Zkzpb8,
They're still in their box! :-( (This is how you know I'm a dad with a small child!) But I've nearly assembled the shelving that the new system will live in, so I hope to get 'em hooked up this week!
I'll report back soon! |
Ok then.
I was thinking you were so enraptured in beautiful music, that you forgot to report back... I just made some changes to my system, so I'm also in new toy mode... Have fun with it! |
Hi, Everybody,
I'm baaaaaaaack! ;-)
Well, I'm finally getting to listen to some music!
First of all, I sold the PS Audio Elite Plus amp to a very nice person on Audiogon who really wanted to replace her father's old Elite Plus that had breathed its last. Lucky break for both of us! That gave me several hundred dollars to throw at a new amp, and I picked up (get this) a Unison Unico, 80 w/ch tube/ss hybrid for $800, again on Audiogon. My first tubed gear, ever.
So now I have the Music Hall CD 25.2, the Unico, and some old Monster Cable interconnects and way-too-long Monster Cable Powerline 2 speaker cable (all cables from the 1980s).
I know that the system, especially the speakers, aren't anywhere near broken in (Totem recommends at least 100 hours of break in time for the Arro) but I can give you all some initial impressions.
The mids so far are just lovely... recorded vocals sound more like human voices than I've ever heard in my home. James Taylor is "in da house." ;-) Bass extension on the Arros is pretty astonishing, given that puny 4.5" driver. As has oft been reported elsewhere, the thump of the bass isn't going to loosen your fillings, but the NOTES are "there," and well defined. Bass guitar sounds like a stringed instrument, and nothing feels missing. Pretty amazing.
Soundstage and imaging... well, that's kind of a disappointment, so far, which is weird given that that's what these speakers are known to do particularly well. Vocals hang in the air between the speakers like they should, but there's not much action beyond the boundaries of the speakers themselves. Is it the crappy cable, room placement, newness of the speakers, or some combination of the three? Anyway, that's a work in progress, as I continue to tweak things. I'd LOVE advice on how to get the most out of these speakers, and how to dial them in for best imaging.
Analogue: still waiting to hear from SOTA about what repairs/upgrades to my old Sapphire they recommend. |
Hi Rebbi,
I also have the Totem Arro. I use them with a 35 watt tube integrated and an Onix XCD88 player that, incidentally, is supposed to be internally identical to the Music Hall CD25. Imaging and soundstage are definitely the Arro's forte in my system, and the room placement is not optimal (I have them about two feet from a side wall and one foot out from the front wall, no toe-in). I also use crappy cables almost exclusively. Still, I do notice that the soundstage is enhanced at the expense of bass response if I move the speakers at least two feet into the room and away from side walls, so that may be something you should try out.
I bought mine used, so I can't give you any advice regarding break-in.
FWIW, I found that swapping out small signal tubes usually nets noticeable effects regarding soundstage and imaging, so this maybe something you should consider experimenting with. |
Ethanh,
I'll try moving the speakers further out from the rear wall. The cabinet the components are in is about 19" deep, anway, so we're not talking about them being way out in the middle of the room at 2". I thought the Arro was supposed to be flexible regarding room placement, but I know that every room is different. |
Rebbe,
Coincidentally, I heard a pair of Arros recently at a dealer. Had my reference CDs with me that enabled me to judge what I heard versus other systems I've heard recently.
Sound was similar to what you describe, the signature transparency and imaging accuracy was not happening. I think it was due to these also being placed too close to the wall. They were within a foot or two I'd say and the room was about 18 to 20 feet deep and even wider.
Move them out further away from the walls. Try different locations until imaging locks in accurately at your listening position
These are rear ported, right? If so, probably even more important to move away from the rear wall for best depth of sound stage.
