08-06-12: Audioconnection
Adam
If you remove the unused fender power amp/speaker from your listening room your speakers should sound better focused. Just by havingother speakers in the same room makes them behave as a trap. Certain frequencies are then affected causing compromised performance.
I'm so glad I read this! I'd heard of this before, and visit a couple of high end stores that keep most speakers in one room and only bring out the speakers you're interested in for an audition in a separate room. It always made sense to me that the diaphragms of the other speakers could absorb and release energy, causing suckouts and resonances and smearing the timing. But I never addressed it. For the last 3 years I've had a 2x10 bass combo amp in my 2-channel listening room. Although it's not terribly large, the cab is about 3.5 cu. ft. tuned to around 35 Hz, with two 10" LF drivers and a slot port at the bottom that could presumably take in low frequencies traveling along the floor, absorb them into the cabinet and then release them into the room via the drivers acting as passive radiators.
I've noticed that when I visit audio shops that have several pairs of speakers crammed into an auditioning room, none of them sound dynamic or engaging to me.
ANYWAY, after reading your suggestion, I wheeled the bass amp out of the listening room and fired up the stereo. Eureka! It was as if I'd may a $1,000 upgrade at least, whether in room treatments, better speakers, or better amp and speakers (which would have been way more than $1K).
The congestion and upper bass overload I was hearing at medium-high volumes disappeared, the entire presentation at every volume became much more clear and musical. Presentation was more linear with no noticeable lumps, and the soundstage became 3-dimensional as I'd never heard it in my room before. Whereas I used to assume my speakers or amp weren't up to the task of playing cleanly at higher volumes, I am now ready to let this system rip on bombastic orchestral pieces and big band. Woo-hoo!
It stands to reason that the effect of removing a guitar or bass amp will vary according to the size of the cab and speaker array relative to the room it's in and its position in the room. You may not hear a difference removing a Fender Champ or Princeton. But if it's a 2x12, half stack, or bass combo placed along the wall, I suspect it will consistently thwart efforts to tune the room.
Speaking of bass traps, I wonder how a pair of PA speaker columns (such as old Shure Vocalmasters) placed in the corners might work as bass traps?