Kind of a funny question for me. I was recently thinking of starting a thread about imaging, soundstage and driver arrangement. Your question obviously touches on all of these subjects. This can be a very complex subject, so we'll try and keep it simple and go from there.
If the drivers are on a flat baffle and the designer has taken no steps to simulate "time alignment" in the crossover, placing the tweeter below the mid-woofer will result in imaging that wants to project upward. As such, these type of speakers will typically work best if the tweeter is slightly below ear level. The opposite is true when using a more conventional tweeter above mid-woofer approach that we usually see. That is, the tweeter should "typically" be placed at or slightly above ear level. In a three way design with the tweeter mounted between the woofer and midrange, things can get pretty weird due to comb-filtering.
When using stand mounted monitors, buying a cheap pair of "adjustable" stands will help you to find their optimum height, but you also have to remember that height affects frequency response / tonal balance. As such, trade-offs are involved much like the rest of audio.
As far as your specific situation with the floor-standing PSB Bronze's, you might want to contact the manufacturer and discuss your thoughts. Otherwise, if you are happy with the Paradigms but just want more "oomph", have you considered subwoofers ? Sean
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If the drivers are on a flat baffle and the designer has taken no steps to simulate "time alignment" in the crossover, placing the tweeter below the mid-woofer will result in imaging that wants to project upward. As such, these type of speakers will typically work best if the tweeter is slightly below ear level. The opposite is true when using a more conventional tweeter above mid-woofer approach that we usually see. That is, the tweeter should "typically" be placed at or slightly above ear level. In a three way design with the tweeter mounted between the woofer and midrange, things can get pretty weird due to comb-filtering.
When using stand mounted monitors, buying a cheap pair of "adjustable" stands will help you to find their optimum height, but you also have to remember that height affects frequency response / tonal balance. As such, trade-offs are involved much like the rest of audio.
As far as your specific situation with the floor-standing PSB Bronze's, you might want to contact the manufacturer and discuss your thoughts. Otherwise, if you are happy with the Paradigms but just want more "oomph", have you considered subwoofers ? Sean
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