Bass level may decrease, but most important to get speaker placement dialed in for imaging accuracy and transparency first. |
Mapman,
Ah, my tutor returns! ;-)
Yes, I'll get 'em out from the wall and report back! |
Rebbi, yes, room, but also IC's & speaker cable. Monster can be a bit compressed, especially if its the cheap stuff. Audience has some good value cable. The IC should run you used @$220 and the speaker, well, I can't remember. If you can sometime, think about some of Audio Note Kondo's copper entry level speaker wire: @$500-600 for 8ft pr.
I like the Arro, nice little speaker, but, as I said, I would have tried to scam a Model 1 used for about the same price...that said, the Arro should image well; that's what all Totems do well. |
Asa,
Yes, cabling is next. Powerline 2 was "pretty good stuff" back in the '80's. But the lengths I have now are way too long, so if I need to at least cut and reterminate them if I'm going to use them as a stopgap measure. Again, I don't want to blow my budget on wire until I see what the bill from SOTA for bringing my TT up to spec is going to be. |
Mapman,
Turns out they were about 18" from the back wall. Moved 'em another 6" out and the transparency, imaging and soundstage all took a big leap forward. Everything started to bloom as it should. They sound much better (whew!) and the bass doesn't feel particularly compromised yet.
One of my "reference" CD's is James Taylor's "That's Why I'm Here." On one tune ("Only A Dream In Rio") there's a bit of percussion, some kind of wood block, that comes at you from WAY off to the left if things are set up right, and that bit "clicked" when I moved things further into the room. So I'm on the right track, it seems.
I'll keep playing with placement to fine tune the results, but thanks a lot for the tip! :-D |
Sure thing. After all we went through (mostly you), we got to get those babies "tuned in".
Keep fine tuning the placement until they sound just right at your prime listening position with big sound stage, accurate imaging, and tight clean bass.
My Dynaudio Contour 1.3mkIIs are rear ported monitors that aren't too far off in design from Totems. They can only bloom in their unique when positioned optimally away from the walls, rear wall in particular.
The dealer where I heard the Arros last weekend had various Totem, PSB and McIntosh speaks lined up fairly close to the wall.
Non were set up optimally ( I could tell by listening to my reference CDs in a/b tests on each compared to other systems I've heard recently, including mine), but all other things aside, the Arros held their own very well with all the other significantly more expensive speaks. Very impressive for such diminutive little fellows.
I felt a bit cheated that I didn't get to hear them optimally set up, but since I was mainly looking and listening to speaks and not buying, I didn't want to trouble the sales guy.
In your case, hopefully keeping them further out from walls does not decrease WAF too much. You can always add a sub later if desired for deeper bass. That goes with the territory usually with most any smaller speak in that general price range. |
Mapman,
I'm going to try to "finesse" the WAF by surreptitiously moving the media cabinet out from the wall, too, to disguise the fact that the speakers are now further out. LOL!
Really, the Arro's sound awfully nice so far... I'm delighted at the prospect that they'll continue to improve as they're broken in. |
Rebbi,
Good to hear back from you. What a great move on the amplifier - I am pretty sure the Unico will be a great match for the Arros.
Mapman and others are right on with their advice about placement - when I first heard the Arros disappear into the room, they were three to four feet from the front wall and toed in a bit if I recall. before sweating further over exact placement, I would let them run for the prescribed 150 hours to allow the drivers to loosed up and provide most of what you are going to be hearing for the life of the speakers. I think added hours will provide more air around the hi end and more authority to the low end. Once they are broken in, I would add the suggested steel shot or sand to the cabinet and then move them around to get the optimal placement for imaging, bass reinforcement and WAF (sounds backwards, but you want the ballast in before determining final resting place).
