If you don't have a wide sweet spot, are you really an audiophile?

I'm positioned in the sweet spot when listening and usually keep being seated there for the duration of the session, and yet I went for a pair of speakers that have a wider sweet spot compared to my previous speakers, because of what it does to the sound in that more or less fixated position.

If one were to visually outline it, it relates to how the overall presentation is "shaped" in front of you, and with a wider and higher dispersive nature compared to the earlier scenario (that now also involves physically taller speakers) - yet controlled by 90 x 40° Constant Directivity horns - it makes for a more enveloping sphere or bubble of sound, and one in this case more coherent and smooth at that. While sitting centered in front of the speakers is still preferable the presentation doesn't fundamentally change even when moving to the left or right seat in the sofa, and it has a relieving and relaxing effect on the listener. To me at least this type of presentation is more reminiscent of a live music event, if that's your thing. 

Certainly the dispersive nature of dual 15" woofers and a Constant Directivity horn per channel is narrower than smaller, direct radiating speakers, and yet makes for a full, enveloping and rather dense (akin to live music, to my ears) presentation. Maintaining a uniform dispersion pattern over the cross-over region is also very important in creating a homogenous bubble/sphere of presentation.

I suppose with a wider/higher sonic field of presentation as something that relates to a live presentation, it may link more innately to being an audiophile as someone who cares about mimicking such an event, and yet I feel omnidirectional speakers like MBL and others are too "wishy washy" to instill that sense of realism and presence akin to live music. YMMV. 

roadwhorerecords:

Personality, i think the self imposed title of "audiophile" is a narcissistic badge of fools.

Not sure how you get "narcissism" from someone saying he is an audiophile. It’s just descriptive.

It’s not like audiophiles are celebrated by society ;-)

How about the enjoyment of the music?

We all enjoy music. No need to virtue signal.

@erik_squires,@erik_squires, I think you are confusing image specificity with frequency response. Sanders ESLs beam like crazy. You will only get high end directly in front of them but because they beam there is much less room interaction and their image specificity is excellent at the listening position. Move of center and the image falls apart as well as the high end rolls off. Speakers with wide dispersion will sound balanced over a wider area but they also have more room interaction. The on center image is not as specific as the Sanders but it still falls apart off center just the same. The high end just does not roll off. You may not notice the image falling apart as much because the image is not as specific on center. What you really want is a crossoverless ESL with a 45 degree dispersion angle. You will get the sharpest on center image with reasonable frequency response across the listening area. The physics of a two channel audio system are such that the only place you are going to get an accurate image is on the center line. That vast majority of systems do not have a very specific image. This is because of the speaker's dispersion, room acoustics, phasing and time problems and asymmetrical frequency response of the two channels.  

Read about Ambiophonics.

In short if you want a wide "sweat spot" get a speaker that does not image and you will have the widest sweat spot imaginable.

Acoustic is the most misunderstood subject in all audio by audiophiles and ordinary people alike...They all think that the gear magically give the sound almost by itself out of the room acoustic almost and at best "tweaks" are added....Pricier the gear and tweak better it is for sound... This is the market myth....

The room is not first a sum of 6 walls surfaces which passively reflect /absorb/diffuse sound waves...

The room is and could be ACTIVELY an heteregenuous pressurized set of air engines...Helmholtz science here...

Imaging and soundstage are important features of audio experience, but the benchmark of musical experience with an audio system is musical TIMBRE perception...

You can have a apparently relatively good imaging and soundstage without a natural timbre experience...

You cannot have a natural timbre experience without a good imaging and soundstage associated with it...

This is a big distinction....It is my conclusion after my own experiments ....And reading some facts about TIMBRE perception ....