Nearfield listening - once more

@o_holter  You cannot get big 3 way or 4 way speakers with multiple discreet drivers to sum and provide a coherent presentation at nearfield distances.

The ideal speaker for such an application is a 2 way single concentric driver ( tweeter and mid/bass driver --> point source).

Here are the best engineered candidates. If you are budget constrained, absolutely go with the Technics.

Technics SB-C600 (1100 per pair)

https://hifiheaven.net/product/technics-sb-c600-k-premium-bookshelf-speakers-black/

Mofi Sourcepoint 10 (3700 per pair)

https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/speakers/mobile-fidelity-source-point-10-bookshelf-speakers-pair/

I have a soundfield encompassing the listener position (3 feet) and 2 feet outside of the speakers with depth...

I used 100 bucks modified small active speakers ...Natural timbre and pin point imaging ..

But i modify the porthole design ...

On most speakers the porthole is not well design for esthetical and cost reason ...

The volume of the porthole must be tune , any speakers with a porthole is a Helmholtz resonators... In these resonators the ratio between the volume of the box the cross ratio of the neck dimensions is fundamental ...Most speakers designer generally did not invest invest in supplementary research cost to implement a complex porthole, especially extending outside of the wooden box...

And those designers who create an internal labyrinth for a well designed porthole ask for more than the cheap amount i paid for my 2 way speakers with a small inefficient tube as porthole... So well reviewed thy were my M-audio AV40 were disliked by me for 10 years BEFORE i redesigned the porthole ...

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/labyrinth-cabinets-are-they-good.2725345/

Then i recommend in near field a two way speakers with a rear porthole which you can simply redesigned using straws of different volume or lenght, inserted in one another and flexible ...

Doing this i goes from 85 Hertz to 50 hertz clear not boomy ...No need for a sub anymore ...

I also redesigned the wave guide tweeter form with cylinder of the right lenght   adjusted for my listening position ...

Absolutely transformative ...

But no audio company will sell these modified speakers  because it is too bizarre and unesthetical ...

i dont give a damn listening music quality soundfield and timbre  better than all headphones i ever own ( save the AKG K340 )..

Viva near listening at peanuts costs!

I suspect that there's some confusion over what the term Nearfield actually means.

Nearfield and Farfield are acoustic terms to describe the ratio of of direct vs reflected sound. If in the listening position you get more direct sound from the source than reflected sound from your environment (walls, floors, etc.) you're in the acoustic nearfield. If the opposite is true, you're in the acoustic farfield. In acoustics, there is no such thing as midfield.

If you're in an appropriately sized or damped space, you can still sit a great distance away from your speakers and be in the acoustic nearfield, vice versa.

As opposed to thinking about it in terms of of linear space or distance, I believe it's better to think of it in terms of arrival times. This is because whether or not your sitting near or farfield, both the direct and reflected sounds will ultimately reach your ears. The key difference is that your ear/brain knows to ignore late reflections that arrive after the initial source.

As for speaker manufacturers and the terminologies that they employ, it's pure marketing. Any speaker can be nearfield or farfield. None can be midfield.

Very important clarification for all here ... Thanks and welcome here by the way ...

Nearfield and Farfield are acoustic terms to describe the ratio of of direct vs reflected sound. If in the listening position you get more direct sound from the source than reflected sound from your environment (walls, floors, etc.) you’re in the acoustic nearfield.

It is why i always observed and mark in my posts that nearfield listening dont spare us of treating at least the acoustic corner or even the small room where we sit ... Because in nearfield or in farfield as well , what differ is the ratio of reflected waves versus the direct waves and the way the frontwave win over the reflected waves in some critical amount of time ...in the two cases there is reflected as direct waves anyway, but the way the brain/ears interpreted them is function of time and from the direction of the incoming  direct or reflected waves...

Reflections are not all bad by the way and i used them to create a three D holographic soundfield ...Timing is the key and the time  ratio between the source ( ceiling or wall or floor ) of the reflected waves versus the direct waves ... ...

The listener position head and ears is the primary factor analysing the timing ratio ...

Eagledriver, yeah it takes careful positioning through trial and error.  I've had best results with nearfield listening by positioning the speakers a few feet away from any walls (to minimize reflections), about 6 feet apart, sitting only about 1 or 2 feet away from them, tweeters at ear height and nearly pointing directly at my ears -- pointing just a little behind them.  The detail and clarity are almost like good headphones, but you also get the 3D soundfield of good speakers.  The instruments and vocals seem to be hanging in space out in front of you.  Optimal positioning and results I'm sure will vary depending on speakers and listener.