As for wires - the Arro system I heard that sounded just terrific had Musical Fidelity electronics, Audioquest Diamondback interconnects and mid grade Audioquest speaker wires. This is funny because while I own Diamondbacks I do not think of them as the soundstage champs - resolution, precise instrument placement, tone and "air" yes. Soundstage breadth and depth, not terrible but not the best I have ever heard on mere mortal speakers. I think the Arros disappear so well, this was really not a problem, and they benefited from the positive virtues of the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, these cables are no longer the bargain they were and have basically doubled in price over the last year. You might be able to find some used for under $100. I also use Audioquest Type 4 bulk speaker cables which sound really nice for $4/ft. Their sins are mostly of omission rather than coloring the sound one way or the other.
For a screaming deal on discontinued Audioquest products that should perform similar to the Diamondback and better than the Type 4 speaker wire, I would check out HCM Audio http://hcmaudio.com/hcm.asp where you can get both decent 1m interconnects and an 8ft. pair of speaker cables for under $150 total! It took a long time for my Type 4 cables to break in, but then I am running 30 ft. to each speaker(!)
There are many other wires out there that don't cost as much as your amp or speakers but will preform better than the old Monster cables - these are just a couple of modest suggestions.
Good luck and happy listening! |
Knownothing,
Great to hear from you again, too! Wow, the stuff on the HCM site is really "cheap" (by the crazy standards of this hobby). ;-)
Anybody know anything about the Audioquest Coral CQ interconnects and GBC speaker cables? I really could take care of the whole system at this point for around $150! |
Hey Rebbi - Nice score with the Unico - I had a feeling that would be a good match for you. Glad to hear that the Arros are working out, sound like they have a lot more breaking in to do. By the time they loosen up, you'll probably find the sweet spot (yes, away from that back wall!)- you'll be good to go.
I don't know if Kimber will work well in your system, but I just matched up some 4TC speakers cables with my old PBJs, and I really like what I hear (I went from AP Clear Ovals). |
Rebbe,
Tube amplification for the Arros was definitely a good move.
Audioquest is a safe bet for ICs and cables.
Here's another option on Ebay if needed.
http://stores.ebay.com/essentialhifitweak_W0QQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247
I use DNM Reson and Harmonic Technology ICs acquired from this vendor cost effectively to good effect. I've found their product description to be pretty accurate based on experience.
The particular strength of the DNM Reson compared to Audioquest is PRAT (pace, rhythm, tempo). I was skeptical that an IC could actually provide this prior, but the DNM Resons in comparison to MIT interconnects in particular have made me a believer.
Audioquest may provide a bit brighter sound with more detail. My speaker cables and ID from my Roku Soundbridge are both Audioquest.
I like Harmonic Technology for overall neutrality as well, and use this brand between my amp and pre, but these are a bit more pricey. |
The so called GBC is I think the bulk version of Audioquest Type 6 cable. Look here for user reviews and product info for both:
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/cables/speaker-cables/audioquest/type-6/PRD_116385_1584crx.aspx
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/cables/speaker-cables/audioquest/glc/PRD_124891_1584crx.aspx
http://whathifi.com/forums/p/2194/11916.aspx
http://www.avland.co.uk/audioquest/type6/type6.htm
Kimber 4VS and 4TC speaker cables are another very good deal (under $100 USD for 8ft. pair).
http://www.audioadvisor.com/products.asp?dept=26
If you are looking for a really reasonable route to well built but no nonsense cables that will probably perform better than your >20 year old Monsters for less than $70 for both 1m interconnects and terminated 8ft. speaker cables before shipping, try this site:
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/
Finally, when you are ready to suspend reality and invest up the cable ladder, The Cable Company (http://www.thecableco.com/) is a terrific place to purchase higher end cables because they carry many brands and let you try them before you buy. |
Knownothing,
Wow... a wealth of resources there... thanks... I'll comb through those pages tonight. :-) |
I contacted Usedcable.com for a recommendation and they offered JPS Labs Ultra Conductor for $105 for a 6 ft pair, and XLO HT Pro HTP1 (RCA) $ 75 for interconnects. Thoughts? |
My guess, the XLO will be fine and probably similar to the Audio Quest Coral.
