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How do you listen your system? Front, mid or back

row?. Meaning near field or relatively far field? I find there are advantages in all listening positions.

Near field listening position has its benefits- Clear, intimate, abundant of details, wide soundstage- you can hear a pin drop, Drawbacks could be less perception of whole sound stage/imaging presense and probably less realistic instruments space. In otehrwords, sound is so involving but you are almost in middle amongst the band or orchestra.

Far field has its advantages, You can 'watch' the whole band playing-the parallax is now removed, the soundstage is much more clearer, clear imaging, you can 'see' back of the stage and now you can raise the volume a bit higher. Drawbacks are the sound is not as involving, loss of some details, imaging.

For me, I prefer near field most of the time inspite of some drawbacks.

Conversely, can there be two or more sweet spots for given systen, for same set up?
nilthepill
trelja
3,215 posts
 
I listen in the nearfield. Pretty much big time. A buddy who comes over quite a bit once asked, "Why do you sit so closely to the speakers?" Well, for one, in my rooms, with the speakers out far enough into the room (both on the long wall of 13' X 15' and 16' X 21' rooms) that they satisfy me, I don't have much choice BUT to listen that way. I guess it just sounds better to me this way...

I am putting together a new room for the second system which will be putting us much farther away than I have been in a long time, more than 10' in all probability. I am sure that, along with a few other factors (first time in this room, no room treatments, a hardwood floor versus wall to wall carpet, etc.), things are going to take me a little while to get my bearings.
distortion
571 posts
 
Nearfield mostly, I prefer it that way ...and my 2 channel room is only 11 x 11. I really dont have much choice in that room.

Nearfield, IMO, is more dynamic and immediate. Which are qualities I appreciate. However, I agree with a previous poster, that driver integration plays an important role in how well any given speaker will sound nearfield. I also agree that nearfield can more easily provide a wide soundstage.

Trelja, good luck with your new room. I hope it sounds terrific.
arkprof
182 posts
 
I like to integrate music into my greater life, so near-field makes no sense for me. My SuperAbbys literally fill the 14x22 room with music, which doesn't mean I'm causing the walls to pulsate, and this allows me the freedom to be anywhere in or near this room to enjoy what I've got in the player. Both the dining room and kitchen are adjacent, so this allows even more movement. I suppose one could argue that this compromises/degrades the musical experience, but actually it allows me to enjoy the music I own in different ways. I used to do near-field, some years ago, but it exhausted me, kept me tethered to a small area. No more of that for me.
trelja
3,215 posts
 
Thank you, Distortion.

In all honesty, it's going to be a bit weird, as with the new hardwood floors the room seems more than a bit shouty and forward, just with me talking to my wife. Hopefully, when I move the furniture in over the next week, and put down an 8' X 11' wool rug that will calm down. We're also going to put in drapes, replacing the blinds we have always used.

Hosting an audio group meeting in about 3 weeks, and I have no idea how that is going to sound...
donbellphd
205 posts
 
Trelja,

I've had a couple of well known acousticians (e.g. presidents of the Acoustical Society of America) as colleagues. A common practice both use to get a feeling for the liveness of a room is to clap and listen to the magnitude and decay of the reverberation. It may be quick and dirty, but it is effective. A room with too much reverberation will not image well; too little reverberation is repressive. You want to hear a sharp clap, but have it die quickly.

db
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