yes, I have heard of Bolzano Villetri
I don't like the idea of downfiring because I believe that strong, early floor reflection (unavoidable in such a configuration) would be detrimental to the sound
best,
graaf
As I wrote some pages above the lower absorber in my Carlssons proved to be essential for the percetion of height. Stig Carlsson even recommends carpet in the listening room. But testing wouldn't be very complicated for you. Just find someone who holds the second speaker. If that doesn't work I still recommend two HX160 CFS in BLH. Speakers are not localizable and there is hardly any stereo. Would be very prominent in the room, however. Do you still use the Fostex? For your configuration the Philips 9710M/01 Stig Carlsson used in his early Sonabs would be better since it has similar amounts of copper around the pole piece (and similar treble rise) as the Visaton B200 and the two Ciares.
I wish I would have never started with that bl**dy fu**ing psychoacoustic bu**sh*t. I have always had a slight right-shift in the image, which I could detect by exchanging the channels, but in the last days everything collapsed. I exchanged the channels, the crossovers, again the channels, rotated the tops and exchanged the speakers, again the channels, always the same. Changing the speaker positions also could not fix it. Maybe despite the symmetry in the main (ceiling) reflection my brain has learned to interpret the asymmetry caused by the wooden integrated wardrobe and wooden door on one side and the brick wall and window on the other side this way. With only one speaker playing both sides sound pretty much the same, but with both speakers playing everything comes from the right. I start thinking about going Graaf's way, direct the HX160 drivers to the ceiling and hear quasi-mono. You can say I have mono right now, but one-ear mono can be very annoying. First I will move the speakers to a more symmetric room and will see what happens.
I have always had that as well. I am now convinced that its in my own hearing and not in my system.
Could be a reflection. I perceive a right shift of center phantom/virtual sources if the back of my office chair is angled towards the listening position.
Best, Markus
I kept think my shift was the speakers, then I switched the speakers - no change. My room is nearly perfectly symmetric, so I discounted the reflection and then I listened in a different room, same shift. I even sense a small shift on headphones. I know my hearing loss is not symmetric, so I have concluded that it is my hearing. So I brought it up as a possibility for others as well.
Swapping the speakers doesn't change the influence of the room. Hence reflections might still play a significant role. Obviously not in your case.
There's even the possibility that each of our ears "hears" differently. Virtually all psychoacoustic studies assume symmetrical behavior so only one side gets tested. This might be wrong.
Best, Markus
There's even the possibility that each of our ears "hears" differently. Virtually all psychoacoustic studies assume symmetrical behavior so only one side gets tested. This might be wrong.
Best, Markus
That's interesting as I have the same problem. Probably the main reason I went to mono in the first place. To be honest though, stereo does sound more pleasurable in general, but it can make a perfectionist crazy. I know some of it is definitely my hearing and some of it is my asymmetrical room. Sad thing is that I know eventually I'll go multichannel. Then I'll probably just go nuts and loose it or perhaps a center channel is the cure for what annoys me.
Dan
A great relief to hear this from someone else. I just tried the other room and it's still the same.
It's very strange...
Exactly when did this "collapse" occur? Did it happen totally unexpectedly without any prior change in the system?
most of us experience such shifts, me too
perhaps it is as Walter Schupbach (of Swiss Stereolith) put it: "das Gehör nicht symmetrisch ist"
see an interview (below the test of "Monitor 232"):
avguide.ch :Testbericht > Stereolith Monitor 232 - Wie der Duft einer Blume....
"Maybe despite the symmetry in the main (ceiling) reflection my brain has learned to interpret the asymmetry caused by the wooden integrated wardrobe and wooden door on one side and the brick wall and window on the other side this way."
I find this explanation highly improbable as the brain learns such things as room acoustics very fast. If the speaker-room arrangement worked well earlier then the subsequent sudden change ("collapse") cannot be explained by peculiarities of the way the brain functions.
but "my way" is using only one speaker in a simple and true mono, not "quasi"
"my way" is using only one speaker in a simple and true mono, not "quasi"
Are there still true mono recordings available? Does any recording/mixing engineer really care about mono compatibility anymore?
The change in the system was the final enclosure with better damping inside and outside, that took place some weeks ago. A right-shift was present before, but the "collapse" happened overnight. Yesterday I had an other strange encounter: For a minute or so everything came from the left and then everything was OK again. As you can read again above a malfunction of the system can't be the reason.
well
honestly - in fact neither can I
theoretically there can arise at least three problems:
- comb-filtering ("as a result of time differences between A and B, comb-filtering can dramatically affect timbre in mono")
this is the thing You have written about, is'nt it?
- change in level (If the A-B component is very strong (...), there will be a significant loss in level (...). Sometimes (...) just the bass (long wavelengths)."
- change in ambience ("If you hear big changes in reverberance, or spaciousness, then your reverb wash has too much A-B in it").
the above quotations from:
Moulton Laboratories :: From Stereo to Mono and Back
Moulton Laboratories :: From Stereo to Mono and Back
perhaps good engineers are still taking into account mono compatibility considerations?
One thing almost universal in going to mono is a slight reduction in treble. To be honest, it hasn't bothered me a bit. The loss of imaging and reduced sense of space I don't find troubling either. With most people I think that's the deal breaker. Ease of set up and the ability to retain tone in every conceivable listening position is just fantastic. I'm in the process of making my last attempt at stereo. If it doesn't work or drives me crazy, I'll happily enjoy mono again.
Dan
Dan
From experience, I am scrupulous about getting my ears "de-waxed" by my doctor at least every six months.
The left ear usually begins to block first, and the stereo image gradually moves to the right.
My doc reckons I get a bit more wax than average, but hey, it's an easy way of improving the fidelity in high fidelity.