Linkwitz Orions beaten by Behringer.... what!!?

[thomasjefferson]

I noticed when reading reports from RMAF that many people raved about the NOLA speaker, which has four widely spaced tweeters and four small widely spaced midrange drivers in an open baffle. Maybe this has similar traits to the IMP, or Bose 901, etc. Turns out to be a crowd pleaser.

[jan.didden]

Originally Posted by Elias

The listening test was termed as "The Linkwitz Challenge"

The purpose being to challenge the old and receive the new information ? I hope. Who wants to hang out with the second (or the third) if there is the winner ?

I am continually amazed how hundreds of posts can be generated about a paper nobody read. A real feat!

Siegfried Linkwitz, “The Challenge to Find the Optimum Radiation Pattern and Placement of Stereo Loudspeakers in a Room for the Creation of Phantom Sources and Simultaneous Masking of Real Sources,”

jan

[CopperTop]

Originally Posted by Elias

An unarguable fact is generally people like sound which is more spacious than dry. IMP seems to generate highly favourable field with low correlation between direct and reflected sound. Naturalness of the sound field can be high in this case. This can lead to high listener preference.

I think the trial should also have included a home theatre receiver with Dolby Pro Logic and a couple of hidden rear speakers. This provides an instant 'spacious effect' even from ordinary stereo, and I strongly suspect that quite a few people would like it - as long as they didn't know how it was done.

[lolo]

ah! finally it's getting interesting..

what is the difference between Gary's speaker and a real omni source? Same purpose isn't it?

[Pallas]

Originally Posted by CopperTop

I think the trial should also have included a home theatre receiver with Dolby Pro Logic and a couple of hidden rear speakers. This provides an instant 'spacious effect' even from ordinary stereo, and I strongly suspect that quite a few people would like it - as long as they didn't know how it was done.

I use DPL2 for all of my listening at home. It does increase spaciousness, and improve image focus and definition, too due to the hard center.

I don't recommend such use if one's center channel is not absolutely identical to the right and left speakers, though. There are two ways to do a center channel: identical speaker at the same height and in the same orientation, and flawed.

[lolo]

Originally Posted by Melo theory

Forget it Elias, most people don't want to consider something new. Most people just want validation of there own beliefs. That's why we are talking about 2nd place! Why challenge ourselves with the notion that we may have been wrong all along by discussing the loudspeaker that actually came out 1st?
That's no fun

you will be pleased to hear I finally built the barrier and tried it with the Orions.

[CopperTop]

Originally Posted by Pallas

I use DPL2 for all of my listening at home. It does increase spaciousness, and improve image focus and definition, too due to the hard center.

I don't recommend such use if one's center channel is not absolutely identical to the right and left speakers, though. There are two ways to do a center channel: identical speaker at the same height and in the same orientation, and flawed.

During some of my early experiments with active speakers and phase/amplitude correction, I messed up the DSP code so that the phase correction was all wrong. Through the crossover regions, the drivers were effectively blending with individual added intricate phase shifts. Depending on the settings, it sounded amazing! If I was seeking some sort of spaciousness illusion, and was presented with this stereo image from two speaker boxes, I might be tempted to think I had finally hit audio Nirvana.

[Pano]

Originally Posted by thomasjefferson

I noticed when reading reports from RMAF that many people raved about the NOLA speaker....

Having heard several NOLA models more than once, I would agree that they are large and open sounding. I like that sound. They are a little too aggressive in the midrange for my tastes, but a lot of people don't mind that. (Many speakers are like that).

[Elias]

Originally Posted by lolo

ah! finally it's getting interesting..

what is the difference between Gary's speaker and a real omni source? Same purpose isn't it?

According to his 'image model theory' the ideal speaker directivity looks like this:


https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0T6...it?hl=en&pli=1

It should have 4 main lobes, and the rear lobes should be stronger than the front lobes. This way the speaker interacts ideally with the listening room according to the theory.

[dewardh]

Originally Posted by jan.didden

I am continually amazed how hundreds of posts can be generated about a paper nobody read. A real feat!

Siegfried Linkwitz, “The Challenge to Find the Optimum Radiation Pattern and Placement of Stereo Loudspeakers in a Room for the Creation of Phantom Sources and Simultaneous Masking of Real Sources,”

Funny, isn't it. I had the good fortune to attend a preliminary presentation of that material:

AES Section Meeting Reports
San Francisco - May 6, 2008
Siegfried Linkwitz, AES San Francisco May 6th 2008
Meeting Topic:Accurate sound reproduction from two loudspeakers in a living room
Moderator Name:Conrad Cooke
Speaker Name:Siegfried Linkwitz - Linkwitz labs
Meeting Location:Ex'pression College for Digital Arts, Emeryville.CA USA

Lots of "now familiar" material, reflection diagrams and all that, and as is usual with SL lots of discussion and acknowledgement of "prior art" as well. I asked, and we spoke briefly, about the ORION radiation pattern issue at that meeting. I have to laugh when I hear (now) that he wasn't aware of it . . .