Aleph 5 + Dunlavy 4

"Due to the wide horizontal ( but limited vertical ) dispersion of the mirror imaged design that the Dunlavy's use, you'll probably need to pay close attention to the primary points of reflection on the side walls AND toe the speakers in. This type of design typically works best with no toe-in, but your installation somewhat forces you to do so."

I'm not sure if one could call DAL's mirror-imaged, as that implied that some of the drivers are offset, and that is not the case with the speakers. In terms of setup, the DAL's are meant to be toed-into the listening seat rather profoundly. As mentioned, they should be setup on the long wall, and I think the original poster should try that placemat before attempting to implement other corrective measures. Ideally, they should be spread farther apart than the distance from the listening seat to *each* speaker. The setup section in the owner's manual is fairly complete and is best followed for optimal performance.

Best Wishes,
Felix
www.audioannex.com

Cdma..I have owned SC4;s since 94.. I have the same problem as you in my room. Lower mid bass suckout? I have found the distance from the bottom woofer and the floor and the top woofer and the ceiling create unusual loading effects in soom rooms. Some of these problems can be largely mitigated. E-mail me if you like for more info..Tom

Hi Felix, I did try following the manual and the essential points (wide separation and distance) but the long wall setup and toe-in. Long wall setup is not the option for my listening room arrangement. In my past experience, I do not like the sound when PSB is toed in. What is the theorectical benefit of toe-in ? image and directional treble ? not bass I guess. Thanks !

"What is the theorectical benefit of toe-in ? image and directional treble ?"

Yes, the speakers are extremely directional and have very narrow and well-controlled dispersion characteristics. That's one of the reason why they can be placed fairly close to the room's boundaries without encountering severely adverse effects. Direct toe-in helps the speakers achieve the amazing focus that makes them very special.

I became interested in this thread, because I encountered a similar problem when I first setup my SC-IV's. I placed them in a manner very similar to yours, in a room almost the same size and shape, and had virtually no bass even though I was driving them with a KSA-150. It took me almost a week to open the owner's manual (audiophile pride, you know) and set them up per the manufacturer's instructions. The transformation in the sound was truly spectacular. Since then, I've setup literally dozens of pairs of Dunlavy's, and all of them sounded best with long wall placement.

If there's absolutely no way for you to utilize the long wall, I'd suggest placing your seat directly against the back wall with the speakers moved half-way into the room, as a starting point.

Best Wishes,
Felix
www.audioannex.com

Sorry to sort of go off the subject, but I really think the speaker cable needs to be changed. I think you need cables that has more emphasis in "speed" rather than "guts". Sorry if I sound like I don't know what I am talking about. Just think, "low gauge" and "low capacitence".