Optimize Stereo Experience - NYC Studio

Add a turntable.

And pull those speakers further out and away from the side walls.

Thanks - turntable for audio quality from vinyl? I'm low on space but let me look into it. Definitely a much richer listening experience overall, but trying to figure out how much it'll add to sound quality.

Will pull speakers away and re-calibrate DIRAC. 

I would add a subwoofer for some depth and warmth

Thanks - re subwoofer, I actually have to tune down the bass on these speakers given the condo situation (neighbors + thin walls). I found the bass on these R900s plenty deep + tight for me (love bass btw)

Hey.

First, consider Roon.  It has Tidal but not Amazon music support.

Next, you really need room acoustics!! Do that first.  When you have gotten some panels, rerun your Dirac calibration.

https://www.atsacoustics.com/
https://www.gikacoustics.com/

Check out this video you’ll get the ability to have more bass in your music and be more neighbor friendly. This product will allow you to actually play the music a little louder without bothering your neighbors.

Pull the speakers out as has been suggested. Set your AVR to flat response and then play with speaker position for best sound stage and bass response. Add room correction if you must but it usually just messes things up (not a big fan of it unless done manually with full control). 

Maybe have a critical listening position and a non critical listening position.  Optimize each one. You can get sliders to slide them back and forth with no damage to anything. You could pull them out when critical listening and put them back when not.

Oops, forgot the video

 https://youtu.be/dW9-r83IvhI

Thanks - this looks pretty solid (the podium) but too clunky for my small space unfortunately. 

I'll try the roon + tidal combo to see if there's any improvement in SQ for the same tracks.

Greetings fellow NYCer! I have spent most of the past 15 years trying the best I can to optimize my listening situations in various small apartments, so I know what you’re going through. I actually installed a murphy bed in the 2nd bedroom of my current apartment just so I could have it double as a listening room. The things we do for audio!

I know you ruled out changing the configuration of your space, but looking at your picture the first thought I had was: why not mount the TV on the wall, get a narrower media console, and consolidate the two speakers together in that space to the left? They would be a bit close together, but if you set up some seating there, you could have a nice little nearfield situation.

I’m not sure exactly what you like or don’t like about the sound you have now, but moving forward you could consider getting an outboard DAC, and maybe think about separate preamp and power amp components. Tubes, if you fancy the sound signature they offer and want to have some fun - in a space like that, you probably aren’t listening super loud, and at 90db the KEFs are fairly sensitive - so you can probably have a lot of fun with a modestly powered tube amp.

Again, not sure what your preferences are vis-a-vis hifi 2 channel listening versus home theater, so I’m just spitballing here.

Good luck with it!

You can't bring the left speaker forward, and move the right one to the left? Townshend Podiums are no bigger than whatever is under them now. Any sort of springs will both improve imaging and reduce sound going into the floor and bothering neighbors. But nothing really will give you stereo other than moving to where everything is somehow equidistant and symmetrical. Not with the room just with you and the speakers. That one requirement is what we call non-negotiable.

Your problem is not being equidistant its always going to sound like 2 speakers instead of a sound stage. Adding a center channel will only prove the fallacy of HT, because you will still not be equidistant so no sound field only now it will be coming from three instead of just two. And the HT processor needed to do this will only ruin stereo. HT is what we call a lose-lose proposition.

+1 on the DAC — great gear is available for $500 to $2000, and the electronics have made huge improvements in recent years. New or used (as long as it’s 2015 forward) it’s hard to imagine you’ll find better bang for the buck. 

I second zm's suggestion (smaller console, right speaker brought closer to the left) and it may be acceptable even without focus on nearfield. It will still have some shortcomings (wall next to the right speaker). Otherwise, room treatments may be your best bet. If nothing else, more carpeted surface. Your neighbors will thank you, too (somewhere in the contract, it likely says that you have to cover 75% of the floor surface anyway).

There was an interesting post hear a couple of days ago about corner speaker placement. I believe that speaker placement is a huge part of the battle. What will work best in your room can only be discovered with  experimentation. 
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-s-the-benefit-of-placing-speakers-like-this-diagonally-a...

If within your budget, CS2 and LS footers from critical mass systems will change your life.

Also agree with the equidistant rule.

A NYC studio...well, at least it's bigger than a walk-in closet....;)

Decouple from the floor, yes.  Older spaces (wood framing) infamous, newer with a concrete/steel framing and thin walls a close 2nd.
Yours appears newer...

'Closer together' ain't going to yield much, the Dirac is going to 'steer left' to compensate imho.  An apparently 'open-ish' space on left vs. 'tight corner' on right almost demands a version of acoustic treats.  1st go suggestion would be small and portable...what's the difference btwn L & R separately with pink noise (and perhaps a tone sweep)?

MOR architecture is the bane of audio....I've dealt with those devils, best always comes down to the best 'average that works, +/-...'

But have fun in the chase, always a great reason to play with the stack. ;)

BTW....@ kmalhotra....welcome to the show that never ends...;)

I appreciate your approach to the minimalist system with the PC....*s*

A center channel definitely helps for dialogue, that is where it lives. I ended up with a Sierra 2 with a Raal there. Controlling the level quickly is a plus, up for video down for surround music.

I live in NYC and here are some thoughts to consider. 
1) I put my speakers much closer to my seat, about 8 feet from the center of my seat to tweeter. The closer you are to the speaker, the potentially less room interaction. 
2) You don’t have to use the wall as your boundary to define a living space. For example, there are interior design ideas where a large area rug to define a living room. The couch, coffee table, media console and speakers are placed within the boundaries set by the rug. I mention this because I don’t think your speakers have to be next to a wall for it to look right.