Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

@atmasphere With diffusion panels directly behind the speaker is it possible to shorten that 5 foot distance by a small amount? I have always considered trying planars but my listening room is moderate in size. 22'L x 16' W x 8'H. The most useful set up would only allow pull the speakers 3.5 to 4 feet off the front wall. Wonder if that is a viable option?

Dear @atmasphere  : Analog/audio is full of anomalies and the @mijostyn  pointed out: " The point is to minimize it. "  even what I " preach " in the forums almost always: put at minimum any kind of " distortions ".

But subjectivity makes that some audiophiles instead to put at minimumm those " anomalies/distortions " just added more, VIV confirm it.

Anyway, for me the VIV/underhung issue is exhausted and at least for me useless to follow.

To each his own.

R.

 With diffusion panels directly behind the speaker is it possible to shorten that 5 foot distance by a small amount?

@neonknight No. But if the speakers are closer than the 5 feet having something absorptive might help with the harshness that will result.

@neonknight , My system is on a 16 foot wall. Go look at it. The speakers are just over three feet from the wall and behind them the wall is covered from floor to ceiling with 4" acoustic foam tile. This greatly attenuates frequencies above 250 Hz which alleviates the harshness atmasphere mentions. This distance keeps interference out of the midbass and I use subwoofers below 100 Hz with very steep slopes. Without subs and wall treatment Atma-Sphere is correct. 

I have been using dipole panels exclusively since 1978. They have run the gamut from Acoustats, to Magnepans, to Apogees, back to Acoustats and now Sound Labs. 

Let me know what speakers you plan on getting and we can talk about it. 16 feet is plenty.

The "bearing" of the ViV is not a "floating" one in the typical sense.

The magnetic oil film helps to prevent any bouncing from the needle to start

resonances but as you know that oil is not compressible there is no floating

at all.

The most fascinating fact of the ViV is that it teases out the very best of EVERY

cartridge me and my friends mounted on it. No matter of weight and compliance.

But for sure the people here which never had an hand on this great tonearme

are bashing it because it not pays attention to "regulations and facts" and for them

...  the earth is still flat! ;-)