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How important is the speaker/room interface?

In my years in this hobby, I've come to believe the speaker/room interface is one of the most important elements we face in building a satisfying audio system. And while it seems there is a growing realization of this point (emphasis on speaker placement and room design), I don't believe it yet receives the attention it deserves. For example, some folks who have never addressed the sonics of their listening rooms may spend weeks and significant money trying out different wires when a different speaker system and/or room treatments could provide far greater sonic improvements.

I have three friends who have the same make/model speaker as I own. I've listened to each of them with the same or similar amps, yet the sonic results are significantly different. The primary difference is the rooms -- volume, shape, construction, decoration, etc. So while I've made adjustments in my own speaker/room to improve it to a reasonable extent, I know my speakers could sound better in a more optimized room based on this experience. No change of sources, electronics, wires, tweaks, etc. could effect as much difference.

I'm thinking about this now since I just read the HFN history in "Sound Bites" by Kessler and Harris. In a 1994 interview by Ken Kessler with Peter Walker, Walker is ask what he believes still needs to be addressed in audio. His first response is the relationship of the speaker and room.

So, any thoughts as to why the speaker/room interface is not more universally considered the top priority in building a system?
pryso

Showing 6 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,638 posts
 
Definitely low WAF having to clean or dust all those nooks and crannies.

I guess in my dreamworld that this could only occur in, I'd hire somebody to take of that aspect of it!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,638 posts
 
Shadorne,

I want that studio for my listening room !

I'll have to check out a few CDs recorded in Blackbird studios!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,638 posts
 
Yes, the room is perhaps the biggest factor, along with your ears/hearing (which biases your listening experience but you have no real control over this part) and relative listening position. If you take the room and relative listening position into consideration before going full hog on buying the best or most expensive equipment, you will zero in on highly satisfying results without having to break the bank. Then, you can tweak to your hearts content with the equipment that floats your boat from there.

Take a rock group, jazz ensemble, chamber orchestra symphony orchestra or soloist and put them in three separate concert hall venues and each will sound different. Or, sit in three different locations during the same performance within the finest venue and each location will sound different.

Why would anyone expect this to be any different with a home sound system?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,638 posts
 
I forgot to mention speaker placement within a room as another key factor for optimizing sound in any particular room.

I tend to like point source speakers in moderate sized to somewhat larger rooms several feet away from rear or side walls best. I feel that something resembling this configuration is most commonly the most cost effective way to achieve outstanding results.

Line source designs or those closer to line source than point source can work well but these tend to be more expensive and also typically require larger rooms for good results.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,638 posts
 
"So, any thoughts as to why the speaker/room interface is not more universally considered the top priority in building a system?"

That's an easy one: because you can't sell people the latest and greatest "speaker/room interface". The basics laws of physics don't change. The best speaker placement in a room today is most likely the same one that existed 30 years ago.

It's a lot easier to make money selling the latest and greatest design or component innovation.

Unfortunately, like most things these days, its all about the $$$$$$s, baby!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,638 posts
 
Kudos to Sumiko for providing a (standard) process/service for speaker placement. I'd be curious to hear how well it works when people try it.

Don't many speaker manufacturers provide directions for optimal placement in their manuals? For example, I recall when I owned a pair of Maggies that the manual went into great detail regarding optimal placement that worked very well. The only problem with those speakers was that achieving the optimal placement was not always very practical in my rooms, particularly from a WAF perspective. I marked the optimal location, picked the speakers up and moved them there when I could so the Maggies could sing. The problem of course was that when I did not place them optimally for whatever reason, the results were limited compared to the optimum, which bothered me as it would I expect any true audio affectionado.

Those of us fortunate enough to have a good sized dedicated listening room to do what is needed without constraint are very lucky audiophiles indeed. I have such a room, but it is only 12X12 (yes square!). It is cozy and things sound very good given the size, but is no substitute for a larger room to really let things sing. I have a larger room that I believe I've optimized speaker/room interactions in pretty well, but I must share it with the family, so it is not always available when desired.

Can't have everything, I guess!
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