Of course this will work when you SIT at an average distance with an average height of the room. But that's not the case here - not at all?
How is the sound source when you listen to it nearfield, sitting in front of the computer? (listening to only one speaker, closed eyes. Sound comes from a point or from a line/area?) How strong does it change when you move vertically? Do you already get in the lobe or the null when you stand? And I'm pretty sure you hear it when you are missing a whole octave ;-)
As you now I did my trials with distances in a very controlled room with barely reflections and really disliked it. Maybe I have to do some more in reverberant surroundings ... I'm afraid I'm biased now
That's perfect! Have to look it up.
I feel you - 100%
Well, as you say context is important, if it's a dead room, close listening both sitting standing and laying on the floor the requirement is very specific and choose accordingly. Basic requirement for speakers with drivers stacked is to listen at design axis height, and if the height must vary a lot then the "lobe" would need to accommodate all of it. The further out the more sound would deviate from designed.
On a living room there usually is reflections and a lot of listening is form kitchen for example, or sitting / laying on the sofa at main listening position and in this kind of application it works fine.
On a living room there usually is reflections and a lot of listening is form kitchen for example, or sitting / laying on the sofa at main listening position and in this kind of application it works fine.
My brother's workshop is a reverberant environment with a hard concrete floor and little absorption. The ceiling is high, at least 12' maybe more. So therefore the power response is important even when listening rather close to the speakers. That is why I considered the Directivity Index to be an important design consideration.
When my brother and I made some measurements of his workshop and workbench, I determined that when he is standing close to the bench, he is about 15 degrees above the axis of the tweeter. As he moves further away, he is about 5 degrees above. Right in front of the bench (using the computer) he is almost 20 degrees above.
I tried to design a nice response from 0 to 20 degrees vertical, and for the most part I did get a good response. At 2k, the +5 and +10 degree curves are slightly above the on-axis curve, and +15 degree curve is equal to the on-axis. At +20 degrees, we have a-3.5 dB dip at 2.5k. Of course he would always have the option of tilting the speakers back by a few degrees if needed.
When my brother and I made some measurements of his workshop and workbench, I determined that when he is standing close to the bench, he is about 15 degrees above the axis of the tweeter. As he moves further away, he is about 5 degrees above. Right in front of the bench (using the computer) he is almost 20 degrees above.
I tried to design a nice response from 0 to 20 degrees vertical, and for the most part I did get a good response. At 2k, the +5 and +10 degree curves are slightly above the on-axis curve, and +15 degree curve is equal to the on-axis. At +20 degrees, we have a-3.5 dB dip at 2.5k. Of course he would always have the option of tilting the speakers back by a few degrees if needed.
I don't remember trying that. But I tried simulating it just now, and it would force me to change every component value in the woofer circuit to get a good response. Remember, this was a retrofit of a completed speaker, I wanted to change as little as possible.