Remember Lance? He who was having a hard time integrating his SP Tech 3's into his attic room? Well, he has definitely got his proverbial shit together now.
His listening room is about 14' wide and twice as long with a three panel ceiling. Along one wall are two large alcoves with windows. When he first had me over I had him pull his speakers out further from the wall behind them, move his rug nearer to his speakers, move his chair forward to approximate an equilateral triangle, and toe in his speaks more to his seat. Still, a vagueness to his stage persisted which I chalked up to the alcove along the wall. And there was a grey lifelessness to the sound he was getting, too, I thought. I didn't like it. Well, since then he has:
a) replaced his DAC with one from EMM Labs
b) replaced his speaker stands with more massive ones
c) moved his speakers a good deal more forward and ahead of
the first alcove, spread them further apart and
toed them in head on to his seat
d) tightened up his triangle
e) converted to a computer for his front end
and boom . . now his system and room are allowing his speakers to create the volume in all directions of a venue and paint images with 3D acuity/presence and much missing tonal color. That just wasn't happening before.
I attribute a good deal of this to his new speaker placement (obviously he has some other good things going on). I think that is mostly what is responsible for the new expansiveness behind his speakers. Russell Dawkins had recommended that Lance toe his speaks in to where the beams would cross just in front of him. Well, they look as tho beams are hitting him on the tip of his nose. It's working, believe that. Imagery is not vague in the least as it was previously. And something jumped out at me that wasn't apparent before, the linearity and cohesiveness to sounds thru the upper mid and lower treble range. The 3's crossover at 600Hz! The Mini's at 800, I believe. Reminded me of my crossoverless stats from yesteryear in that regard.
His system is making beautiful music with natural sounding detail these days- any that I heard to include some of my own albums- with more tangible imagery and expansive space. He believed in his speakers and persisted until he has hit nirvana. Good job, Lance, and that Horowitz CD sounds better on your system than it does on mine by a long shot.
Now I REALLY like the sound he is getting! Going back over next weekend with some real delicate and sumptuous stuff.
