Can anybody point me to references on minimum driver separation required to transmit stereo information to the listener, specifically as a function of frequency? My gut tells me that if the spatial driver-to-driver separation isn't in the neighborhood of one wavelength, there's not going to be a lot of stereo perception at the listener, regardless of what is present in the signal.
If you mean the distance between two speakers for stereo image it isn't dependent on frequency. The usual rule of thumb is that you and the two speakers form roughly an equilateral triangle.
Well, I can hear stereo information out of tweeters placed maybe a foot apart, sitting much farther back. It's not ideal but it's there. At lower frequencies, where the separation becomes much smaller than the wavelength in question, I just have to believe there's no chance.
It's another twist on the "low frequencies are mono" assertion, but I think it probably extends up in frequency when driver separation is small. I'm just wondering if it has been studied and quantified.
It's another twist on the "low frequencies are mono" assertion, but I think it probably extends up in frequency when driver separation is small. I'm just wondering if it has been studied and quantified.
There's the directivity of the speaker, which usually increases as frequency increases. When it comes to low frequencies the wavelength is often larger than the room and so modes take over and also the wave will have reflected before you can locate the source
Right, the driver directivity becomes significant ~ ka = 1 (characteristic dimension over wavelength). I'm trying to figure out if there is any reason to run a pair of small drivers in stereo in the range of 100 Hz - 300 Hz (portable speaker ~ 10" separation). I just don't think they'll convey any stereo information (and there probably isn't all that much to begin with).
The basic principle underpinning stereo is that the sound from each speaker takes longer to reach one ear than it does the other, due to distance and the shadowing effect of the head. The time‑of‑arrival differences provide left‑right positioning information.
To work correctly, the listener and the two speakers should each sit at the corners of an equilateral triangle, typically with the length of each side between two and four metres, depending on the size of the speakers and the room.
The above information is adapted from:
Processing Stereo Audio Files |
To work correctly, the listener and the two speakers should each sit at the corners of an equilateral triangle, typically with the length of each side between two and four metres, depending on the size of the speakers and the room.
The above information is adapted from:
Processing Stereo Audio Files |
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