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  1. #1
    AR Newbie Registered Member
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    Nearfield listening

    Just curious as to how far you sit from your speakers or how far are they pulled away from the rear wall?
    The reason being that if you are a soundstage freak you need to give this a try.
    Pull your speakers as far away from the rear wall as you can. Pull your chair up to no more then 5 feet,ok maybe 6 feet away from your speakers. Sit in the middle and give a listen. Maybe toe-in the speakers to just behind your head.
    This has proven for me to be a revelation for musical enjoyment that I previously never experienced.
    Regards,
    Bill

  2. #2
    Suspended topspeed's Avatar
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    Keep in mind, nearfield won't work for all speakers. From what I've read, designs that utilize 1st order crossovers typically require the listener to be at least 8' away for the drivers to properly integrate. Thiel even states this in their owner's manuals, if I remember right.

    Glad to hear you enjoying your system, nearfield or not. That's what it's all about.

  3. #3
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Hey Topspeed

    Quote Originally Posted by topspeed
    Keep in mind, nearfield won't work for all speakers. From what I've read, designs that utilize 1st order crossovers typically require the listener to be at least 8' away for the drivers to properly integrate.
    That's really interesting...any idea why a 1st order crossover would react any differently than 2nd, 4th, etc??? Might save me some time if I knew why.
    I'm no physicist by any means, but it seems to me that apparent volume is a physical function of distance from source, you wouldn't think that the slope of frequency drop changes anything. Assuming the slope is constant 6dB/octave, as you get progressively more nearfield, wouldn't the only differences be the SPL and the off-axis response? Unless there some serious baffle step as you get closer or something?

    You are absolutely right about speakers not always being designed for nearfield listening. I find my Paradigm Studio's perform a bit better at about the perfect equilateral triangle point, my Wharfedale emeralds sound better nearfield a foot less than the width apart of the speakers or so, and my Vifa monitors do sound a bit better nearfield.

    I always start at the equilateral triangle point and adjust from there.

  4. #4
    Suspended topspeed's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=kexodusc]That's really interesting...any idea why a 1st order crossover would react any differently than 2nd, 4th, etc??? Might save me some time if I knew why.[\QUOTE]

    You got me KC. We could really use Skeptic on this one. Maybe E-stat knows? I still don't understand how a crossover can affect the off-axis response. Interestingly enough, Albert attributes the uncanny off-axis response of the VR1 to his patented GAIN crossover (4th order btw).

  5. #5
    DIY Dude poneal's Avatar
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    Ya, trying to get them more than 1.5' from a real wall is pretty tough if your married or have children. I can just see them knocking them over because they sit toward the middle of the rooom. I find that 6-7 feet apart and depending on the off-axis response pointed staright ahead or slightly toed in (just gotta experiment). Two-way monitors really shine in this area. Have a good one. Paul.

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