How do I "compromise" speaker placement

IM distortion is also caused by speaker-to-speaker timing misalignments. If you think it's important for the drivers within a speaker to be properly time aligned, then you'll likely agree that getting both speaker firing in sychronicity will also be beneficial. It very critical, yet easy to hear when done correctly.

Dave

I own (and like) Cremonas, but you might want to think about speakers with a more limited dispersion pattern. If you're willing to move the speakers out into the room when listening (and back when you're done) a narrow planar (Final, Martin-Logan, etc) might do the trick. If you're unwilling to schlep, you might consider a horn or horn/subwoofer set-up. Either way, you'll be pouring less off axis energy into the side walls.

Good luck.

Marty

Hi Dave, Thanks for the answer regarding IM distortion. Is this associated with phase? Such as main speaker to sub?
Bob

Yes Bob, very similar to that, but not exactly. With phase you can have speakers literally pushing a pulling against each other. With IMD it's more about timing of the direct signals arriving in-phase but not at the same time. It's easiest to imagine thinking of a mono signal through a stereo system. It'll come equally out of each speaker, so time alignment of the two speakers must be precise or you hear an inbalance and/or a smearing.

In an anechoeic environment that would be simply time alignment, but then you add the room interaction and the nodes and you do get cancellation, emphasis and timing all rolled together. In my experience, you perceive it as added harshness and loudness. When it's minimized (I doubt that it can be eliminated) the loudess measured with an SPL meter is the same, but your perception is that the loudness declined. It's amazing. You find yourself comfortably listening to music 12dB or so louder.

My understanding is only as a layman and from the little I've been told by Rod Thomson based on his training by Sumiko.

Dave

Hi Dave, you said, " It's easiest to imagine thinking of a mono signal through a stereo system. It'll come equally out of each speaker, so time alignment of the two speakers must be precise or you hear an inbalance and/or a smearing."

You you are saying then, that the first issue to address is exact measurement of speaker to ear distance and extrapolating that out, probably exact placement of speakers and listener within the room? To avoid odd arrival time of the original sound and reflected sound.

Is that correct?

Bob