Maximize Sweet Spot?

[Temporal_Dissident]

“Sweet Spot” such a non-technical term. Is that really what you (we) audiophiles call it? (I’m new.)

 

How do I maximize it?

 

I live the concept of a dedicated music room, with “a” designated music chair in the perfect position. Not an option for me. I  am building a system in our living room. 

 

How do I create the largest sweet spot possible? Where 2-3 people can sit in it and swim around? 

 

Is it only a function of room geometry and speaker placement? Or, does 

[rn701]

Speakers with wide dispersion/off axis response.

[Melvin]

Check out Ohm Acoustics.

[STC]

1 hour ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

“Sweet Spot” such a non-technical term. Is that really what you (we) audiophiles call it? (I’m new.)

 

How do I maximize it?

 

I live the concept of a dedicated music room, with “a” designated music chair in the perfect position. Not an option for me. I  am building a system in our living room. 

 

How do I create the largest sweet spot possible? Where 2-3 people can sit in it and swim around? 

 

Is it only a function of room geometry and speaker placement? Or, does 

 

In a way stereophonic listening is anti social. Technically, there can be only one sweet spot. There were some attempts to create more sweet spots by controlling off the axis dispersion but it is still a feeble attempt as sound waves do not travel in straight lines.

 

A sweet spot can be enlarged by manipulating the side wall reflection but still it can never be as accurate as the sweet spot between the two speakers because that's how stereo works. It largely relies on the level difference between the two speakers to create the phantom image.

 

The best way to buy a relatively bigger sweet spot loudspeakers is to use pink noise and look for how wide is the sweet spot where the pink noise  is closer to the centre (right in front of you). With pink noise even a slight leaning towards the side can change the front image and the timbre.

[Temporal_Dissident]

Great response. Helpful. Thank you. 

 

Let me rephrase this question...

Let’s forget about the sweet spot. I am building a hifi system that needs to excel for the whole living room.

 

How would that change system design or equipment selection considerations? 

[Temporal_Dissident]

1 hour ago, rn701 said:

Speakers with wide dispersion/off axis response.

I do not normally see that as a listed speaker spec. Am I missing something?

[STC]

15 minutes ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

Great response. Helpful. Thank you. 

 

Let me rephrase this question...

Let’s forget about the sweet spot. I am building a hifi system that needs to excel for the whole living room.

 

How would that change system design or equipment selection considerations? 

 

In the 70s, the hifi unit will come with speakers placed at the side where the distance between the two speakers will be less than 5 feet. Those were the golden era for music where the whole family could enjoy music without being conscious about the phantom image. I hope you were old enough to remember where those speakers could blast full volume of  “ Brown Girl in the ring”  without you feeling missing the SQ. 

 

In the audiophile era, you often see speakers spread out about 8 to 10 feet. This is great for one man listening but may not sound too good for people sitting outside the sweet spot. 

 

To enjoy music, unless it is mono, try bring the speakers closer. If you  had paid attention to the sound from the television internal speakers you would notice they are pretty good sounding even when you sit at the side. The idea is - there shouldn't be be too much level difference between left and right speakers reaching the the different listeners in the living room. They might not hear train coming from left to right ( stereo effect) but they will have good overall balance of the music to be enjoyable by all. 

[rn701]

1 hour ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

I do not normally see that as a listed speaker spec. Am I missing something?

 

Not many do. You can look for reviews with test measurements.  Or I guess you could ask the manufacturer.

[4est]

45 minutes ago, rn701 said:

 

Not many do. You can look for reviews with test measurements.  Or I guess you could ask the manufacturer.

Better still, look into design aspects that promote dispersion and look for speakers that incorporate them.

[Ralf11]

Bingo.

 

Or even better buy some Maggies

[GregWormald]

The stereo 'image' depends on more than volume--the synchronisation of the sound from the two speakers is important too. At 5000 Hz the wavelength is about 3 inches. More than that off-centre will have negative effects on the image. It's therefore really hard to have more than one person in the sweet spot.

 

Of course a number of people can enjoy the sound in the room but not the imaging. In my experience it's been rare to have more than one or two who want to listen seriously without socialising, so a high quality system with reasonably wide dispersion and well managed wall reflections can provide satisfaction.

 

If you don't want a sweet spot at all but just to fill the room with music then speakers that reflect a lot of the sound around the room would work too.

[semente]

On 8/11/2019 at 10:19 AM, Temporal_Dissident said:

“Sweet Spot” such a non-technical term. Is that really what you (we) audiophiles call it? (I’m new.)

 

How do I maximize it?

 

I live the concept of a dedicated music room, with “a” designated music chair in the perfect position. Not an option for me. I  am building a system in our living room. 

 

How do I create the largest sweet spot possible? Where 2-3 people can sit in it and swim around? 

 

Is it only a function of room geometry and speaker placement? Or, does 

Stereo is a solo activity...

[fas42]

3 hours ago, semente said:

Stereo is a solo activity...

 

No. It might be so for rigs that rely on careful manipulation of sound from the speakers to create a sharply focused point of adequate integrity to produce an illusion - but it can be improved so that the whole room sustains a comprehensive sound field; classic omnidirectional speakers like the MBLs when well driven do this quite nicely, but that type of gear is not actually necessary.

 

Sufficient integrity of the sound projected from the speakers is the crucial requirement - but that necessitates the whole playback chain having no significant weaknesses; something still unnecessarily difficult to do.

[semente]

On 8/14/2019 at 1:43 AM, fas42 said:

Sufficient

Your expectations are very low...

[fas42]

21 minutes ago, semente said:

Your expectations are very low...

 

Sufficient means sufficient; that is, the integrity has to be of the right order ... considering that 99.99% of the rigs I have heard over the years, irrespective of cost, and bling, are not of the right order - I don't believe they are that low ...