The Room

Absolutely. That is why a lot of reviews and opinions are bunk. I laugh when I read of someone testing out small 3-ways and huge 3-ways in the same room! There is no possible way that they are both optimized for that room. Same goes for people's opinions in general. Most systems I have seen haven't been setup carefully enough IMHO. Not to say mine is perfect but after 7 years of tweaking my system to match my room, and helping setup 4 other systems, I have a pretty good idea of what a happy marriage sounds like. I think many people don't feel like putting forth the necessary effort to experiment and explore. But I give the benefit of the doubt since not everyone has the same hearing.

As for B&W, I had a pair of N804 and definately found them aggressive on top. I wouldn't say bright per se but definately brash compared to my JM Lab Electra 926. They both have the same specs so I allow myself to compare them directly. The new S tweeter is a much more refined one IMO. But had I decided to work with the N804, I am sure I could have made them sound better in my room. Was it worth a year of tweaking? No, not since I had already been through that with my 926s (whose soundstage would have remained larger regardless, I am pretty sure). So do I feel the N804 are bad? Not at all! Just not right for my current room and equipment. Anyone who says such-and-such is "bad" has severely underestimated or failed to understand this concept.

I have been playing with corner traps for some time. Their impact on the imaging is remarkable considering the frequency range involved. I never in a million years would have thought that corner traps could affect the 1.5kHz range as much as they do. I have also found that their measured impact is way way smaller than their audible one - another sign that we are either measuring the wrong metrics or the measuring equipment (or technique) sucks. Perhaps it is the reduced band energy that is the change rather than certain "trapped" frequencies. Regardless, I have come to love my bass traps but it hasn't been easy getting them just right. I am currently on the 4 different set and found that for my room and tastes, the reflected side towards the room and 18"x48"x4" Corning 703 works best.

Arthur

50% of the sound you hear in a well designed listening room is indirect--bouncing off other surfaces. Thus the room could easily be attributed to 50% of the sound quality. A modest system in a well designed/treated room will consistently outperform an "ultra-rig" in a poor room. It never ceases to amaze me at how many people will spend huge sums of money and completely ignore the room.

If you are looking for good resources, books, articles on the web, we've established a resource page on our website to help.

Here's the link:
Rives Resource Page

It's good to know that I'm not the only one who have noted the importance of room acoustics and the subsequent influence it would have on most systems. I think the major issue regarding room treatments is that most folks do not have a dedicated room and that would have compromised on their usage. Furthermore, I share the same opinion in that most people don't really care or put effort into experimenting as they may have the notion that room treatments are not necessary or ideal for some leisure listening in living rooms or lounge areas. Moreover, aesthetics play a huge part and I admit some products just don't cut it and can look awkward when placed on walls or in any part of the room. I'm fortunate to have a dedicated room for my rig and for a more critical listening environment I believe it's necessary not to neglect the room acoustics.

Reviews would be still useful in giving a general description of any particular component, but it's almost not applicable when tested in a different listening environment even with the same equipment and speakers. Different tastes and listening preferences are another story altogether.

If you feel the N804's are aggressive on top in comparison to your JM Labs Electra 926, then I think the JM Labs would be a much warmer pair of speakers. When I had the N805's, contrary to most comments on these speakers I find them to be on the warm side of things. In fact I was looking for more transparency and dynamics and that is the sole reason I've considered other speakers. It got to be the electronics then. Since you have the luxury to do a direct comparison between the two speakers, I do not doubt your findings that the tweeter in the Electras is more refined than the B&W's.

So you've had good success with Corning 703's bass traps. Interesting to note that they affect the imaging and midrange as well. All I know is that they do bring substantial improvements to the room acoustics in controlling the bass.

Rives- thanks for the link. Your comment on the sound quality being attributed to the room coincides with my experience. 50% is quite substantial though, but I may concur if I had my room covered with 50-75% of treatments! I'll leave the ceiling bare as for now.

I wouldn't say the 926 is a "much warmer" speaker than the N804 although it does put out noticibly more bass despite the same rated frequency extension. This reduced bass output in the N804 goes a long way to improving resolution and perceived detail but it also tends to leave the treble high and dry. I sold them to a friend who has them in a smaller room (11x12 instead of 14x13) and they work perfectly in it. The room filled in the bass for better extension which makes the entire speaker sound more balanced and coherent. Once again, a case where mating the speaker to the room is critical.

Room treatments are like everything else in the world: you can overdo it. I have a friend who had tons of room treatment and his soundstage and liveliness suffered. He ended up removing some of it and was surprised at how open the sound became. I once heard a speaker playing in an anechoic chamber and the music sounded terrible! No "live" effect at all. It was pretty much dead - as dead as the room. So in the end, you have to strike a balance.

A