Sweet Spot Listening or Space Immersion?

@mattsca 

I made a Virtual System on this site:

Alternate Toe-In for One or Two Listeners

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11516

It’s based on the Crossfield Technique used by DBX in my small Home Theater

https://www.hifi-classic.net/review/dbx-soundfield-100-135.html

AI Quickie"

"The dbx Soundfield 100 is a vintage loudspeaker system introduced in 1987 designed to create a realistic stereo illusion across a wide listening area rather than a single "sweet spot." Priced originally at $899 per pair, it utilizes a unique non-parallel cabinet design with five drivers per speaker—including three tweeters and two woofers/midrange units—aimed at different angles to ensure consistent sound quality regardless of the listener’s position."

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Their 10" woofer is enough for my Video with 1 single Sub added for Dinosaur Stomps.

My main system is all front mounted drivers, flat faces, thus I alter the toe-in like DBX's slanted face which is the foundation of their Crossfield Technique.

I like them so much, I just bought a spare set of 3 tweeters on eBay just in case.

Dedicated room with two channel and surround/atmos. Switch in and out of either with a click of a remote. 

This is a great topic- doesn't seem to get much airtime, even though these concerns are so central.

My Quad 57's are incredibly beamy. This is one of the prices I pay for truly wonderful sound at a fraction of the cost of comparable alternatives. I built custom stands to raise them and point them directly at the "head in a vise" sweetspot. When friends sit there, and a great recording's on the turntable they "get it" right away. It makes sense for 50% of my listening time. 

Your idea of installing a high-end environmental system in addition to your sweet-spot system is excellent. I've thought of that, but I like the game of experimenting with vinatage gear too much- I'd have to choose one or the other. So I have a secondary two-channel system for ambient living/dining room social music, a 2-channel system in my studio/workshop that's got good dispersion and sounds very good with a wide range of music, even if it's not really for critical listening it's still pretty satisfying. In my one-season country house I even have a system with a pair of Bose 901's near the wall of a screen porch, which are fun with recordings with a lot of space around the instruments like dub. Talk about an ambient application- I crank these up when no one's around and have a lot of fun getting the outdoor chores done, and their great for parties as well. There's no one way to listen to great music. Having different systems configured for a variety spaces and patterns of use is, for me, the way to go. I find it interesting this approach isn't discussed more here- maybe I'm just my own kind of nut!

Variety is the spice of life. 

I have 4 separate 2 channel systems.  My living room is my "dedicated listening space", and my system is optimized for both 2 channel and home theater.  For 2 channel, it's all about the sweet spot, it's a very immersive experience with a huge soundstage.  It still sounds good off-axis, but not close to what you experience in the sweet spot.