Just a bad room. Cavities, one open end to the left, the right side wall is going to be too close. I've gotten the room calmed down reasonably well, but can't escape from the basic geometry. I can get the main speakers of the moment (Wharfedale P10) into a nice place for listening (marked with tape on the floor, L & R not oriented the same, but they sound rather transparent and clear that way), but when regular life takes over they have to move back. They also make for too wide a sound stage for the TV (I didn't expect) and don't like late-night low volume. I'm perturbed.
Rather than trying all the speakers, perhaps the experienced will have ideas. At most about 14" to the wall behind the TV.
Current options:
3" transmission line. These sounded OK before, clean, but small.
3.5" open back - suspect these won't work, they take a lot of EQ
Polk RT55 3 way (2 6" and a tweeter). They have an odd bass sensation, but perhaps I could do something. No port in back. They sounded better before with pillows behind them. They're really too big for the location.
Wharfedale P10. I'm tempted to nearly plug the rear-facing ports. Can this work? Or maybe dense pillows behind. Seems unkind.
Antique DCM Time Piece. These are small transmission lines that sound rather nice, but the drivers and old and cheap, really do well in there, but replacing the drivers might be an option. I'm not sure of everything inside, and substantial surgery would be required. They're mint, so I'm a bit reluctant.
Antique 6" Open Back with tweeters, bad drivers, small baffles, sound oddly almost OK, except the drivers are truly sucky old Radio Shack units on their last legs. I'm puzzled that they sound OK as far as back reflections.
New options:
I can make something. Considering 4" more or less MarkAudio or similar full range in something. Pensil. TABAQ. Folded Voigt. Not having heard all these designs, hard to tell which might be least sensitive to poor location.
I might just be whining. Oddly, my 3.5" open back with a sub and EQ sound the best, my desktops. There's nothing behind them for a long way. Insanely crisp and clean, transparent soundstage, feels like about 18" depth from just at the monitor and back. Kind of spooky. That's what I want in the main area of the room!
Thanks for sympathy and suggestions.
Rather than trying all the speakers, perhaps the experienced will have ideas. At most about 14" to the wall behind the TV.
Current options:
3" transmission line. These sounded OK before, clean, but small.
3.5" open back - suspect these won't work, they take a lot of EQ
Polk RT55 3 way (2 6" and a tweeter). They have an odd bass sensation, but perhaps I could do something. No port in back. They sounded better before with pillows behind them. They're really too big for the location.
Wharfedale P10. I'm tempted to nearly plug the rear-facing ports. Can this work? Or maybe dense pillows behind. Seems unkind.
Antique DCM Time Piece. These are small transmission lines that sound rather nice, but the drivers and old and cheap, really do well in there, but replacing the drivers might be an option. I'm not sure of everything inside, and substantial surgery would be required. They're mint, so I'm a bit reluctant.
Antique 6" Open Back with tweeters, bad drivers, small baffles, sound oddly almost OK, except the drivers are truly sucky old Radio Shack units on their last legs. I'm puzzled that they sound OK as far as back reflections.
New options:
I can make something. Considering 4" more or less MarkAudio or similar full range in something. Pensil. TABAQ. Folded Voigt. Not having heard all these designs, hard to tell which might be least sensitive to poor location.
I might just be whining. Oddly, my 3.5" open back with a sub and EQ sound the best, my desktops. There's nothing behind them for a long way. Insanely crisp and clean, transparent soundstage, feels like about 18" depth from just at the monitor and back. Kind of spooky. That's what I want in the main area of the room!
Thanks for sympathy and suggestions.
Woden Giraffe (A5.3, CHN-50, MAOP 5, maybe CHP-50 [@scottmoose]): http://wodendesign.com/downloads/Giraffe-A52-MLTL-0v99-081015.pdf
dave
That's really sick. I like them. Just that the driver ends up at the bottom of the TV screen or a little over the top. Could run upside down as a column component, or maybe hang them upside down from the ceiling. No need for a fancy stand for something floating in the air! Thanks
The responsibility seems to fall on the speakers. Not that they aren't a good place to start in even a good room. Treating your room specifically for managing issues is something that isn't called for until you've decided how far you'll go with the speakers.