this component recently, w/yer consequent results, encourages me in my belief. the *next* most important component is the speaker, imo... while ewe may have tweeked speaker placement, i hope, for yer sake, it's *not* yet optimized. ;~) time to tink outside the box - nearfield listening? more room treatment to cancel 1st-reflection points at sidewalls/floor/ceiling? move speakers further from the wall behind them? move listening spot away from wall behind it?

not knowing more specifics about yer exact room set-up, & speaker brand, it's hard to make specific recommendations, but someting doesn't seem rite - *generally*, best sound will be w/speakers facing straight-ahead, or towed-in only a little. this assumes adequate elimination of 1st-reflections, speakers away from wall behind them, listener away from wall behind him/her... of course, there are always certain speakers that don't conform to this general model.

keep experimenting w/speaker placement in yer gnu room!

good luck, doug s.