What affects front to back depth in room/ system?

OP The depth behind the speakers is great, just not much in front of them- unless it’s one of those songs that has a part where it has that inverted phase trick. Then it washes over me. I want that all the time.

I guess you are talking about the tunnel sound or the mid-range far behind speakers. It happens when an audio system sounds unnatural which sound stage is far behind speakers. The speaker makers try to pull the sound forward but they can’t do it because the veil in front of sound images is already too forward and the veil irritates the listener. The actual mid-range is behind speaker, but the veil/glare is already hitting the face of the listener that makes sound very bright and noisy (left speaker in below video).

If an audio system sounds natural, the sound stage comes forward like the original music naturally.

Original music

A sample of natural sound system. Many systems can sound closer to this sound with right audio cables and some tweaks.   Alex/WTA

@veerossi : Seems like good speakers (assuming it is the Tannoy Turnberry). They are sensitive two way speakers, like mine, but not bidirectional like my Audiokinesis Dream Maker. I think they should be able to do depth very well, if precisely set up. Note, I said precisely. Not just OK. This is because they seem very pinpoint front sound oriented (e g compared to mine).

I am experimenting with an even more ‘puristic’ pinpoint system in my home office – single driver speakers, no crossover. The soundstage changes a lot even with small changes of speaker positioning and toe-in. One might think that frontfiring speakers were less dependent on the room and reverberant sound, compared to bi- or omnidirectional, and yes, it is partly so, but there remains a huge dependence. More than we usually think about. The speaker «cant help it», it plays the room, and together with the room, even when designed and tuned to minimize this effect.

Consider trying the short wall once more, with more space behind the speakers, and adjust in case of bass dropouts. In my room 27 x 20 x 9 feet, there is no doubt that the sound is best with the speakers on the short wall. Others have reported the same, so I wonder why it is different for you.

@erik_squires : «Acoustic treatment in dimension of concern. Diffusion behind speakers and listeners, ceiling absorbers between speaker and listener». Well said. My experience also, as a main rule. Not too much treatment, though. I had to remove two thirds of the ceiling absorbers to get it right. And speaker positioning is even more important, to my mind.

@elliottbnewcombjr «primary factor is how much space behind the speakers.» Yes. My speakers like 5-6 feet from the wall for optimal depth. So even with a more conventional front-firer, I would try 4 feet at least.

@noromance «The speakers are completely gone in the 3D soundfield. Vinyl, tubes, Quad ESL57. I’m not sure how that translates into your set up but perhaps tubes might help.» Right, works well for me also, with my Audiokinesis speakers and tube system. The better the source, the larger the chance to hear depth and detail.

Someone wrote, I would like the audience applause in a live concert recording to sound in front of my speakers.

Not sure if I can reproduce this effect in my system. Will try. Suggested test recordings, anyone?

First of all you should change your speaker placement, you should always put the speakers firing down the longest length which is 20 ft and then go on the Cardas site and you can plug in the 15-ft width of your room and it'll tell you exactly where to put your speakers, I did that and it totally opened up my sound stage, and then you should get the Townshend podiums to stop your speaker vibrating it was the most significant upgrade I've ever done to my system they're not cheap but well worth it.

mihorn,

I wish you would have named the system that that singer is singing on it sounds very natural even through my phone I can hear how nice it is.

In my experience I started with by-amping Adcom 555s . It sounded amazing but only a 6 foot circle in the center of the room between the speakers . When I upgraded to the mc452 that was a whole different story. Soundstage grew exponentially. My room is of similar size 15/20 with speakers set up along the 15 foot wall 7ft. apart. The soundstage grew from 6ft. circle to the whole back of the 15ft wall. My opinion is for a better soundstage is amp, amp ,amp.