Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room

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stump4545

I have a chance to setup my Daedalus/Modwirght rig with the Audio Rack in the center of room between speakers or off to the right side of room.

between speakers will only have my TV mounted to the wall.

Any advantages to having audio rack on the side wall of room rather then the middle between speakers?

Happy New Year.

Early B.

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #1 on: 29 Dec 2015, 11:37 pm »
I have my audio rack on one side of the room due to room limitations. If given the option, I'd put a low audio rack in the middle of the speakers to alleviate the need for a long speaker run on one side.   

stump4545

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #2 on: 29 Dec 2015, 11:44 pm »
Is it bad to have (1) speaker wire 20ft long and the other only (12) feet long due to rack being on side wall?

Are there any advantages to having rack on side wall rather then in the middle of speakers?

Folsom

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #3 on: 29 Dec 2015, 11:44 pm »
If you don't mind the $ for the cables it's no big deal. Depending on the room, I've had a lovel seat between the speakers. It made the room double as a living room without compromise in my situation. 

dminches

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #4 on: 29 Dec 2015, 11:45 pm »
I wouldn't put the audio rack in the middle if I had a turntable on it.

You speaker wires and interconnects should be the same length for the left and right runs.

vinyl_lady

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #5 on: 30 Dec 2015, 12:28 am »
Unless you have a very low rack, I think it is always better to have the rack to the side. I have found that a 3 to 5 foot tall rack between the speakers interferes with the ability to get the best sound stage. When I had Rives Audio design an acoustic treatment package for my listening room the first thing they recommended was that I move my equipment rack to the side. I have two racks about 24" wide and 48" tall. The only thing I have between my Daedalus Speakers is my 65" plasma TV mounted on the wall about 4.5 feet behind the speakers which I cover with an afghan when I am just listening to music. It dampens the hard reflective surface of the TV, deepens the soundstage and provides a more pleasant listening experience.


 

vinyl_lady

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #6 on: 30 Dec 2015, 12:32 am »
Is it bad to have (1) speaker wire 20ft long and the other only (12) feet long due to rack being on side wall?

IMO, No. I have a 23' run to my left speaker and a 16' run to my right speaker. I checked with Lou first. I also think it is better to have longer speaker wires than long interconnects, especially if using RCA plugs.

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Are there any advantages to having rack on side wall rather then in the middle of speakers?

See my post above

gregfisk

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Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #7 on: 30 Dec 2015, 02:02 am »
I had a flat screen TV on a stand in between my speakers for several years, then I moved the rack to the left side of my room by my listening couch and there is no going back. The sound stage in the middle behind the speakers is much better and the sound floats around back there so much better. Regarding the speaker wire, if you're worried about the lengths being different just make them both the longest length and coil one of them up. Personally I doubt it matters but have never tried to hear a difference.

Another example a bit more extreme is at my beach house. I have a small dinner table in between my speakers which are pulled out 3 feet into the room. I have no center sound stage to speak of but you can definitely here that it plays in stereo :lol:

cheech

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #8 on: 30 Dec 2015, 02:28 am »
I have different speaker cable lengths and don't find any issues.

abernardi

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #9 on: 30 Dec 2015, 04:59 am »
I've heard the big screen in the middle can be a problem.  I have a 65" over the fireplace with the speakers on either side about 3' into the room, but I think it probably is causing a problem.  Even though not much energy is directed behind the speakers, I've never achieved a good sense of 3D with this set up.  I suspect there's just enough reflection to collapse the illusion.  If I could change it I would try.  Any opinions on that?

Early B.

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #10 on: 30 Dec 2015, 05:08 am »
I've heard the big screen in the middle can be a problem.  I have a 65" over the fireplace with the speakers on either side about 3' into the room, but I think it probably is causing a problem.  Even though not much energy is directed behind the speakers, I've never achieved a good sense of 3D with this set up.  I suspect there's just enough reflection to collapse the illusion.  If I could change it I would try.  Any opinions on that?

I have a similar setup -- a 65" TV in between, but behind open baffle speakers, so plenty of energy is directed behind the speakers. I placed a comforter over the TV and didn't notice any difference in sound, so I don't think about it anymore.
 

audiotom

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Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #11 on: 4 Jan 2016, 03:30 am »
I have my system between me soeakers
A very heavy Galibier Gavia table
Open rack - Lots of air space between the rack and components

The rack back 3 inches from the speakers
Equal length 10 ft Daedalus Wywired speaker cables






Rocket_Ronny

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Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #12 on: 4 Jan 2016, 04:16 am »
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Unless you have a very low rack, I think it is always better to have the rack to the side.

