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Amused To Death and Avalon Opus

I have been using Roger Waters "Amused To Death" CD to place my Avalon Opus loudspeakers. During my audition of the Opus, track 1 of this CD was played. I was startled when I heard the "barking dog" sound like it was in the next room on my right. After the audition, I came home and played the same track on my previous loudspeakers. Same effect. The dog sounds as if it is in my neighbors house next door on my right.

With the Opus, the dog does NOT come from the right, but behind me. I have moved the speakers, and my ASC room treatments, around to get what I believe is the correct placement of the barking dog. I can get some of this effect, but not 100%.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Rich Maurin
rmaurin
cornfedboy
1,645 posts
 
rich: roger water's "amused to death" was mixed in Qsound, a proprietary process that uses out-of-phase signals to produce startling image effects. because this recording and others using Qsound ( e.g., madonna's "music") intentionally create a certain combination of effects not generally found on other recordings, i think it's one of the worst you could pick for speaker placement. i'd rely on other software with which you're very familiar to dial in speaker placement. use several types of music, including male and female voice, small orchestral or jazz group pieces, or anything else you enjoy. once you get your speakers set, THEN listen to "amused to death." what you'll hear is the "correct" imaging for YOUR system and YOUR listening environment. BTW, i think it's really cool to have sounds seemingly produced behind my head. -cfb
egoss
124 posts
 
We need some info to help:
Room size? Shape? Current positioning? How does that compare to the room you demoed them in? Is the room bright/dull/carpeted, etc.?
BTW, you should hear the vinyl of that album. It is OUTSTANDING! That dog is not only outside the room, he's barking at _you_!
rmaurin OP
74 posts
 
My room is 11.5 x 17.5 x 8 feet. Rectangular. Entrance to the right which opens up to a two story foyer. Speaker position is relative to the tweater: 30.5 inches from the side wall and 60 inches from the front wall. Nothing on the walls other than ASC sound panels on the side first and second reflection (left wall only) points.

Thanks,
Rich
albertporter's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
albertporter
4,927 posts
 
Go with Cornfeds suggestion. Amused to Death is one of my favorite LP's, but I would not use a dogs bark to set up an expensive set of speakers.

As already stated, if that makes the dog appear behind you instead of to your right, then so be it.

Just to add my personal experience to this, with my Soundlab speakers, which are bipolar, the dog is about 45 degrees to the right of center and VERY far off, but barking and growling AT everyone in the 17 foot width of my listening space.

This does not make my system better, it only illustrates that Qsound, being out of phase, will result in different sound imaging, depending on room, speakers and set up.
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