Why buy a fun car if you have to deal with speed limits, stop lights, and traffic? Probably because you'd like to get a bit more fun within your own situation, and knowing that occasionally it s something truly special.
Why ask what speakers work best against or near a wall? Because not every room in my home is dedicated to audio, and for a lot of people, they don't have a choice of their dimensions and situation for their primary room even.
They still like music, they still would like to hear it played the best it can be in their situation.
So let's see.
They enjoy music.
They would like to listen to it in the best manner they can.
They accept the fact that it can't be perfect.
There is obviously a line that has to be drawn. Where they draw it, and where you draw it are two choices.
There are speakers made for close wall placement.
There are speakers made to be as far from a wall as possible.
There are speakers designed in a chamber.
There are speakers designed in a typical room.
So is there only acceptable option to buy the cheapest, most horrible stereo setup?
No, they inquire on what the best they can do with their situation.
I highly doubt you have the exact, ideal room situation. Yet, I assume you do what you have to do to make the best of it. Doesn't matter whether this is setting limits, using room correction, using room treatment, twiddling with placement, trying components.
Same with these folks.
I also forgot -- there is no right way to do anything ...otherwise we wouldn't have 800 different companies making audio equipment we wouldn't have thousands of Audiogon members buying, trading, selling, and swapping...
There really would be nothing to talk about.
There would be 'the way'.
I was one of the people who started a thread. I have another room which dictates placement this way, and I also have a curiosity about putting together a system from a different philosophy.
I am currently not designing blueprints for a new home, where every room follows the golden ratio. There is the possibility where I might want to put a system in another room not specifically designed for audio.
I will not design my kitchen for the best imaging.
I will not factor in room treatment into my bathroom.
I will not have speakers dead center in the middle of my office.
I might design a den for something other than audio.
I might be social and design a room for having people over,
rather than audio, where I'd still like to hear music.
I might even have another person that lives with me that has as equal an opinion as to what happens to my home, that is also a bit more important that a box with tubes, transformers, or transitors in it.
I might like a speaker with great off-axis response, since I can no longer find my neckbrace to keep my head in the perfect spot.
There might even be a chance other people would like to hear music as close to 'nice' as possible.
Is this ideal?
No.
This does happen is real life, where homes are designed for some crazy, something totally outlandish -- they call this "living".
People realize this.
Manufacturers realize this.
Recording labels realize this.
So people do they best they can with what they have.
Manufacturers make products made for ideal situations.
They also make products made for 'typical' situations.
They also make products to help people who have purchased components made for ideal situations, but where they won't work.
Music labels do this all the time -- why do you think compression is even used? Most people's typical system is a car, or a typical mass market stereo.
There are always compromises, and there are always different preferences and situations, and for each, there will be a market.
Every been to an audio show? Talk about horrible room situations to deal with. Think dealers and manufacturers have their equipment setup the way they'd ideally like it?
No.
Ever heard good sound?
Probably.
Ever heard bad sound?
Probably.
Still curious to hear it played well?
You betcha.
Still trying to get the best out of the situation _you_ have?
Probably.
Same with everyone else playing the game.
We have reality, and we'd like to make the best of it.
If you can only accept perfection, and you realize that in most situations you can't reach it, you're missing out on a whole lot of life.
