Speaker positioning: why do audiophiles neglect this so much?
Went to a recent seminar featuring Jim Smith, well known author of the book "Get Better Sound" and hi fi set up guru.
The basic gist of the discussion was that the most important elements of a high end stereo installation are listening position and speaker positioning, in that order. The actual hardware (speakers, amplifiers, source, cables etc) are of less importance relatively speaking.
Yet it is clear from this web site and it's contents, that set up is discussed much less than the actual hardware.
When I look at the Virtual Systems page on site, I'm estimating that, maybe, 10% of the systems posted are close to well set up. Thus, hardly any of the featured hardware is performing close to it's maximum potential.
Shame, and why is it so? Not sexy enough to talk about system set up in depth? Lack of knowledge? Or is it simply too hard to do and too complex a subject?
Just my 2 cents ...
@mahgister said:
My wife puts up with acoustic panels on walls and I have autonomy in speaker and listening position - but don't think I'd get away with the experimental room tuning you've got going on:
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The photos in my virtual pages dated back in the months before my systematic listening experiments in acoustic few years ago... My actual dedicated room is my music room and laboratory... Not a living room...And way more "silly" than in these past images... Nothing is esthetical because all is homemade with low cost materials... Then some may mock me, but i laugh last... My wife would have divorced if i had put anything in our living room...But think about that, if my wife had accepted my system presence in the living room i would have never experimented and discovered acoustic powerful impact...Most audiophile think that it is only an icing on the cake...Sorry but it is the reverse, most upgrades are only icing on a bad or on a good cake , acoustic experience and science is the cake itself.... It was fun to experiment, fun to learn how to listen and tune the speakers/room and at peanuts costs...i am proud to not be a gullible passive consumer of audio only but also a creative learning student of audio and acoustic in particular.... Some of my experiment could inspire some more crafty people than me and can be tried in a living room...And my experience can spare useless upgrading to some and oriented them toward low cost acoustical experiments...This is the only reason for my posts....If it is not useful to some then i am nut for sure.... But the fact is and will not change because you would want it so : acoustic matter more than a piece of brand name gear at the end... And a dedicated room is the only luxury in audio not the price tag of the gear....The fact that these two claims are inconvenient truths to spell in an audio thread dont matter... 😁😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😁😎 My deepest respect to you....
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@mahgister said:
I tend to agree with this in principle, though I acknowledge there are gains to be had with well designed premium equipment. I'd rather have low cost equipment properly setup in an acoustically sorted room than the most expensive gear thoughtlessly setup in problematic and untreated room. I've read descriptions of gear I'm familiar with that are quite laughable because people are describing the problems of the setup or listening environment. |
Thanks it feel better to be understood than being alone with common place fact and acoustic science... Pointing to this truth dont negate the scaling differences between gear design... i only claim that we must learn acoustic BEFORE throwing money on not so useful upgrade... In my experience acoustic treatment and mechanical acoustic control exceed most upgrade of any piece of gear by a great margin most of the times and may cost nothing in a dedicated room......
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@mahgister said:
Well, don't get too excited. I'm on board with traditional absorption/diffusion treatments, bass traps etc. Not even sure what I'm looking at with your room treatment experiments - but who knows, you may be onto something :-) What I agree with is the principle that the thoughtful application room treatment can have a profound positive effect on sound quality - and is potentially far more cost effective than endless merry-go-round equipment changes. Of course 'room treatment' doesn't have to mean commercial products, decor and furnishing changes will have an effect - not to mention DIY treatments. However the nice thing about commercial products is that that properly engineered ones are pretty predictable and consistent in effect and this can be helpful in achieving good results - experimenting, adding/subtracting etc. |
