Speaker positioning questions

Hi there. Preparing for the incoming MK2.

On the audiophiles guide - reference music track called medium sized groups “old grimes,” where are people hearing the violin come from?

It keeps coming out of the right speaker.

Also, on “small ensemble, ain’t no going back home,” I hear starting cymbals from left tweeter.

Can’t seem to shake these. Are others with well set up systems hearing something different?

You may find something similar in my old thread

However I solved the problem at the end of day in two steps:

  • moving the left speaker a little bit away from the front wall
  • toeing OUT both of the speakers, expanding the soundstage consequently

Diffusers repositioning behind the left speaker also helped me.

You need time and patient to work with speakers positioning, it’s a long and frustrating trial and error process.

Good luck!

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I’ve been working on it for years. I’m a bit limited by my living room size too which makes it even more challenging

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What do people hear in those tracks?

Are there any other tracks you guys use to make sure ‘things’ aren’t coming out of the speakers directly?

I know that some recordings are just poor quality and may do that anyway. But im trying to work to get this fixed.

Bump

Try these, very different and both remarkable recordings. Enjoy!

RoonShareImage-638097656982200440

RoonShareImage-638097657611454244

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What are you hearing overall?

Alma:
Piano all over
Cello mid right
Initial trumpet mid left
High Trumpet mid left
Clickers around 2:30 come out of left and right speakers :frowning:
Voice center & clicks center

How can I fix the clicks coming out of speakers? (or is this what you hear also?)

I think you might be confusing flugelhorn with trumpet. Clicks I am guessing are instrument clicks from the brass.

I expect with the lower noise floor all of us will begin to hear all sorts of instrument related sounds.

For me the elements that are further at left/right are from behind the speaker plane, so not feeling like it’s emanating from the speakers themselves.
I’ve got my floorstanding speakers 2.6 meters from the wall behind them, with a little over a metre between speaker and side walls.

My speakers are not symmetrically placed! The left speaker is 8cm further into the room than the right, and is also not toed in a much, 4° vs 8°. When they were identical the stage was weighted to the right (2dB on the Pass Labs balance control centred it) and sounds were a little locked to the speakers.

The addition of a subwoofer got images more watched as well.

However, the specific problem of only high frequency things sticking to the speakers (hi-hats, upper harmonics of flute and electric guitar) was actually solved by the steps I took to reduce RFI/EMI in my system. A CommonGround power cable and various accessories from Akiko Audio. Indeed, if I simply remove those things from my system the depth of stage reduces and things start appearing from the speakers again.

Addressing electrical noise and RFI/EMI was huge fir me.

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This is very interesting and very useful. Thanks for chiming in.

This is my set up (except there is not a steering wheel typically there)

The speakers are around 7-8Ft apart, and I am unfortunately up against the back wall which is around 8-9 ft from each speaker. I have a large open space behind the right loudspeaker and nothing behind the left one. I also have an open entry to the left without too much reflection due to this.

Any suggestions given the shape of this room?

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Regarding electrical noise, I believe that I have gone to great lengths to minimize any unwanted noise in the system:

  1. I use a P15 to connect all of my Hifi gear
  2. I use and EtherRegen for the ethernet
  3. I convert from CAT cable to optical in the EtherRegen into a Sonore Signature Rendu SE
  4. my power supplies for the EtherRegen and Matrix DDC are very high end Ferum Hypsos power supplies.

Any other suggestions on how to further minimize noise?

I have a DSD MKII on the way which I think will be light years ahead of the DSD Jr, perhaps that alone will fix it.

Cheers!

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Good news! I meticulously went through ‘the audiophiles guide’ and ‘the loudspeaker’ and I was able to get the track ‘Alma’ to work.

I will say they two books definitely complement each other, but they didn’t solve my problems individually.

My left speaker still has things coming out of it though. ‘Slow Reduction’ has drums / percussion from the left speaker.

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I dig perseverance. Nice work.

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Did you already look into the suggestions of diffusion and absorption given in ‘the loudspeaker’ as well? Especially at the points of first reflection. Further, lifting cables off the floor can also contribute quite s bit.

I have a large TV in between the speakers so I can diffuse there.

The left side is open. The right side has a window there so I usually draw the blinds down at an angle and hope that his is enough. Cables are hidden under the center entertainment console so I can’t really do much about them.

Appreciate the suggestions though. I recognize that since my setup doubles as a HT system in my living room, I don’t have all of the available options.

I suspect that the TV in the middle intensifies the middle

With some help, I will someday move the TV away; I am expecting that the sound stage will have greater depth this way

No doubt many here have ‘been there done that’, so may definitively answer

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Yes I think you are right. Until I get a new home, I can’t give up HT for hifi alone haha

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I understand your temporary circumstances. :wink:
On the other hand, your point was achieving a correct sound stage, if I understand correctly. Please consider a bit of experimenting, just for the sake of satisfying some audiophile understanding.

Perhaps if you just start with positioning a couple of pillows on eye level at the first left and right reflection point. Use a chair, put a pillow against the window, whatever. See what is does, then extend wherever you see fit, minding it’s only temporary. And surprise yourself with its result.

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If possible (and I know in many cases it’s not), getting rid of everything between the speakers is a huge improvement. As you said, I’ve been there, done that, in multiple homes with HT stuff between the speakers. It was a revelation when I was finally able to get everything out from between my speakers.

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