Wayne, thank you for your kind comments.

On the amp power thing, I just wish I could figure out the math behind what we are hearing. It seems contradictory that you only need a watt or two for reasonably loud listening, yet need gobs of power for transients. This is where I wish I was an electrical engineer or an amp designer.

Charlie

charliehatch wrote: GDHAL,

My room is 19 ft long by 15 ft wide, with a slanted ceiling that is 8 ft at the front, going up to 12 ft at the back. My Trefs are 4 ft from the front wall and 9 1/2 ft apart (also forming an equilateral triangle with the PLP). I also have a 65 inch flat screen in the middle, just back from the plane of the speaker drivers. All that blather aside, I have absolutely laser sharp imaging that I've tested with many different recordings and test tracks. I have never noticed that the imaging is volume dependent.

I don't think having a flat screen there has much effect on imaging. If you ray trace the sound path, there are only very thin corners on the TV (and it's support cabinet) that can reflect higher frequency sound toward the listening position. This is even less given that the speaker dispersion pattern at higher frequencies drops off considerably as you move around to the side. (I'm basing this statement on the pattern measured by John Atkinson in the Stereophile review of the T1s.) Because of this, I think any reflections off the TV are very low amplitude compared to the direct arrival at the listening position.

Side wall reflections are another possibility, but given my toe in (aimed at a point just behind the listener) and the dispersion pattern, the energy hitting the side walls is also significantly lower in amplitude than the direct energy. Also, my room is peculiar in that I have an opening to the kitchen on the right wall right at the primary reflection point. On the left wall it's solid wall and a glass slider door. I have curtains there to try to mitigate that. Even with my side wall asymmetry, the imaging is spectacular at even at low listening levels.

The only technical issue I can think of at the moment is that, if you have an analog pot volume control, then when you turn down the volume to low levels, the pot may produce unequal voltage outputs for the two stereo channels. (I have read of this being a problem.) That would certainly mess up the imaging.

All I can think of for now, anyway.

Charlie

Charlie, thank you so much for the detailed response. Perhaps I'm mistaken and the imaging is better than I think. In my case, I have a slight curvature to the television (Samsung UN65KS9800) and like yours the screen itself is set just an inch or so back from the plane of the drivers. My system is three feet from the front wall. Directly behind the television are double hung windows and I also believe I get slightly better sound keeping the vertical blinds closed.

halr.x10.mx/AV.jpg

You have restored a good deal of confidence in my thinking that I *could* be mistaken and the television isn't really interfering.
The impetus for my concern is that this past weekend I was at the home of an audio club member who has the following system.

Equipment:
> >> Von Schweikert VR-6 speakers
> >> Wyetech Labs 211 Topaz amplifier (Audio Note transformers)
> >> Wyetech Labs Jade preamplifier
> >> Parasound JC-3 phono preamplifier
> >> Nottingham Interspace special edition turntable
> >> Nottingham Anna tonearm (unipivot)
> >> Denon 103R cartridge
> >> Otari MX-5050 reel to reel tape player

The imaging and overall sound was/is outstanding. At times it sounded like a live performance. There is nothing between his speakers and they are only about 5 feet apart, aimed directly (not towed) at the PLP. His room is outstanding and professionally treated with all kinds of absorption and reflection points. My room is decent, but not professionally treated.

Because he has nothing between the speakers, and whenever I view images of very high end systems, invariably there is nothing between the speakers except high end amplifiers on a floor platform, it is for this reason I believe a television (albeit flat screen) between the speakers can only hurt and not help. True?

Also, in my case I have significant “back stage” (pun intended) sound. If I move behind the speakers/television, the sound is rather loud and overall “present”. It actually sounds very good behind my setup (and in front)

Don't get those Boulder Amps Charlie, they are what is causing Global Warming!!!!

Ha ha
God Bless,
Wayne

GDHAL,

Your setup is very similar to mine. I have a similar cabinet, but a flat flat screen Samsung. My cabinet and TV are positioned more to the rear of the speakers, but not by a lot. In my corners I have four ATS acoustic bass traps, which I found didn't do much to the room modes. (They did seem to make the room a bit quieter.) My slanted ceiling helps with the reflections there. My ceiling mirror points for me are much closer to the speakers where the dispersion reduces the amplitude of the higher frequencies. I don't have treatment on the ceiling.

On well recorded music, especially percussion, it often sounds just like they are in the room with me. Startlingly real, and generally holographic. Poor recording sound....poor.

I have a large kilim hanging on the back wall, which may help things at the highest frequencies. I haven't measured my room's reverb time, but if you have only a limited amount of absorption, your reverb time may be long, which I think would affect your imaging. Have you done a clap-your-hands-and-listen test?

Charlie

WayneWilmeth wrote: Don't get those Boulder Amps Charlie, they are what is causing Global Warming!!!!

Ha ha
God Bless,
Wayne

I think they're just the thing for those cold winters in Thailand.

charliehatch wrote: ............ Have you done a clap-your-hands-and-listen test?Charlie

Yep. And it sounds great. At every point in the listening space there is no reverb (I'm sure there technically is some reverb, just that I cannot readily discern it). The clap is as loud or soft as I strike the palms of my hands, sounds "real", "authentic", etc. and basically deadens within a second. In fact, if I clap in other rooms of my apartment that do not have the same treatments, I can hear a difference (reverb and more treble sounding).