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Help Total Confusion

I just read where placing your equipment rack between your speakers is a no-no, collapsing sounstage, boomy bass, etc.

My problem is that I don't have a choice. So would it be better to buy a taller, thinner rack, creating more vertical space around my speakers, or a low slung, wider rack, creating more horizontal space around the speakers?

My speakers are monitors (Tyler Acoustic Linbrooks) and all my listening is near field, about 7 to 71/2 feet from listening chair. The speakers are 8 feet apart now and I detect a small hole in the center of the soundstage, so moving them closer an inch or two might be helpful.

I'm almost ready to buy a new rack, but none of the accesible stores will let me give the furniture a trial run, which I find curious because they'll all let me audition components in-home. Thanks so much in advance for your suggestions and comments fellow 'goners.

Dan
tbadder

Showing 1 response by plato

plato
1,543 posts
 
I have a wide low Plateau rack between my speakers and it works very well. My ESL panels extend up a lot higher than the rack, which probably helps, and I also use a room lens, but behind my rack instead of in front, which works great to focus the imaging and tighten the bass. (Those room lenses really can work wonders!)

One thing to consider for those who have the rack close to the front wall -- that's a location where the bass frequencies will be strong and can potentially induce mechanical feedback into your equipment. Moving the rack up a couple of feet from the wall will usually result in a lot less bass hitting the rack. If you have a turntable, this could be an important consideration...
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