JPS is a great company. I think the Ultraconductors will provide a more sophisticated and airier upper end but will sacrifice some of the bass response you would get with the Audioquest GBC.
Nice thing about The Cable Company is they will let you try them before you buy them. I would try try their suggestions and compare to what you currently have. |
Well, I went with the Audioquest Coral interconnect for the CD player and the Audioquest GBC speaker cable, all from HCM. The price is right (under $180, shipping included, for both) and it's gotta beat the old Monster Cable I'm using now. :-) I'll report back when I can listen to the combo.
Got a quiet work week ahead next week, so I should have more time to listen and break in the Arro's. :-D |
Rebbi,
Will be curious to hear of your results. The cables will need some time to settle in as well, at least ~100 hours of continuous play or so. With that said, you should notice a difference right away with improved resolution. |
Knownothing,
Thanks, and I will report back. I have to say that I'm impressed with HCM so far... I ordered this morning and already have a tracking number from them. :-) |
Try the Dynaudio Audience 42.
A little, but really good sounding monitorspeaker.
Keywords: Transparent, dynamic, very musical.
Very good sound/price performance.
Best regards,
Kenneth P. |
Audioangel,
Yes, I'd heard the Audience 42's at a local dealer. Since Dynaudio seems to be discontinuing the Audience line, they were discounted... under $1000, IIRC. I liked them... very good imaging, nice soundstage. But as I gravitated toward a floor-standing model, I dropped them from my list. I ultimately went with the Totem Arro. |
Guys,
Well, I got the Audioquest GBC speaker cables and Coral interconnects the other day, and finally got to plug just the speaker cables into the system and listen today.
While the new speaker cables sound more powerful and full in the bass notes, the top end sounds harsh and very bright compared to the old Monster Cable Powerline 2 cable I'd been using. To use my "reference CD" again, James Taylor's voice sounds edgy and bright, and the air and space around his voice is absent. Does this sound like a matter of break-in to you?
Additionally, it turns out that the spades are too small for the Arro speaker terminals. I can attach them firmly by inserting one side of a spade into the bare-wire-hold in each speaker post and screwing down tight, but I'm wondering if that's copromising sound quality and if I need to return them for that reason alone. (They're just fine on the Amp end.)
Thanks in advance for your insights! Help! |
Hi Rebbe,
I have Audioquest CV-6 cables. The Dynaudios, which have a hot top end to start with, perhaps more so than the Arros as I recall sound a bit hot at first listen. The Ohm 5s on the CV6s currently are very laid back by nature and the spades connect similarly in my case to what you describe. No ill effects as you describe there.
The Audioquest G Snake IC on my Roku soundbridge is also bright but balanced in a good way and not a problem.
My experience with these two Audioquest products seem to indicate the line does have a brighter top end than some other lines I've heard, but not necessarily a problematic top end, in fact it seems to work well for me at least in my case. I doubt the Audioquest speaker cables are a problem with a tube amp and Arros when everything is broken in, but you never know...never heard that particular model. Maybe just brighter compared to what you had before?
Breakin may help. GIve it a chance.
Do you still have your old speak cables? Maybe try adding just the new ICs first without the new speak cables and see what that sounds like, then try adding just the new speak cables and judge that configuration in comparison. THen try both together and see what happens there. I think you have 4 possible IC/cable combos you can try at this point among old and new wires. Try each combo as a test and see how each compares. Then decide which is best to start with. You can and should try a different combo again later as well if you so please.
Also, remind me what the IC is connecting to the amp? IS it a CD player or the turntable? What kind of CD player if so? |
Mapman,
Hey, thanks for responding!
The current IC is just some old Monster Cable IC with gold plated RCA terminations. The CD player is a new Music Hall CD 25.2. (I finally heard from SOTA, by the way, and should have my refurbished and slightly upgraded Sapphire back in 10 days or so!)
