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How important is the speaker/room interface?

In my years in this hobby, I've come to believe the speaker/room interface is one of the most important elements we face in building a satisfying audio system. And while it seems there is a growing realization of this point (emphasis on speaker placement and room design), I don't believe it yet receives the attention it deserves. For example, some folks who have never addressed the sonics of their listening rooms may spend weeks and significant money trying out different wires when a different speaker system and/or room treatments could provide far greater sonic improvements.

I have three friends who have the same make/model speaker as I own. I've listened to each of them with the same or similar amps, yet the sonic results are significantly different. The primary difference is the rooms -- volume, shape, construction, decoration, etc. So while I've made adjustments in my own speaker/room to improve it to a reasonable extent, I know my speakers could sound better in a more optimized room based on this experience. No change of sources, electronics, wires, tweaks, etc. could effect as much difference.

I'm thinking about this now since I just read the HFN history in "Sound Bites" by Kessler and Harris. In a 1994 interview by Ken Kessler with Peter Walker, Walker is ask what he believes still needs to be addressed in audio. His first response is the relationship of the speaker and room.

So, any thoughts as to why the speaker/room interface is not more universally considered the top priority in building a system?
pryso
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,464 posts
 
Yes, the room is perhaps the biggest factor, along with your ears/hearing (which biases your listening experience but you have no real control over this part) and relative listening position. If you take the room and relative listening position into consideration before going full hog on buying the best or most expensive equipment, you will zero in on highly satisfying results without having to break the bank. Then, you can tweak to your hearts content with the equipment that floats your boat from there.

Take a rock group, jazz ensemble, chamber orchestra symphony orchestra or soloist and put them in three separate concert hall venues and each will sound different. Or, sit in three different locations during the same performance within the finest venue and each location will sound different.

Why would anyone expect this to be any different with a home sound system?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,464 posts
 
I forgot to mention speaker placement within a room as another key factor for optimizing sound in any particular room.

I tend to like point source speakers in moderate sized to somewhat larger rooms several feet away from rear or side walls best. I feel that something resembling this configuration is most commonly the most cost effective way to achieve outstanding results.

Line source designs or those closer to line source than point source can work well but these tend to be more expensive and also typically require larger rooms for good results.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,464 posts
 
"So, any thoughts as to why the speaker/room interface is not more universally considered the top priority in building a system?"

That's an easy one: because you can't sell people the latest and greatest "speaker/room interface". The basics laws of physics don't change. The best speaker placement in a room today is most likely the same one that existed 30 years ago.

It's a lot easier to make money selling the latest and greatest design or component innovation.

Unfortunately, like most things these days, its all about the $$$$$$s, baby!
sphere
72 posts
 
I would like to mention that the best system I have ever heard, was one where the loudspeaker system was built into the room. This is the monitoring system at Focus Studios in Denmark. Robert E Greene described it in an Absolute Sounds article a few years ago. The experience from this room makes every high end system I have heard sound flawed. Every high end audiophile should hear this room before making a system purchase, as I believe Ole Christensen the designer, will be more than happy to make a room like that for any audiophile who desires the best.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
05-21-08: Undertow asked:
"What is a Sumiko MasterSet? I looked this up once and never found anything on it...."

Hopefully before year end there'll be a DIY DVD out to help anyone do the Master Set themselves. Until then, it's a methodology for speaker placement that Sumiko teaches their dealers.

If you buy Sonus Faber or Vienna Acoustic speakers from a dealer it should be part of the deal. Otherwise, you can beg a Sumiko dealer to let you pay them to do it. In Colorado, Rod Tomson of Soundings, or one of Soundings other trained experts, will do on any speaker, for a fee.

I've done a review in the Review section of A'gon.

Dave
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