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Thread: Listening near field

  1. #11
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Gravesend and France

    Posts: 1,498
    I'm paul.

    Default

    My listening room in the garden is about 9' X 7' so I listen at about 6', room is treated with absorption panels at first reflection points on walls and ceiling and behind my sofa. As said no reflections to muddy the waters but I do need to sit back on the sofa as sitting upright on the edge of the sofa when adjusting settings the bass drops off. As for " mechanical sounds " not even with 99db drivers. I listen at 75-85db mostly and long sessions don't give fatigue.
    Bakoon 13r Denon DP80 Stax UA-70 Shure Ultra 500 in a Martin Bastin body with jico stylus, project ds2 digital Rullit aero 8 field coils in tqwt speakers

    Office system, DIY CSS fullrange speakers with aurum cantus G2 ribbons yulong dac Sony STR6055 receiver Jvc QL-A51 direct drive turntable, Leema sub. JVC Z4S cart is in the house

    Garage system another Sony receiver, cassette deck


    System components are subject to change without warning and at the discretion of the owner.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

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    Quote Originally Posted by paulf-2007 View Post
    My listening room in the garden is about 9' X 7' so I listen at about 6', room is treated with absorption panels at first reflection points on walls and ceiling and behind my sofa. As said no reflections to muddy the waters but I do need to sit back on the sofa as sitting upright on the edge of the sofa when adjusting settings the bass drops off. As for " mechanical sounds " not even with 99db drivers. I listen at 75-85db mostly and long sessions don't give fatigue.
    Transistors seldom make noise of the type I described
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  3. #13
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

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    Yesterday evening I was listening as usual. My speakers are set up to form a triangle with my head, each one pointed directly at me.

    I don't often fiddle when listening, preferring to enjoy the music, but decided spontaneously to point the speakers a little wide of my head. It made insignificant difference to the Hi Fi aspects, but my brain experienced a sense of relief and wellbeing. It was almost subliminal and nothing like I had expected or experienced before. It was late and I was about to go to bed, but felt the need to listen on for an hour or so.
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  4. #14
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Been trying to rationalise it, this morning.

    My nearfield speakers are open baffles which are known to have a very efficient transfer of energy to the air in the room. My seating position is not only close to the speakers (6ft) but also hard against a brick wall behind me. I am guessing that the speakers were able to pressurise that air space giving an effect not too dissimilar to the slight headache many people get prior to a thunderstorm. Not a situation many listeners will ever experience and I still cant really comprehend it.
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  5. #15
    Join Date: May 2018

    Location: Woking

    Posts: 803
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Thinking about it I suppose my position relative to the speakers would be described as "near-field."

    My listening room (loft) is probably 14ft long by 10ft wide on average. I say on average because it is not square and has some "nooks 'n' crannies" due to fire door regulations etc which actually gives it some character (also good holes for storing vinyl!).

    It also has shapes in it that naturally break up reflections which is handy.

    Due to a pitched roof at both ends I have to have my Quads 4ft into the room and maybe 6ft apart, I'm probably sitting about 6-8ft from them with some space behind me to another sloping roof.

    This also replicates the "headphone" effect which the Quads kind of do anyway so it is even more intense.

    I have some room treatment and also digital room correction to eliminate bass humps.

    The room is just completely full of sound and all of the descriptions of imaging, soundstage, timbre etc become unimportant because there is just pure layers of textured music present.

    I get utterly lost and spellbound by it, which to me is the whole point. I like to escape.

    Don't get me wrong, I've spent years listening to the nuances of the equipment to make sure it goes with my setup and I'd be a liar if I said I was done yet, but it would be difficult for me to imagine it being that much better (within reason, 10k on treatments in a custom room and another 50k thrown at the system would probably blow it away) but I'm fairly content where it is.

    Back on subject - I never have any speakers toed in that much (to the point of pointing directly at my ears). It just never sounds right to me, even if the manufacturer guidelines are to do this. I find with conventional speakers having the face of the drivers/tweeters firing about 1-2ft past my ears gives satisfactory results. With the Quads they are toed in much less and angled up slightly for a better high end response. If they are on the floor you lose a lot at both frequency extremes.

    Also never listen with your head flat to a rear wall, really messes everything up in my experience.

    Of course different speakers in different rooms may have profoundly different requirements to sound optimal. If you have the patience its best to try different configurations and see what you like. Others may not!

    Cheers

  6. #16
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Bishops Stortford

    Posts: 1,250
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Opti-cal View Post
    Thinking about it I suppose my position relative to the speakers would be described as "near-field."

    My listening room (loft) is probably 14ft long by 10ft wide on average. I say on average because it is not square and has some "nooks 'n' crannies" due to fire door regulations etc which actually gives it some character (also good holes for storing vinyl!).

    It also has shapes in it that naturally break up reflections which is handy.

    Due to a pitched roof at both ends I have to have my Quads 4ft into the room and maybe 6ft apart, I'm probably sitting about 6-8ft from them with some space behind me to another sloping roof.

    This also replicates the "headphone" effect which the Quads kind of do anyway so it is even more intense.

