[robinje]

I currently sit with my ears about 8.5 feet from the front panels of my current speakers.  I'm in a small room, so any more distance than this may not be optimal (i.e. speakers or me positioned too close to walls).  Is this enough distance for proper driver integration of the SongTower RT speakers?  My 2-way Harbeths seem pretty well integrated at this distance.  Would a different model, such as the Veracity QW integrate better at a relatively close listening distance such as mine, or would the SongTower RT's be fine? 

Thanks...  Jim

[ArthurDent]

Jim-

You'll probably need to await input/feedback from either Nuance or Mr. Frank VA on this one as I believe they are the only ones with the RTs currently in-house. My stock STs work fine at that listening distance, and room is funky config as well. Have had a couple of folks by for auditions, and in spite of the room config their feedback was positive.

Am awaiting arrival of a friend's QWs, probably another month out. While our houses/rooms are significantly different (he has a log home), our systems are almost identical AVA equipment, so should make for a pretty good A/B. I can confirm from my experience that the qwt technology handles weird room geometry very well. Speakers are roughly 8' apart, 26" wall behind to back, and maybe -10" center to side walls.

You might also keep an eye on this thread on avs as it appears Jim may be setting up an A/B/C including the ST RTs. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=939744

Don't see anyway you can go wrong with either, simply what tickles your fancy. Good luck 

[fluke242]

Hi Jim,

Aside from your distance from the speakers what other measurements can you share - like distance between speakers and back wall, etc?

I am listening to my HT2's even closer, nearfield, about 7' away and the speakers are almost 7' apart and 3' from the back wall.   3 degree toe-in at most.

Cardas has a lot on speaker placement and I found it is a great starting off point - Golden Ratios, etc.

www.cardas.com/content.php?area=faqs&content_id=7&pagestring=Listening+Room+Design

My only problem with nearfield listening on an MTM design is the tweeter can be too low (not sure how tall the SongTowers are).  I originally increased the rise on my HT2's an inch but am thinking of leveling off the speakers and raising them 6" instead of aiming the sound up at all.  Just my findings so far.

Best of luck!

fluke

[zybar]

That distance won't cause any issues or problems.

BTW, 8.5 feet isn't really that close.

George

[Nuance]

That distance won't cause any issues or problems.

BTW, 8.5 feet isn't really that close.

George

I agree on both points. 

I do have the SongTower RT's and I've tried them "nearfield" at about 7 feet away and at my normal distance of about 11 feet.  In both cases the speakers sounded great, perhaps even better listening at nearfield (that could have to do with my room setup, though). 

As long as your ears are around the same height as the tweets and you aren't ridiculously close you should be good to go.

[AliG]

No! Based on all the detailed geometry calculation by world-renown experts, your ears have to be exactly 12ft from the tweeter and any other distance means your setup is hugely compromised and you might as well just listen to Bose!  So do you trust your ears more than experts' views????!

[robinje]

No! Based on all the detailed geometry calculation by world-renown experts, your ears have to be exactly 12ft from the tweeter and any other distance means your setup is hugely compromised and you might as well just listen to Bose!  So do you trust your ears more than experts' views????!

Huh?

[Nuance]

No! Based on all the detailed geometry calculation by world-renown experts, your ears have to be exactly 12ft from the tweeter and any other distance means your setup is hugely compromised and you might as well just listen to Bose!  So do you trust your ears more than experts' views????!

Yes, I do trust my ears more than "experts," because my ears are my experts.   

[DMurphy]

Huh?

I, uh, think he was kidding.   In any event, the Song Towers won't sound exactly the same at 8 ft as at 12 feet, since the relative difference in the arrival times of the woofers and tweeter will get smaller and smaller as you back up, and that will change the phase relationships.  And the woofer response will be slightly more on-axis.  That's just due to Euclid and his plane geometry.  Remember Euclid?  But the difference will be really slight.  As in trivial.  Working in the opposite (and still not very important) direction, my personal experience is that the advantage of ribbons over domes is more apparent the closer you listen.  All of which is to say, don't sweat 8 ft vs. 12 feet.  It isn't even clear which will sound better. 

[Nuance]

^  Guess that explains why they sounded a little better nearfield.  But again, the room could play a role here. 

Good explanation, Dennis.