With all due respect to those here more knowledgeable than myself , I would not throw out that Rotel amp ! I have used
one for a few years and achieved some really wide and deep sound staging with sometimes spooky imaging ! I don't think that your amp is the culprit here .
I have also been in a square room and was unable to achieve any decent effects at all other than just left , right and
center .
While using the Rotel amp , I tried three different sources and they made the biggest difference for imaging . Of course if it isn't in the recording it won't come out !
From my experiences , I think that your small square room is causing the most problems .
I have also tried the diagonal speaker placement , while in a small 10'X11' room , mentioned above . While the tone was better it really didn't do much for imaging . The speakers aimed to the right , as mentioned above , does sound interesting though . I had never heard of that one .
I would definitely play around with the speakers in different locations and get the equipment away from them as well . While using the Rotel amp , I pulled the speakers out into the room more and away from the equipment that was between them . The soundstage increased emensily , now this was in a larger room at this time . But the Rotel amp was not limiting the sound stage or the imaging , it was the placement of things that did .
Depending on the source and the recording using my Rotel amp , I was able to place the band in my backyard and singer in my attic ! I could put the drums outside to the left in my lanai and Robert Plant behind my listening position ! This with a rather inexpensive Nad CD player and JM Lab speakers and a Rotel prepro .
Changing nothing else except the CD player changed the whole sound stage and imaging effects !
I have heard one of the respondents system , who contributed above . They did not have any better of a soundstage than I did in my small room and he demoed two different tube amps with different topologies .
Just my 2 cents worth based on my own experiences .
Good luck
one for a few years and achieved some really wide and deep sound staging with sometimes spooky imaging ! I don't think that your amp is the culprit here .
I have also been in a square room and was unable to achieve any decent effects at all other than just left , right and
center .
While using the Rotel amp , I tried three different sources and they made the biggest difference for imaging . Of course if it isn't in the recording it won't come out !
From my experiences , I think that your small square room is causing the most problems .
I have also tried the diagonal speaker placement , while in a small 10'X11' room , mentioned above . While the tone was better it really didn't do much for imaging . The speakers aimed to the right , as mentioned above , does sound interesting though . I had never heard of that one .
I would definitely play around with the speakers in different locations and get the equipment away from them as well . While using the Rotel amp , I pulled the speakers out into the room more and away from the equipment that was between them . The soundstage increased emensily , now this was in a larger room at this time . But the Rotel amp was not limiting the sound stage or the imaging , it was the placement of things that did .
Depending on the source and the recording using my Rotel amp , I was able to place the band in my backyard and singer in my attic ! I could put the drums outside to the left in my lanai and Robert Plant behind my listening position ! This with a rather inexpensive Nad CD player and JM Lab speakers and a Rotel prepro .
Changing nothing else except the CD player changed the whole sound stage and imaging effects !
I have heard one of the respondents system , who contributed above . They did not have any better of a soundstage than I did in my small room and he demoed two different tube amps with different topologies .
Just my 2 cents worth based on my own experiences .
Good luck