Amp placement when switching from separates to integrated


Hello, all. I've long had my amp as the only piece of equipment on the same wall as my speakers, with long interconnects running to the preamp, which, with the rest of my gear, sits on a rack on one of the sidewalls. If I wanted to try out an integrated, is there nothing to be done besides repositioning the equipment rack between the loudspeakers?

If folks who've done this could weigh in, I'd really appreciate hearing how it worked out. Did it ruin your soundstage? And, yes, should it matter for your answers, I have a turntable, and use it often.

Thanks.

-- Howard

hodu

Showing 2 responses by helomech

Speaker cables need be kept short, even more so than interconnects. To experience this for yourself, buy some zip cord at the local hardware store. Try 8’ runs vs 16’ or more. 
A rack between the speakers isn’t too detrimental as long as it’s placed a good couple feet behind the plane of the baffles and an open-shelf design. If the integrated or other gear have large faceplates, sticking a few of those felt furniture feet on them can mitigate reflections. With enough care in setup, I’ve found that components can actually aid in diffraction. The long speaker cables that a bare/flat wall might necessitate are a bigger detriment to system resolution IME.