I think I'll take your advice and try the new IC first with the old speaker cable, see what that sounds like, and then try various permutations of the different wires. What kind of surprised me about the new AQ speaker cables was not so much the brightness, but that the "air" seemed sucked out of things.
In any case, I'll give break in time and just go with what sounds best for now.
By the way, I now no longer doubt that different cables sound different... it's not even subtle if you listen at all carefully. |
I used to be skeptical about the cable thing too. Not any more. Either my ears are better or my system more sensitive or both.
One other thought I had is that power conditioning would probably only help if not already in place, especially with the highly accurate Totems...should help clear things up further if needed. I use a Monster Power HTS1000 strip that cost ~ $150 new a few years back and it too made a noticeable difference by removing audible haze and making things sound tighter and cleaner.
If you still have air and/or brightness issues after all this, I'd still recommend trying the DNM Reson interconnects as a possible solution. They are very "British and refined" sounding BRitish ICs, kind of like adding a touch of the B&W sound to the mix, if you know what I mean. Might be just the thing to tame things down a bit as it does nicely with my Japanese made Denon CD. |
Rebbi,
Hey - I would run the new ICs and speaker cables for a LONG TIME and then compare them to the Monster cables. I have both AudioQuest Diamondback ICs and Type 4 cables and found the ICs sounded great right away - and got better over time - sounding smoother, more detailed and providing more air than the Monsters I had been using. The Type 4 speaker cable on the other hand sounded awful when first installed compared to generic 14 gauge bulk cable I had been using, just dead, dead, dead. What a disappointment! I left them in to see if they would open up, and after a bunch of hours (months really of off and on listening) they did open up and now sound much better than the old generic cables and some stranded AQ cable I have in my HT system. Very natural and coherent with no hash or smearing that I can notice. This is why I recommended a long break-in period in previous post.
Moral here is wait and the hash should go away - and I found it took longer to warm up the AQ speaker cables than it did their ICs.
As for Power conditioners, I would be very careful about that, with all due respect to Mapman. I used one in my home system for a while, but I have very clean power in my house, and ultimately found that the power conditioner didn't change the noise floor but was "smoothing" out the sound by clipping the transient peaks off the music (BAD!). On the other hand, I have a cheaper system at work in a commercial building with lots of computers, florescent lights and other electrical "stuff". The power there is not so clean and so a power conditioner helps remove nasty hash and noise, making the presentation noticeably more musical.
Try before you buy a power conditioner if possible. |
Mapman, Knownothing,
Well, this is very interesting. I finally got to replace the old Monster Cable interconnects between the CD player and Amp with the new Audioquest Coral CQ cables, and there's quite a difference. Most of the harshness disappears, and a lot of the "dimensionality" and "air" has returned. So perhaps the AQ speaker cables + the Arro's were revealing shortcomings in the old interconnects? Anyway, I'll try to chill out and just give the whole system some time to burn in before jumping to any conclusions. Thanks! |
Cool. I've had similar experiences moving from old Monster ICs to newer ICs. I think the ICs make a big difference.
Enjoy. |
Rebbi, You have a really decent system stem to stern now, and it is still really "new" for the most part. If you like the way it sounds, just wait. You are going to be listening to it some time in the future when everything has fully loosened up and burned in and your speaker placements are optimal, and you are just going to say "WOW!!!", and big smile will go across your face and you will be happy. For a while. Until you get the bug to try to make it even better... :-)
Mapman, I have learned a lot in this exchange. THANKS! |
|
You know, I was joking with a friend yesterday that high-end audio was a great hobby for people who love music and gadgets and have obsessive personalities. :-)
I'm afraid I'm a poster boy for the "obsessive" part. I've got all this great new equipment to enjoy, but I still can't help but think that I should've given the Ohm Walsh Micro Tall's an audition before settling on the Totem Arro's... Mapman's advocacy for the Ohm's was so eloquent! Sigh!