    I have some room treatment and also digital room correction to eliminate bass humps.

    The room is just completely full of sound and all of the descriptions of imaging, soundstage, timbre etc become unimportant because there is just pure layers of textured music present.

    I get utterly lost and spellbound by it, which to me is the whole point. I like to escape.

    Don't get me wrong, I've spent years listening to the nuances of the equipment to make sure it goes with my setup and I'd be a liar if I said I was done yet, but it would be difficult for me to imagine it being that much better (within reason, 10k on treatments in a custom room and another 50k thrown at the system would probably blow it away) but I'm fairly content where it is.

    Back on subject - I never have any speakers toed in that much (to the point of pointing directly at my ears). It just never sounds right to me, even if the manufacturer guidelines are to do this. I find with conventional speakers having the face of the drivers/tweeters firing about 1-2ft past my ears gives satisfactory results. With the Quads they are toed in much less and angled up slightly for a better high end response. If they are on the floor you lose a lot at both frequency extremes.

    Also never listen with your head flat to a rear wall, really messes everything up in my experience.

    Of course different speakers in different rooms may have profoundly different requirements to sound optimal. If you have the patience its best to try different configurations and see what you like. Others may not!

    Cheers
    Thanks Chris, interesting reading. My next project may be to try a bit of room treatment. I have been doing some reading previously and had focussed down to the wall space between the speakers to reduce reflective crosstalk between the open baffles, but now the wall that sits just 12" behind my head seems equally important. I have not yet quite grasped the differences between diffusers and absorbers.

    PS Chris. It would be good if you put your system in your signature.
    Source
    SW1X Universal Music Server UMS I Signature with Power Supply Unit PSU I Signature
    SW1X USB II
    SW1X DAC III Special
    Audiolab 6000 CDT transport
    Amps
    Pre amps -- Hi fi Collective twin mono ladder stepped attenuator, with Charcroft Z-foil and silver wired. And First Watt B1 active no gain buffer.
    Power amps -- Welborne 45 SET monoblocks 1.8W / Decware Taboo 6W / Elekit 300B TU-8600SVK plus further improved components 9W / ICE Power 1000W
    Speakers
    Highly modified Endorphin P17 open baffle speakers containing both vintage and modern alnico drivers and paper cones. All silver wired - 8" Cube Audio FC8 full range drivers and vintage 15" Altec VOTT 416 bass drivers. All sat on Townsend Audio Podium seismic isolation platforms.
    BK Electronics XLS400FF Sub.
    Cabling
    Silver mains cables, interconnects and speaker cables by SW1X
    Headphones
    HRT HeadStreamer and SennHeiser HD650 headphones

  7. #17
    Join Date: May 2018

    Location: Woking

    Posts: 803
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bumpy View Post
    PS Chris. It would be good if you put your system in your signature.
    Fair enough, I have actually been trying to construct a signature for a while but I don't seem to be able to fit it all in the way some users do! It's like they have special powers . . .

    Anyway, I'll have another go today.

    To answer your question I think absorbers (by their nature) absorb a percentage of the sound (maybe certain types absorb certain frequencies?).

    Diffusers are more likely to "spread" the sound over an area. Both probably having a similar effect though, the end result being you hear less of the reflection from the surface/area the diffusion/absorbtion material is covering.

    Again, both are likely to have pros and cons in different environments.

  8. #18
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

    Posts: 1,861
    I'm Dennis.

    Default

    ATM my position is one of not revelling in ecstasy, but of clinical analysis of sound, and it is not comfortable.
    I do notice that vocals are made horrible by my head being back against the sofa, in a pressure zone, so I think the behind the head boundary is very much to be considered.

  9. #19
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default

    Not everso sure of distances but I listen across the room so I'd say it is nearfield with the speaker axis being about eight feet away. I'm using Spendor S3/5R2's and find that the big thing I get is a massive stereo sound stage. Bass is never going to be accurate with such a setup but I get the best I can using a Yamaha sub. Vocals are stunning but I'm guessing that is due to the Spendors. Loving my current system, easily the best I have ever owned.

  10. #20
    Join Date: Jan 2019

    Location: Kent UK

    Posts: 409
    I'm Martin.

    Default Listening near field



    Jabra speak 710 , we use these at work for teleconferencing, like a 4 inch driver. Sound quality is very clear and you can sync 2 of them with blue tooth for stereo sound.

    Friday afternoons after 2pm ive been hooking 2 of these up to my laptop and streaming youtube from my desk in an office which is about 10 ft square. The stands angle the speaker excellently for sitting at a desk and hitting at head height.

    Annoyingly they seem to have to resync every-time I change track and they are limited by my laptop and being 4 inch drivers but the soundstage at my desk is incredible on a well produced track. Its all perfectly laid out right in front of you and gives a feeling of width greater than the room dimensions.

    At home i think I have a very good soundstage but im 15 ft from the speakers , being 2 ft from these things is freakily good at about half volume there is little detectable audible distortion. Would love to hear a proper hifi set up with something like these guys and a pi dac

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nTsW9CypDHs


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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