Great Imaging Speakers Working against a wall?


Hey all,

The audio upgrade bug seems to be biting again -

Have an average+ sounding system that I'm desperate to do something with, on a tight budget.
Audio Alchemy DDS Pro Transp.
EAD 7000 III Dac,
Conrad Johnson CAV 50 Integrated
QLN Signature Splitfield Monitors on Target stands.

I'm really wanting a system with warm midrange and great soundstage - I'll never forget hearing a pair of KEF 103's about 10 years ago that threw a soundstage that seemed to start about 2 blocks away!

My QLN's image ok, but nothing special really. Mids are ok with the warmth from the CJ, but they lack soundstage depth/width and pinpoint imaging. (QLN's are a quality speaker from Sweden with an external cross-over unit, bi-wired and sitting on lead-shot filled Target R3's, use Vibrapods, 3 per side, spikes into floor, speakers sold for about $3000 when new)

My room is a problem, 35ft by 12 ft and the only setup position (without divorce) is with the speakers toward one end of the room against the long wall, left speaker about 4 feet away from side wall, 10 feet between speakers, 40" from rear wall, toe'd in to listening seat which is against the back wall. I've messed with toe-in, distance from from the walls etc, but I can't do anything that makes any significant difference to their imaging/soundstage ability.

So, I'm thinking maybe the answer is to find speakers that work best hard against the wall, like the old Kef's or Linn Sara's and Kan's used to do. This would put more space between them and the listening seat, and might improve things.

I'd buy used and have about a $1000 budget.

I would really appreciate any input.

Or maybe I could put the money into another part of the system, but I think the speakers are too constrained by the room and position options for them ever to give me the sound I'm looking for.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Rooze

128x128rooze
Thanks all for some great ideas!

With only 12' room width, and the speakers 40" from the front wall, there is only scope to pull the listening seat a foot, maybe 18" at the most, from the back wall. I've tried this and frankly, being within 5/6 feet of the speakers which are 10' apart doesn't really give the sound chance to 'integrate' (looking for a better word here).

Moving the speakers closer together, and me closer to the speakers, gives a little more stage depth, but closes down the stage width - which is not really desirable.

I note Subaruguru's comments about never getting real stage depth with speakers against a wall, but believe me, I've heard remarkable stage depth from a pair of Kef 103's, driven by an old bryson amp and a Sony CD player!!

The speakers were flush to the front wall and seemed to stage from level with the front (little or no forward projection) to some 15 or 20 feet behind the speaker - on a non-audiophile recording to boot!

This experience was some 10 years ago, and perhaps the stage depth has increased a little with memory loss, but it was truly excellent!

So I guess I'm asking another question...do you think the source and amp that I have could create the stage depth/width and imaging with perhaps a pair of Audio Physic Sparks - listening in the nearfield, with 40" max between the front wall? - Audio Physic recommend the listening seat hard against the back wall on their site....any better ideas.

On the ever developing 'wife front' - when she met me I lived in an apartment with a 18' X 38' living room, occupied by a love seat, tv (sitting on the rug), a pair of Apogee Caliper Signatures half way down the room, Linn LP 12 and a Krell 300i.....the only other furniture in the whole apartment was the bed!
So....I was good enough for her then, what's changed?

I suggested some form of counselling, but she actually wanted me to go with her, can you believe it?

Rooze
Both NHT 3.3 and PSB Strauss were designed to be placed directly against the wall. Haven't heard them so I can't say how good they are.
Ernie: No, i can't say that i've heard anything like that other than during HT sound effects. Obviously, this is done using electronic processing, so i would not expect this to be achieved with "normal" music recordings and this specific speaker placement. That does not mean that the speakers are not capable of producing a very vivid and detailed soundstage with excellent placement and imaging from the baffles forward. Sean
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