Time to just play lots of music and get over it! |
I've been called a lot of things over the years.... but never eloquent! Thanks!
You made a good move with the Totems. They will hold their value well. Maybe you'll get a chance to try the Ohms someday if desired with little or no financial loss along the way.
I bought my Ohm 2 Series 3, which are still relative unknowns to many and are hard to distinguish visibly from their older, much more commonly found and less refined ancestors, for only $600 or so second hand here on Agon last year.
Ohm micro walshs come up here and on ebay once in a while. They are much easier to identify by appearance for what they are (all micros use series 3 drivers). They typically bring $600-$800 or so used from what I've seen.
The Totems would easily bring that or more should you ever decide to try something different I believe. So both in terms of sound and financially, you made a good investment.
People who might spend tens of thousands for MBL or other high end omnis otherwise are the ones I hope I might convince that it may not be necessary to spend that kind of money out of the gate on speakers in order to get the kind of sound they are looking for. |
Rebbi, I auditioned some Ohm speakers two years ago. One Ohm Walsh driver (new version) blew within 10 minutes at an SPL no higher than the high 80s. One speaker had its speaker cable binding posts on the underside front of the cabinet, while the other speaker had the binding posts on the underside rear of the cabinet where they were supposed to be.
Delivery was delayed nearly 8 weeks past the promised date.
Things may be different now. I don't know. I hope so.
The take-away is that you can take solace in knowing you made an informed decision.
If you want to audition the Micro Talls, Ohm offers a money-back, home trial period. You can always check them out. |
Upon reflection, I think that some of what I'm experiencing has to do with the extent that the Internet (both retail and sites like Audiogon) has changed how you shop for high-end audio.
When I bought my first good system (PS Audio Amp, Vandersteen 2c's, Systemdek turntable) back in the mid-1980's, I spent about 4 months going from shop to shop (I lived in the NYC area back then)... I'll never forget the single-speaker Linn dealer who tried to literally confiscate my wristwatch while I listened to equipment!...) I ended up buying my stuff from two dealers: Innovative Audio in Brooklyn, and a guy in Lynnbrook, Long Island whose name I can no longer remember.
Anyway, there was no internet, and no question that I was going to buy my gear from one of the brick and mortar stores I'd visitedÂ… gear that I'd actually HEARD first. That's how I ended up with the Vandy's: it was love at first listen.
But now I live in Austin which has a nice group of high-end shops, but still limits what you can get to hear.
Plus, between the range of stuff you can learn about (and covet) on the 'Net, the advice you can get on a site like Audiogon, and the possibility of picking up used gear here, everything changes. I started out this upgrade process swearing that I'd only buy something that I'd heard first. And I ended up with a bunch of components that I'd never heard first.
Times do change. |
I didn't read through all of these responses to see if someone already recommended this, but my brother has a very small listening room, and he as a pair of used Sound Dynamics 300TI's, which he has mounted on stands. He gets very nice results with them. Might be hard to find in the used market, but I saw some on ebay recently. |
Rebbi, now that you have me thinking about it, I've purchased everything that I currently own without audition.
Amp was purchased from a store in Austin (I'm in NYC!), Ohms are obviously factory direct, DAC was from Pacific Valve MacBook Pro, PS3... |
"Rebbi, now that you have me thinking about it, I've purchased everything that I currently own without audition."
Yeah, almost everything I've bought in the last 3 years have been without audition as well based on info I gather via websites like this.
That includes amp, 3 pair of speaks (two Ohm, 1 Dynaudio), 2 replacement woofers for another pair of speaks that was a DIY upgrade on the Ohm Ls, the CD player, phono cartridge, and all new interconnects and cables. Also 3 digital cameras.
