Linkwitzlab "Watson"

Anyone planning to try this ?

I happen to have 3" fullrange TangBand. It should do the job.

Also, the MiniDSP can do 7.5ms delay, more than sufficient for typical listening distance.

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I could use my pluto Clone too perhaps... but not enough amps on hand.

Also, I do not have much open space to the back...
 
Hi Andi,

what SL describes about Watson ("what's on" ?) sounds very similar to what Demokrit does for me (also check the latest update). Maybe the impression with Watson is a bit stronger but in total I believe of the same character. First SL was talking about cross talk cancellation and I thought that this is not what I have with my speaker. But he revised it and that is an indicator for me that we hear a very similar effect although I am only using one pair of speakers.
As soon as my dipole can be used again I will double-check but that will not be before spring time :mad: I need to move somewhere where I can measure all year round.

-20°C greetings
Oliver
 
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I've done something similar about two, three years ago, albeit with a qualitatively mediocre speaker. I had a regular +-30 stereo triangle with dipoles and positioned the extra speakers at +- 70 degrees, with a delay of about 20 ms for the corresponding channel and mixed in the opposite channel with an even longer delay. It had some very nice effects, more envelopment and a very large sound stage. Image clarity suffered though, as did timbre; however, the timbre change was probably due to the poor power response of the side speakers.

I'm planning to repeat this experiment with better speakers and maybe different delays. Not sure how soon that will be though :)

Personally, I would try a larger delay of at least 10 ms, but preferably 20 ms or so.
 
I have tried this tonight. It's quite amazing, and what is most interesting the additional pairs of nearfield speakers do not seem to produce any sound! At first I had to touch the cone to make sure. The localisation do happen but at very near distance, if I moved my ears about 10-15 cm from the 'Watson'

What is left is an expanse of sound field, yet the tonality of the main speakers do not change and that the phantom image remains very sharp, if not sharper (!). It's one of those things that needs to be heard to believe.

I will post a long term experience.


The setup: Only the midrange section of pluto clone is used.

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The impulse response of both speakers after time alignment at listening position. In my case the required delay is 5.2ms or about 1.7m

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The level as matched at listening position. (midrange only for main speakers)

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Please let us know your finding and compare notes!
 
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Dipole Watson !

After some more hours listening, it gradually appear to me that the sound characteristic of the closed box pluto clone 'tints' the overall character of the system ("boxy" ?). It is very subtle, but not inaudible.

The logical solution is to make the Watson Dipoles. But what about the out of phase rear radiation mixing with main speakers ?

To my surprise again the "dissapearing act" of these helper speakers are maintained and now the overall presentation, transparencies of dipoles are intact.

Will post longer term impression.

A small midbass is enough, again only the midrange are active.

PNrOB.jpg



A very intersting afternoon thanks to SL for sharing his finding :)
 
I had a long exciting night. The dipole Watson played very well with various recording. I ended up setting the level -2db from main speakers when measured at the listening position.

I tried and managed to find a recording which doesn't play well. It's Track "08- Maybe You'll Be There" from Diana Krall's album "Live in Paris." When in normal stereo the piano sound comes from corner right, but with Watson it extends to mid-right between the main and Watson, and at times it moves up to the right next to me! It is strange and unnatural effect.
 
Very interesting.

For practical reasons, what if we place this Stereo Enhancement speakers in the same distance to listener as main speakers, without the delay?

Does it work mainly by the related source angle, or the nearfield, or both?

SL said, "Timing cues or ITD will be better preserved by the closeness of the speakers". I believe so, but is it essential? Directional speakers like horns or dipole may also provide pretty good timing cues in the range, no?
 
Very interesting.

For practical reasons, what if we place this Stereo Enhancement speakers in the same distance to listener as main speakers, without the delay?

Does it work mainly by the related source angle, or the nearfield, or both?

The source angle is the most important. The 90 degree position gives greater head shadowing and thus better reduction of crosstalk effects. However, because the source is very close, propagation loss from the near to far ear will also contribute, which would be negligible at a greater distance.

SL said, "Timing cues or ITD will be better preserved by the closeness of the speakers". I believe so, but is it essential? Directional speakers like horns or dipole may also provide pretty good timing cues in the range, no?

Yes, they do. Keyser's system is one example I've listened to. Yet I bet this has very different imaging. Also, a very directional speaker will make crosstalk effects and the comb filter involved (for phantom sources) more audible relative to speakers with a wider radiation pattern. Room reflections make the dip less audible. This Watson system should reduce the audibility of crosstalk effects even further, I suspect. I'm curious to try it some day.