[ctviggen]

I know that the instructions with the RM40s say to cross over the speakers 1-2 feet in front of you.  I've done a minor amount of testing, and this does seem to help.  However, I have a RPTV in between my two speakers.  Does major toe in work because the sound is reflecting off the RPTV (last night, for instance, it sounded as if the singer was coming out of the center channel on top of my RPTV, but I know it's not on).  So, is less toe in better for those of us with RPTVs?  (I haven't had time to sit and test between less toe in and more toe in for any length of time, although a few quick tests seem to indicate more toe in as being better.)

[meilankev]

Bob,

I don't have an RPTV (or anything else) between my RM40s.  However, even if I did, I don't know that my experiences (nor anyone else's) will neccesarily apply to your "unique" room situation.

My advice is to "trust your ears", and through trial-and-error, find the setup you find most pleasing.  Trust me, my speakers are not set up the way common wisdom advises (amount of putty removed, potentiometer settings, location and firing angle, etc).  However, they are absolutely set up to perform their best in my room - to my ears anyway.  But remember, in my room, the only "ears" that matter belong to me.

Good luck in your endeavors.

Kevin

[zybar]

Bob,

I don't have an RPTV (or anything else) between my RM40s.  However, even if I did, I don't know that my experiences (nor anyone else's) will neccesarily apply to your "unique" room situation.

My advice is to "trust your ears", and through trial-and-error, find the setup you find most pleasing.  Trust me, my speakers are not set up the way common wisdom advises (amount of putty removed, potentiometer settings, location and firing angle, etc).  However, they are absolutely set up to perform their b ...

You beat me to it Kevin.  At the end of the day, try all scenarios and pick which sounds best to you.

Bob, I will try and come up in October (after RMAF) and help out.  Isn't Roop supposed to come up and help at the start of October?

George

[ctviggen]

Thanks, George and Kevin.  Unfortunately, I think it's easier to do this kind of stuff with someone, and I haven't had anyone who could move the speakers in or out (or increase/decrease toe in).  Roop is to come out, but I'm not sure when.  It's beneficial to wait, I think, as the speakers sound a bit better now than when new (unless this is just my imagination -- though I have player around with positioning a bit).  George, I'll be taking vacation at the beginning of October, but I'm not going anywhere.  So any of those weekends would be good.

[jgubman]

Try throwing a heavily stuffed comforter over the RPTV. I have a RPTV btwn my RM-40s and have done a lot of experimenting w/ placement and toe-in. I've found that they sound much, much better further apart and toe'd in to cross 2-feet in front of my listening chair.

As everyone else says, though, it's what sounds best to you.

[rblnr]

I have a 55" RPTV between my 40's, w/an LRC on top of it wedged to angle down toward my listening position.  I wound up going w/the 40s toed in; I've also put some acoustic foam on either side of the RPTV.  I covered it w/gray cloth so it isn't obvious -- this helped a bit.  Obviously there is nothing to be done about the screen, except to recess it back as far as possible.

How close are your sidewalls?  My understanding is that much of the rationale for toeing in is to get rid of sidewall reflections, so as to increase the percentage of direct vs. reflecting sound received at the listening position.  If your sidewalls are far away, your best balance w/the goal of eliminating reflections might occur w/less of a toe-in.  As everyone suggests, you have to experiment.

My sidewalls are unfortunately close, as is my front wall -- acoustic panelling with basstraps in the corners has helped tremendously.  Another problem I've found w/RPTVs close to big speakers like the 40s is that the panels can pick up bass resonance at higher volumes.  Probably not much to be done about this; I'm not about to soundcoat my Mitsubishi.

[shokunin]

A tweak that might help is John Casler's acoustic foam flanking the neo-panels.  Zybar has a good picture in his gallery with his 40's and the foam.  This might help absorb some of the inital reflections coming off the RM40's cabinet and help minimize the amount of reflections that hit the RPTV.

[John Casler]

Ah yes, the good old "lapels"

What I find amusing about my tweak is that I decided to use it on the RM40 (and it can be used on the others) which already has a "limited dispersion" pattern.

Some might look at the implementation as meaning their is "too much" dispersion, but that is not the case.  The goal was to "even further" reduce side reflections and baffle reflection/gain from an already great driver in this respect.

There are "many" ways to reduce, absorb or block reflections.  Jon's suggestion about putting the quilt over your screen will certainly "open your eyes" when listening to 2 channel.

Placing or attaching sheet(s) of acoustic foam (min 3" thick preferably more) that stick out enough to block side dispersion to the screen or to the side wall, will also have a similar effect if using the RPTV for movies.

In fact this method is better than trying to place the foam at the point of first reflection on the side walls, since it blocks/absorbs before it even gets to the wall.

As far as the "toe in" and what is proper, and why.

Toe in (convergence) is to "focus" the two signals in a way that provides the greatest enhancement to the type of sound you like.

It accomplishes several things:

1) it places the converging signals to combine equal amounts of each to create a complete psychoacoustic soundstage and images
2) it reduces side wall reflections
3) it places the listener into the dispersive axis of the mid and hf drivers
4) it can also affect the width of the sweet spot

I personally like to be pretty much "exactly" on axis.  That will give you the most precise image, and HF information (which at my age you need).  It also will make for the "smallest but most detailed" sweet spot.

If you have a room with no side walls (at least 6-8 feet away) you can try converging the speakers 1-2 feet behind you.  If you have definate side walls, (normal room) then 1-2 feet in front of you will work best.

The 1-2 feet in front or behind convergence will "increase" the sweet spot, but reduce the palpable image outlines and depth slightly and is certainly suggested for HT use.

On axis might require reduction in the pots a couple ticks, where off axis might require boosting them slightly to taste.

Hope that helps.

[ctviggen]

Thanks, guys.  I've read about some of these tricks before.  I have about 3-4 feet from the speakers to the walls.  The speakers are separated by about 8 feet (the RPTV and matching stand are about 6.5 feet).  The RPTV and stand are pushed back as far as possible and the speakers are 1.5 feet (front of speaker) pulled out from the front of the RPTV and about 2.5 feet (back of speaker) from the wall.  I still have a lot of experimenting to do -- perhaps I'll have one position for stereo and another for movies when more than two people are watching (right now, the speakers are so toed in that someone sitting to the side might not get a good surround effect).