Ok, so in living up to my word on testing the DIs up against the front wall and then out in their ’regular’ position.....
Please know that these findings are based on a relatively quick test to answer a question and/or an unknown for me, based on the back and forth in this thread on the DIs performance closer to the front wall or further out from it.
I’ll repeat the placement test again in a couple of days to see if my first test findings change, or not.
NOTE, NOTE, NOTE: !!! I am not trying to stir up any waters or participate in a speaker placement battle. I’m not saying that one is right or wrong. I realize we all have our unique room and other ’environmental’ issues to deal with. !!!
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Music used:
J. S. Bach: 6 Suites for Solo Violoncello by Mischa Maisky (Prelude and Allemande)
and
You Don’t Know What Love Is by Cassandra Wilson off of her Blue Light ’Til Dawn album.
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The Double Impacts were placed 6 inches from the front wall, 9 feet apart (center to center), with no toe in. There is bare wall behind the ports and the edge of a window about halfway on-up relative to both of the DIs (the room is symmetrical). The ports were left as is.
My seating distances were identical in distance from both speaker positions. I did move around to see if another seating position would be more beneficial for the ’against the wall’ arrangement.
Listening was done at my normal-critical listening level...around 85-90db.
Speakers in both setups were 9 feet apart to keep the set-apart distance the same (my normal position is just over 8 feet apart).
Differences between the two setups:
1. there is a low (26 inches tall) and long (84 inches) wood media console directly between the speakers when in the up-against-the-wall placement.
I’m sure this has an impact, but for those of you choosing to place the speakers up against the wall...it’s probably a likely condition in your setups. In the out-in-the room setup, the media console’s front edge is just behind the back sides of the speakers (by a couple of inches).
2. I have heavy and absorbent draperies on two chairs set about 2 feet behind each speaker in my ’regular’ speaker setup.
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The GOOD NEWS:
Bottom line, the DIs performed quite well up against the wall.
From memory, they beat my previous speakers set up in a more ’optimal’ position (with the exception of bass). I believe this has to do with the design of the upper half of the DIs and also because the music I chose is mostly covered by the ’upper half’ drivers.
One important note is that my current system is significantly higher in quality than when my former speakers were in rotation (so keep that in mind...a former-orange to now current-apple comparison).
The reason this comparison is valuable because I believe: IF, folks have a similar positional setup with their former speakers and the other elements in the chain remain the same....
....I’m fairly confident in saying that they are likely to obtain much better sound out of the DIs up against the wall (vs their previous speakers in the same position). In other words, I think one’s previous reference point is going to be a factor here.
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The BAD NEWS:
In broad brush strokes, this was an illumination of a reversal in what we music lovers and audiophiles are normally chasing. Less, rather than More.
Bass suffered. It was muddier and flatter.
Air and decay were not as ’beautiful’ sounding.
Cassandra’s voice lacked vitality vs my ’regular’ speaker position.
Soundstage was not as precise or focused.
The leading edge of notes were not as sharp.
Tone and timbre were not as palpable.
There was less energy to the music.
Overall, I missed the musicality and energy of, the emotional connection to, and the shear beauty of the music I know IS possible and present in the ’regular’ placement position.
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FINAL POINTS:
If out in the room placement is an impossibility, I think one can still bring more out of the DIs...though (by my estimation) they will still not be as optimal sounding as when pulled out into the room and optimized to ones ears.
I believe that some of these issues can easily be addressed if one has to place the speakers up against the wall. For example, the ports could be damped/plugged. One could put the speakers up against a bass trap / other type of panel. And certainly, if possible, the console or any other ’stuff’ in between the speakers can be eliminated.
What I personally learned from this is that the DIs, when placed up against the wall, still perform well and will likely be superior to other rear ported speakers, especially when they are also placed in a similar position...all other things being equal.
The other take-away for me is that I now know that the Double Impacts MAY BE VIABLE for my usage in my secondary system as well, which is a smaller room and one in which I would need the speakers to be much closer to the front wall; SHOULD I BE ABLE TO tweak and customize the room treatment appropriately. This in itself, is good news for me!
