Improving sound in less-than-ideal (i.e., 'crappy') space


I have two mid- to lo-fi systems (winter and summer), somewhat similar. The problematic one has a tube-integrated (which I won’t id but which I like), and small Focal speakers w/ sub. The problem is the room is about 12 x 15.   Right now, head of bed is in the sweet spot, but the Focals are (desperately) mounted on wall (the 15’ one), and there is barely space to walk in front of them. When I returned to my other space (equally tiny room, but with Focal Arias mounted on stands away from wall, Jolida 102) I experience what many of you experience all the time: I suddenly can’t believe music can sound so good.

OK. So problem is what do I do to get closer to this at ‘home’. It will never be great, but it ought to improve. I’m guessing as first step speakers ABSOLUTELY need to be off the wall and onto stands, probably placed along or near the narrower wall where I can walk past them half-asleep without risking knocking them over, and that there is no way sound will improve as long as speakers are mounted directly on the wall.  Sorry I can’t try this out now. Just am experiencing how great things sound in my other space.

Please don't revile for having dealt with this question in other threads.  'Everything worth saying must be said again.' (I'm quoting, of course, but I won't reveal the source!)

Thanks.


jdane
Not sure what to tell you. I had a 11'x10' room once and had a pair of large stand-mounted speakers 2 feet from side and front walls. The speakers were on three spikes on three-legged stands and I never knocked them over in over 5 years. How? Got rid of the bed and used a fold-out one. Music was more important than a huge piece of furniture.

ime the key in a smaller room is to set up a near field or semi near field equilateral (or at minimum isosceles) triangle with speakers and listeners comfortably away from boundaries, and of course, ears in main listening position need to be level to speaker’s high and midrange drivers or as closely as possible

Yup.  This is a bedroom.  Bed can't go unless I want to sleep on a cot, and I don't.  I have the equilateral triangle set up, but with the speakers against the wall, it doesn't work.  I assume you're both confirming what I suspected:  get the speakers away from the wall.  Nothing will work until I do that?

Not necessarily. You can try bookshelf speakers designed to work against the wall. A $300 pair of Wharfedale Diamond 225 might do the job.

Thanks!   My Focal monitors seem to be designed to be mounted that way as well.  I guess the only way to figure this out is to start experimenting:  starting with the knowledge that what I have now is not really doing the job.  Thanks again.