Need help to buy a system -- Portland, Oregon

[Charles Darwin]

If there is too much bass because of the positioning the first thing I would try is blocking the ports with some rolled up socks or similar and see if that helps since it will reduce the low bass output.

 

[anatech]

Hi Charles Darwin,
You're kidding me, really? That may or may not work as you intend depending on the driver and box size. At least your suggestion is a no cost option.

-Chris

 

[Konzentr8]

Charles isn't kidding, a lot of speakers now come with foam bungs for ports to help tune them for placement, a pair of old socks isn't quite as high tech i guess but worth a little experimentation

 

[anatech]

I remember that from the old Marantz speakers, but I designed speaker systems for a few years and know you can't just "stick a sock in it" and expect to have controlled the bass. What many folks don't know is that the action of the port is to damp the woofer at the system resonant frequency. Below this it actually unloads the woofer, so it flaps free. This should happen at frequencies below what you would find in music. A sealed box is pretty simple to understand by comparison, but the adiabatic port that is created by using a porous plug is uncontrolled in it's "tuning". Completely random.

I have to say, if the manufacturer supplies a plug for this purpose, then use that plug (but don't substitute). Otherwise, you'll probably end up with messy bass. Standing the speakers away from the corners is the proper solution, but not always convenient. Given what was spent on these speakers, uncontrolled experiments with damping will detract from the quality rather than add to it. Physics rules and some times we don't like the answers. Oh well.

-Chris

 

[tcpip]

I'm asking my friend to do some experiments with speaker placement. Move them away from the side walls, for starters.
Luckily, the spikes haven't been fitted below the speakers yet, allowing shifting relatively easily.

 

[Konzentr8]

Is that the longest wall? Seems a very small space for floorstanders is there room to position them elsewhere ,avoid the glass behind one and get a bit more distance between them ?

 

[tcpip]

Yes, if the system is kept in this room, then this is the longest wall. Non-ideal, I know. The house is large, two storeys, with 3 bedrooms and (I believe) a decent sized living room with open plan kitchen. But this small bedroom may be the only one which gives the listener privacy and quiet.

So, balancing the human aspects with the technical requirements is a big challenge.

 

[Konzentr8]

Try living in a typical UK two up two down terraced house , now there's a challenge i have to sacrifice so much bass and standmounts using 5 1/4 '' drivers is the limit with consideration for my neighbours .

 

[tcpip]

Ya, we in India are lucky that way. We have small rooms (in cities) because real estate prices are exorbitant, but we have brick walls and cast concrete and RCC floors and ceilings. I live in a typical apartment building, and never have to worry about neighbours when I play my syst loud.