Absolutely. Having it in between the speakers, unless very low, will create all sorts of reflections thus killing imaging. Keep the gear below the height of the midrange drivers if going in between the speakers.


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Is it bad to have (1) speaker wire 20ft long and the other only (12) feet long due to rack being on side wall?

Why would you do that? Just run them both at 20'. I run 25' foot lengths, have done so forever.


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I also think it is better to have longer speaker wires than long interconnects, especially if using RCA plugs.

Boy, The Vinyl Lady nails it again, Respect.


Rocket_Knows What He Is Talking About_Ronny                      In my most humble opinion.

gregfisk

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Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #13 on: 4 Jan 2016, 05:00 am »
I have my system between me speakers
A very heavy Galibier Gavia table
Open rack - Lots of air space between the rack and components

The rack back 3 inches from the speakers
Equal length 10 ft Daedalus Wywired speaker cables





This is the same idea as my beach house with the small dining table between my speakers. It seriously compromises the sound stage and doesn't allow for the illusion of the center stage with all of the instruments and vocals floating in their respected areas. I think you are seriously compromising the imaging your speakers and system are capable of.

Rocket Ronny made the same point I did earlier, just make both speaker wires the same length if you are worried about them being different. I personally can't hear a difference either way but I do order both cables the same length.

Greg

brooklyn

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #14 on: 4 Jan 2016, 05:37 am »
I have my audio rack on the side wall with excellent results. I also believe having different length speaker cables
shouldn’t make any difference. However, I bought 20 foot pair of Audioquest speaker cables to use and left them
the same length in my system and they work fine. I just couldn’t see cutting one down..

audiotom

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Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #15 on: 4 Jan 2016, 06:17 am »
This is the same idea as my beach house with the small dining table between my speakers. It seriously compromises the sound stage and doesn't allow for the illusion of the center stage with all of the instruments and vocals floating in their respected areas. I think you are seriously compromising the imaging your speakers and system are capable of.

Rocket Ronny made the same point I did earlier, just make both speaker wires the same length if you are worried about them being different. I personally can't hear a difference either way but I do order both cables the same length.

Greg

Greg,

In theory perhaps, not in a well treated room if the drivers are in front of the rack

If you don't have a properly treated section behind the listener, by all means get the rack off to the side

You or anyone else are more than welcome to visit me if you are in New Orleans and hear the holographic imaging, soundstage depth, etc

Done right it works

« Last Edit: 6 Jan 2016, 05:53 am by audiotom »

Lissnr

Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #16 on: 4 Jan 2016, 08:22 am »
Nothing between speakers will be the best sound your system can make. That doesn't mean you can't get very good sound/ imaging with low height/ open style equipment to varying degrees but virtually anything occupying the center imaging location is definitely compromising the center imaging ability unless you are purposely choosing room treatments such as tube traps, etc. .
 Leave racks away to sides or preferably back / even with listening chair ( or behind it), on sidewalls running long I/ C's. Once you hear your system portraying your performers in open space between your speakers you'll consider it sacred ground and never place anything there again.
 Flat panel tv's should ( as above) be covered with non reflective fabrics or perhaps diffusive surfaces such as skyline diffusors ( or a host of other treatments). Best is to go with a room projection screen that can be retracted up into the ceiling... No, if you're a home theatre priority guy where audio is less priority than picture quality then a fixed projection screen will technically be better than a " roll down" style but if audio is first priority then nothing between speakers ( again, except for specific room treatments purposely chosen for that area) should be between speakers. Period.
  YM will NOT vary very much. Happy lissn'n.

JLM

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Re: Audio Rack between speakers or off to one side of Room
« Reply #17 on: 4 Jan 2016, 12:24 pm »
I have my simple setup (DAC/preamp/DSP and two mono-blocks) on a single shelf that is spiked to the floor between the speakers and about 4 feet from the front wall.  Bass pressures build up along surfaces, but especially in the intersection of walls or walls/floor, so best to avoid.  This setup also allows for short and equal length cabling. 

Previously used a very small rack along center of front wall, but soundstage has improved with this new setup.

Note that I listen with single driver speakers near-field, have a well proportioned room (8 ft x 13 ft x 21 ft), use six GIK 244 panels at front/side wall first reflection points/front corners, and EQ below 250 Hz.