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Speaker Rake

Hi
I have a problem,I own a pair Talon Firebirds, I have been experimenting with speaker placement for a long time know, I have concrete floor with berber carpet, I find that they sound better with out their large spikes attached, a couple of weeks ago I notice that when you are standing up and I first press play and I return to my listening position and sit down you lose the very bottom end, I have experimented by placing a piece of carpet under the back, this seam to fix the difference in sound from standing to sitting, I then thought what would happen if I replace the spikes and adjust the rake, using the spikes, with the spike's attached I
find it's flat, should they be level or rake back or forward, I am at a lost.


to loose the midrange, today I played with the rate and sitting placement
of sitting position I found the further I lent forward the better it sounded but when I moved the seating position it was lost again!I read on another
post of people placing platforms under there speakers, I would think this would be a bad Idea as this not how the speaker would of been designed as I am finding in my case as the hight of the spikes seam to destroy the
sound, but in saying that mine design to use the spikes, sip
of been designed to be set at this hight and not at what they with spikes, I use a level to get the level and still wasn't happy, is it the rake?should forward or back.

k_rose
programmergeek
322 posts
 
Funny I have vandy 7 and have been dealing with this same issue. I find in my room if I stand or lean foward the base is a bit fuller. I actually moved my seating position up a bit and the sound improved. I have not had hours to experiment but I have a feeling for me it is the room itself or the sofa I am sitting on has a higher back and is sucking/absorbing the sound. One of these days I will move the sofa and put a chair there to hear the difference.
timlub
2,039 posts
 
Hello K rose,
I have set many a speaker and have a formula that works for me. First assuming that you have your basic placement, i.e. how far from the sidewall/backwall and width set. On Talon Firebirds, you focal point will be half way between your ceramic mid and tweeter. Start with a full tow and have your left speakers focal point towed in pointed directly at your left ear, right focal point pointed directly at right ear.... Listen adjust rake angle at this point, still getting the focal point between the tweeter and mid pointing at your ear. You should now have very good imaging, but depending on room character and speaker response curve, you could be too bright. If so, start moving your tow outward by only a quarter inch or so at a time always maintaining rake angle. A quarter inch speaker movement will result in 2 to 6 inches at the ear depending on distance of speaker to ear. Listen.... continue to move outward until tonal balance is there and you are not distroying your soundstage. Somewhere there will be a fine line that you will need to decide about sound stage or tonal balance. If you have a great room and very flat speakers, it is possible, you will keep it pointed directly at your ears without towing out. Some speakers are designed to be pointed straight forward, if that is the case, you could slowly turn them until you like this best, but in any case, your rake angle will be set. Good luck, Tim
wolf_garcia
6,696 posts
 
I found some butcher blocks that fit my Silverline Preludes exactly...painted them (2 under each speaker) black and they look like they were always there. It lifts the speakers up about 4 inches which is all I and they needed it seems. D'apolitos need to be flat. Also, I use Vibrapods under the speakers...that works amazingly well for reasons I refuse to understand. I also don't understand why visual cues don't do the job that lasers do...can't you "see" the toe in degree or level from the speaker edges? I sense a laser sales conspiracy simmering...
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