And amazingly, everything has worked out well. |
Hi. I haven't read all the other posts, so forgive me if someone has already suggested the Schonberg Series of speakers from Vienna Acoustics. They're perfect speakers for small rooms, but work well in larger rooms too. They are designed to be placed on the wall or against the wall and sound unbelievable. www.sumikoaudio.net |
Folks,
Snuck the Arro's out from the rear wall another 6" when nobody was looking. ;-) Yowie!! The soundstage firmed up by another degree and the bass response deepened radically. I don't even think I've scratched the surface of what the Arro's can do. Joy! :-D |
Rebbi,
Did you try filling the chamber in the back with sand or kitty litter yet? |
I haven't yet tried mass loading. Been too busy messing with placement. |
Rebbi,
It is cool that you got some extra kick from the Arros by moving them around a bit.
I was thinking that if you want to try loading the speakers, you might want to do it before you settle on final position because it will affect how they sound in your room and you will probably have to go through the positioning process again anyway. Maybe there is no need to load - see below.
from the website:
"Mass Loading: All Totem columns work very well without any type of mass loading. However if stability is an issue or if there is a particular over emphasis in the bass in the room they are used in, then mass loading can be experimented with. Variables such as electronics, wiring and room dynamics play a definite role and therefore the option is there for your experimentation. One may use: clean dry sand,silica sand, dry particulate matter or non-odor kitty litter." |
I'd like to get some help here from somebody with better ears than mine. The dealer who sold me the Arro's offered to come by and help me with installation, and I may very well take him up on that. Besides, this was the first pair of Arro's he'd ever sold, so he was eager to hear them. :-)
The bass response from these tiny things is astonishing... but since I'd expected bass response to diminish as they came farther out from the rear wall, I'm not sure if what I'm hearing currently is "real bass" or some sort of room-interaction bloat. Hmmmm.... |
Well, if you're hearing it, chances are its real bass alright and rest assured if the only thing that changed was speaker location, it is due to room acoustics. That is normal. I've never met a room that did not have acoustics (for better or for worse).
The main question is does it sound "right" or better to you or not than other locations? If not, try tweaking the exact location a bit and play with toe in. With rear ported speakers in particular, toe out might help as well. Toe in/out will affect how the sound produced out the rear by the port interacts with the room and walls behind as well as what you hear coming out of the front. I'd try playing with toe in/out first and see if you can achieve a better balance overall.
I've done both toe in and out to good effect with my rear ported Dynaudio monitors on heavy Dynaudio stands. They are not unlike the Totems in terms of general design.
If this doesn't work to your satisfaction, try adding the weight next as well as suggested by our friend Knownothing, who I'm suspecting in fact actually knows quite a lot
Nice of the dealer to offer. Always nice to get live feedback from a different set of ears. |
Rebbi,
Check these out:
http://virtuelvis.com/archives/2004/09/audio-test-cd
http://www.soundstage.com/audiohell/audiohell200111.htm
I tried to follow Arve Bersvendsen's placement ratio recommendations for my room (first link) as it seemed the less complicated and more versatile of the various placement methods described, and it really improved the sound of my system in my room. I did the best to adhere to one of the recommended placement ratios that worked with my room shape and furniture placement, and then moved the speakers slightly from there and played with toe in to fine tune. You will know when you get it right because you will have an immediate "Now That's What I'm Talkin' About" moment.
I also found his test CD with 63 different tones useful to see where frequencies were dropping out or being enhanced. I even bought an inexpensive digital sound meter from Radio Shack to assist my ears in this exercise. Aside: it is remarkable the difference between these measurements taken 1m directly in front of the speaker baffle versus from your listening position. Even when the speakers are well placed and sounding good, the frequency response at my listening position is far less flat compared to right in front of the speaker itself!
This an inexact science at best, but careful placement can make a huge difference in overall system performance, your happiness, and the resultant longevity of gear in your listening room. :-) |
Knownothing,
Thanks a lot for the links. I'll use them as a starting point. I know I'm still not at the "That What I'm Talkin' About" position! ;-) |
