Inner Sound Eros Experiences

Interesting dialogue on the subject of the sweet spot above. As a long-time amateur speaker builder turned dealer, I'd like to offer my $.02 on why the sound outside the sweet spot matters. The ears derive timbre not only from the first-arrival sound, but also from reflections arriving within the first 13 milliseconds. This includes many, many reflections off room surfaces. When the tonal balance of the reverberant field is significantly different from the first-arrrival sound, the ear/brain system has to work harder to integrate the two (your ears expect the reflections to sound like the direct sound with the room superimposed on top). Because of their directional characteristics, very few loudspeakers generate a reverberant field that has the same tonal balance as the on-axis sound. The way to check the reverberant field is this: Turn the volume up a bit louder than normal and walk into the next room, leaving the door open. There, all you can possibly hear is the reverberant field. If it sounds convincingly like live music, then that speaker has a very good reverberant field response, which is a significant contributor to long-term listening enjoyment.

You calling me a LIAR?? Well, if you are, I say it takes one to know one! ;-)

Seriously, thanks for your kind words, Jim. And you too, 90493m.

Another test I find useful in predicting long-term listening enjoyment is to turn the volume way down, all the way to the threshold of audibility. At low volumes the ears are most sensitive in the midrange, so this technique can spotlight midrange peaks or anomalies that are often overlooked at higher volumes, but which subtly contribute to listening fatigue. If the sound is still enjoyable at ultra low volumes, then that's another indication (but not guarantee) that the speakers will sound good long-term.