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Need help with room problems

My specific issue is that my "sweet spot" is very small and quite dramatic. My "system" link will show you some visual details but here's more info.

My room is about 16'x 12'x 8'(height). System is on the long wall. Speakers about 23" from rear wall, 6'3" apart and my head about 8' from them. No toe-in as recommended by the manufacturer. Room is flanked on the left by a large window starting 3' from the floor and is centered measuring 4'h x 7'w. It is covered with curtains, though not heavy ones. The right is open to the dining area, and a half wall that leads into a hallway. Two large bookcases are at the first reflection point to try and minimize the chaos of the hallway.

If I move my head more than about 6" the placement of the instruments change quite drastically. The effect seems to be with the right speaker. Sometimes the sound is as if from the speaker and in the sweet spot, the speaker "disappears".

I looking for suggestions as to what to do to deal with these problems.

Thinking of trying the system on the short wall with the window behind it but I am concerned about the bass response due to the ports. Also wondering if the open dining area and the opening to the hallway will send the sound off into oblivion.

Thinking of diy roomlenses. It is the living room and unfortunately the only possible room. Also we rent so I can't alter anything but the furniture.

Thanks.
stuartbranson
stuartbranson OP
183 posts
 
Actually if I move my head to the right there is a very discernible line across which the balance shifts quite dramatically.
newbee
4,789 posts
 
One of the downsides to highly resolving cone speaker systems is that they will give you a very narrow sweet spot. It is normal for the center of your soundstage to shift to the left (for example) if your move your head to the left. Speakers that provide you with a wide listening area usually do not provide sharp resolution/focus. But there are a few things you can try, one of which sounds far more radical than it really is. The easy one is to spread your speakers further apart and create something closer to, but not exactly, a triangle. The next sounds radical, looks different but it can really work if you keep an open mind and play with it. Instead of facing your speakers straight ahead, which will place you on about a 60 to 65 degree angle from the center line of your speaker, cross each speaker well in front of you on a similar angle. The sound that will reach your chair will be on about the same angle from the speaker as it was before, you will have no sidewall 1st reflection points to confuse the sound, you will diffuse the reflections from the ceiling so that they affect the sound less, and you will gain center fill. Because you can locate the speakers very close to the side walls, this would work well for you on the short wall where you could set up a listening triangle of with speakers about 9 to 10 ft apart and the chair about 10 to 11 feet from the speaker. As a benefit you will also get a sense of sound stage when sitting directly in front of each speaker only it won't be highly resolved - good place for a second chair if you need one. I use this system in a slightly large room than yours with full range cone speakers - it took a bit to figure out the untimate placement (Inch at a time, week by week) but finally executed it really is excellent. Try it, its free!
stuartbranson OP
183 posts
 
Eenteresting, eenteresting. I can imagine it now. Not sure it would pass the WAF but it's worth a try. Never thought of it. Guess that means I'd have to change the left speaker for the right so the tweeters are properly aligned.

I know what you mean about the narrow sweet spot but right now it seems ridiculously narrow. I remember some bizarre post somewher in which the author suggested a kind of head vise to maintain objectivity during a review, (or something to that effect). Methinks I gots to get me one o' dem.
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