Hi-fi woes

[Greebe]

You could always go for an IED 3200

[Fluff]

I haven't really got my speakers in the best place, might try move em down a foot or so.

[Fluff]

Why does it do that?

[KvHagedorn]

Tweeters at ear level is usually about right.

[Fluff]

I'll give moving them a go, it will probably sort things out. Thanks for the advice. That IED 3200, probably costs the same as a car! from reading the specs i take it that's what they might use in a airport to phase the speakers so you can actually hear the announcements.

[spadnos]

You could try the Pioneer PDSP-1.

http://www.pioneer-eur.com/eur/company_news_pressrelease.jsp?category=news_20021010_PDSP1

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/article/0,,2076_4159_48023,00.html

It's a bargain at only $50,000. (or at least, that's what the original price was)

- Steve

[Wombat]

Originally posted by gt40
When I set up my system, I had two friends help.
one had a speaker each, and I had them move them to my directions while I sat in the 'listening position'.
once the sweet spot was found, it was jus a matter of convincing my beloved that the speakers 'had' to be there.
sometimes this procedure can save you alot of money/aggevation, and usually there is no money that can compensate for badly placed speakers.

I don't remember the make of my friend's amplifier, but it has a microphone that came with it. It has you place the microphone at a few different listening positions, and tunes its output accordingly.

[KvHagedorn]

Yamaha receivers do that for surround sound now.

[Greebe]

Also adding some acoustic foam panels behind the speakers to reduce slap echo would make a significant improvement


+ put some space between the speaker and the rear wall

Kv is correct, tweeters about ear level is best

[Fluff]

I better start eating more eggs

I have put the foam plugs in the port tube at the back. Which made the bass less boomy.

It just irritates me that i spent x amount of money on hifi sure i can hear more detail etc, but the same music is more fun to listen to in the car listening to the radio!

Wombat i think your friend might have this ...TACTaudio http://www.tactaudio.co.uk/

That does room correction, and they also do high quality Class-D amps (fully digital / and not theoretically an amp). They look pretty nice too.

http://www.tactaudio.co.uk/Products/M1Mk3/index.html

http://www.tactaudio.co.uk/Products/correction_systems.html

[Greebe]

egg crates hardly do anything more than breakup reflected sound... you need something that absorbs

[Greebe]

Bleh...

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/amplifiers/digital_classD_amplifiers.html

The biggest issue with these are the EMI/RFI emitted... should only be used when power or effeciency is of real concern

the feed back section required on all Class D amps induce phase shift, so while sounding sonically decient, the net effect is bad on the sound stage created

[KvHagedorn]

Controlling first reflections is the number one goal in acoustically treating your room (and some notable speaker manufacturers make it a big part of their speaker designs.. see B&W's 800, 801, and 802.) Sounds emanate from the driver in a spherical shape. Only a small percentage of the waveform reaches your ears before bouncing off something. Most rooms sound best when there is an absorptive acoustical treatment on the floor and on the front wall, and a few areas on the side walls in the front half of the room (where the vector from the speaker to your ear bounces off the side wall at a 90 degree angle is the best place for a nice curtain or something.) As Greebe said, diffractive treatments are not usually worthwhile in this case. Do not deaden the whole room with foam or carpet, though.. reflective surfaces at the back or on the ceiling are not bad to have, and a too-dead room will not be pleasing at all. The sounds which bounce off the rear wall will reach your ear after the primary waveform, so will be perceived as ambience (usually a good thing if the room is large enough), but the primary goal is to be sure that the first message that reaches your ears is the one straight from the speaker.

Rooms can be designed for sound without looking like it. In my experience, placing the speakers on a wall where the ceiling slopes upward usually produces a very pleasing acoustic, and large open areas on either side of the speakers are also good.

[KvHagedorn]

Looking at your picture, I would immediately lower those speakers.. and more than a foot. If your priority is having the best sound, the main speakers should be in the lower half of the room.

[Fluff]

Do you think moving them a little further away from side walls might help?

I read somewhere 3 feet is reccommended between speaker and side walls. I reckon i might be able to