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I can prove your room is bad

So you want to upgrade?  You want to know what the next big thing is you can do for a better sounding experience?

Try this.  Pull up a chair 2' in front of your speakers.  If you can't move the speakers, put it up to just 1, and listen for yourself.

The difference between what you hear sitting in front of the speaker like this, and what you hear at your normal location is all in the speaker dispersion and room acoustics. If you feel mesmerized, entranced, and wowed by your speaker at 2' but not 8' you really should consider improving the room, and if you can't, consider getting speakers with alternative room coupling, like ESL's, line arrays, bi-polars, etc.

That is all,


Erik
erik_squires
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
The advice of the OP is good, as long as you don't take into consideration the preferences of other audiophiles.  :(

mijostyn, you are incorrect in your statement that Sound Lab is the only line source dipole. I reviewed for Dagogo.com two models of the Kingsound King line (the original and King III). Both are what I termed, LSESL, or "Line Source ESL," with an array of ESL panels. Quad also uses a concentric series of ESL drivers, I believe. 

Technically, the Sound Lab is not an array, per se, but Roger at Sound Lab took pains to explain that the driver is a single sheet with a dampening system. When I reviewed the Sound Lab Ultimate 545 (at the time called the U4iA) for Dagogo.com, this was reinforced by Sound Lab several times such that I would get it correct for the article. 

Has the technology of Sound Lab changed since then? Are some other models different? I do not know. I am not interested in arguing the point, however.  

The use of an array for ESL does seem to be rare, but, imo is tremendously satisfying form of panel sound.  :)
erik_squires OP
15,663 posts
 
@douglas_shroeder

I’m not sure your point, Doug. My post inherently allows for personal preference. Up close, do you hear a better speaker (to you) than you do sitting down.

As I think you are getting to, ESL’s are going to pass more easily here. :)
kenjit
1,771 posts
 
Dipole the sides are 180 degrees out of phase.
You would need to invert the phase then. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,577 posts
 
Up close, do you hear a better speaker (to you) than you do sitting down.
I don't. My speakers sound a lot better at the listening chair. This is on account of the fact that they are rather large, and the midrange is a horn. You need to be a bit back for everything to blend.
erik_squires OP
15,663 posts
 

I don't. My speakers sound a lot better at the listening chair.

Which is in agreement with:
The difference between what you hear sitting in front of the speaker like this, and what you hear at your normal location is all in the speaker dispersion and room acoustics.

And based on the conditional recommendation:
If you feel mesmerized, entranced, and wowed by your speaker at 2' but not 8' you really should consider improving the room

This method does not demonstrate a need for you to improve the room.  You pass. 
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