Little "hack" experiments that work

[AJM1981]

I don't like tinkering around that much. The base for good sound is a good set of speakers to personal taste and a decent amp with music at its core.

However from time to time there are some interesting working experiments that pass by that do add something well.

1) Got an average sounding bookshelve speaker? Tilt it horizontally instead of upright.
Found this passing by online. In case you own a pair of functional but mediocre bookshelves, it might be an idea flip the speakers horizontally so the tweeters are pointing outwards. . It kind of gives the illusion that they sound instantly better since the tweeters are lower.. Couldn't really test it because I don't own a speaker that sounds mediocre but definitely would have tried it out if I would still own them.

2) Got a second set of speakers? Connect them to the 'speaker 2' binding posts on the amp and turn them with the speaker side towards the wall. Leave enough breathing space up to taste.

Letting them work together in unison both facing to the front feels redundant and kind of ugly. However when turning one pair (for example the smaller bookshelve of the two) to the wall and then letting them work together creates an extra illusion of depth that feels right beyond 'just an experiment'.

The reason it does is because it kind of better utilizes the room. A guitar sound doesn't only travel forward, it is also clear at the back of the player.

Wonder if anyone else can try the things above and /or share any other hacks here.

 

[lee711]

Good post dude, enjoyable sound from your system doesn't always mean follow the rules, I have in the past experimented like this, isolating bookshelf speakers on top of floorstanders in different planes and trying various directional aims, just as you've mentioned with great results. At the end of the day, if it sounds good, then that is what counts... enjoy your kit and enjoy the music.

 

[AJM1981]

Good post dude, enjoyable sound from your system doesn't always mean follow the rules, I have in the past experimented like this, isolating bookshelf speakers on top of floorstanders in different planes and trying various directional aims, just as you've mentioned with great results. At the end of the day, if it sounds good, then that is what counts... enjoy your kit and enjoy the music.

Thanks

For my living room I am quite conservative. For a second room I have reserved my old 3 way speakers for someone and tried this out with the pair of bookshelves that I will keep after I heard someone being lyrical about this effect that Martin Logans and Magnapans produce (in a better way).

I am only guessing but I think this wall bounce effect might do really well in combination with a pair of Klipsch speakers as main ones.

 

[abacus]

This is why omnidirectional speakers were developed (There are still a number around today but usually expensive) which had speaker drive units pointing in different directions in addition to the user to get just this effect, (The Bose 901s are probably the best known) however most users found it too distracting and sales where low. (Also remember that all music is mastered using directional speakers)

Bill

 

[AJM1981]

This is why omnidirectional speakers were developed (There are still a number around today but usually expensive) which had speaker drive units pointing in different directions in addition to the user to get just this effect, (The Bose 901s are probably the best known) however most users found it too distracting and sales where low. (Also remember that all music is mastered using directional speakers)

Bill

Fun fact is that just outlining the effect (not speaker properties) people are in awe of the effect when it was about those mentioned or Magnapans. Though Bose could always count on criticism.

When I just started with Hifi I went with the popular opinions. But contrary to the popular believe Bose delivered great sounding systems for regular living room use so it got puzzled. I read a bit about the company's founder Amar Bose and his position of a professor with a background in sound engineering and my now more informed opinion is that they worked with an idea at its core and are doing Hifi really well with a different vision as so many do. Luckily.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The only Bose systems I've ever heard sounded loud but desperately unsubtle. I'm not saying it's true of everything they make (thinking about it, my car stereo is Bose and that's OK), but some of it was designed to appeal to people who were attracted to labels first and foremost.

 

[muljao]

I use the jumpers for speakers that can be biwired and don't biwire them at all. Saves me buying and trying to hide a second run of cable 😃😜

 

[AJM1981]

I use the jumpers for speakers that can be biwired and don't biwire them at all. Saves me buying and trying to hide a second run of cable 😃😜

good one

I think to really get a basic understanding historically and willing to give up believes we as modern hifi users should dig into the far past as to why brands like B&W started with four binding posts in their first series of speakers ever that make use of them.

There are many speaker brands at top level that simply don't offer 4 posts or won't use them anymore and criticize its application. But as people remember that their dads had those connections and project some qualities as in an alchemy that is more like a feeling now as it might have been functional to some situations in the past, those things remain.

Manufacturers like B&W migh even lose a big base or fans it they would reduce the amount of binding posts to two or modernise it even further. Which kind of is a handicap somehow.

 

[Deleted member 188533]

I had Bose 301's and 201's as part of a surround setup back in the early-mid 90s. It sounded good at the time but wouldn't be a path I'd take now. They were better than those little cube things they push today though.