On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:51:41 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:

In article 49fc823e.1124263953@localhost, Don Pearce
wrote:
On Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:07:25 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:

Alas, the kind of imaging I'm referring to tends in my experience to
require very carefully symmetry in the listening layout, and speakers
like the Quads with a defined directional behaviour. Hence the need to
have a small sweet spot in a small room.

My finding on this is that the sweet spot can be enlarged usefully if
you stop worrying about symmetry, but instead concentrate on creating
diffuse reflections rather than specular ones, particularly from the
walls beside the speakers. With that taken care of, pointing the
speakers a little straighter into the room rather than crossing exactly
at the seating position can make them cover three seats with solid
imaging.

My experience with that is that it also 'blurs out' the images for specific
instruments/voices. So you end up moving towards the old 'Sonab' experience
where you got etherial noises from around you wherever you went. They
regarded that as 'stereo', but I don't.


That happens if you try to angle the speakers too far from crossing,
but if you just make it a few degree, so the beams hit the listening
position roughly midway between two listeners, all is well. You don't
get a huge sweet spot, but certainly three people on one settee is
quite possible.

And it is dead easy to realign them properly when you are listening
alone, of course.

d