you likely won't get those klipsch to image like a small monitor. one of the many speaker trade-offs
Trying to get Sound Stage with Klipsch Tower Speakers
I have Klipsch RP-8000F speakers and do not get decent soundstage. The vocals seem well-located between the speakers. I have paired subwoofers for bass, and therefore no problem. Piano, violin, brass seem to emanate from either the right or left speaker. I've tried toe-in and varying speaker position without success. In my other system I use KEF LS50 Meta's and the superiority of soundstage is stunning. I would appreciate all helpful suggestions.
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Read a few reviews and I'm seeing a trend towards home theater and live performances. Here's a lengthy review: https://everydayaudiophile.com/the-power-of-kids-and-a-review-of-the-klipsch-rp-8000f/ and here is a quote from it: "Soundstage? This is where the klipsch speakers really started to fall apart for me. Try as I might, I could not get a soundstage that was well defined. Instruments and voices were always hard to pinpoint their location – instead it was like looking through a foggy window. I could definitely tell that the singer was walking across the stage, but my eyesight was blurry and I couldn’t tell you exactly where they were." |
Klipsch’s Tractrix® horn features a circular throat around an advanced titanium diaphragm tweeter that transitions into a square 90º x 90º mouth. This unique shape provides a cleaner, more efficient transition of sound waves into your listening space. The result is a wide listening "sweet spot" with precise placement of instruments and vocals. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The way it is made, a wave guide is all you can do. That throat is the first reflective surface of the wave. Foam on both sides of the throat, left and right, start at the outside and move in, adding strips. 1" tall 1" wide. When you get close go to 1/2" wide strips, to fine tune it.. Remember not to dense a foam, you can tinker with that too... Position will REALLY make a difference then.. Toe in or out. and vertical, camber/caster... I suppose you could pin point it more so with vertical top and bottom foams.. Highs might get a little hot though. Tone control is an option. TURN down the bass while doing this... that throat is a collector of distortion TOO. the foam will help there too. It acts like a weir, or a phase plug in the sub/bass and bass coming back into the throat off axis, more so. After the tweak, add the sub/bass back in.. Yup.. I’d give that a shot, cost... mmmmm 2 dollars. I call that a stocking stuffer or toilet paper... your call. :-) Regards |
How are both the speakers placed? identical corners and same toe in and distance from walls? I find that pointing Klipsch speakers to a point behind where I am sitting yields the best definition. Do you have a DB meter to measure actual output? When dialing systems in it always seems a bit surprising to me how the sound stage can be off whack when HF has too much overall gain or too much in one channel. There is another method that can carry over to any speaker you will ever own in the future. Get a UMike and download Room Equalizer Wizard (REW). For under $100 dollars (assuming you have a laptop to load REW on) you get a free software program and a calibrated measuring mike and once you learn to use it you never have to guess again. All you might need for your system is to measure what you have in your room and get a basic EQ with gain settings. Tame the offending frequencies or balance the output and that might be all you need. You can tinker with this and that and a gazzilion "remedies" but why not take a deep breath and learn to just measure WHAT the problem really is and then fix that. If your HF is too high in output you can balance this with an L-Pad which will not effect fidelity. It’s not rocket science but it is analytical tools and remedies based on those that will give much better results than the 100 try this and try that stuff offered up here so often. Did you listen to these speakers somewhere in a similar environment to yours before purchasing or get them based on a review? |
I’ve used several models of Klipsch speakers -but not your specific units. I’ve found that some image best with extreme toe in. Others sound best with none. I assume you’ve tried it with no toe in. Try the extreme toe in. Point the left speaker at your right shoulder. Reversed for the other side. This makes the horns sound field cross well in front of you. It should image better in this configuration than any lesser toe in. Also getting them 3 feet or so from the back wall helps. I hope that gets you what you’re after. |
That little quote at the top, is from Klipsch spec sheet... LOL They are made to be that way.... You have to change the throat, takes a whole 5 minutes, cost 2 dollars... 40 or so pairs of horn enclosures, I’ve MADE through the years. YUP first BBQ... Narrow the throat... Tape cardboard in there.. get the shape, paint it black. BE HAPPY... Stocking stuffers after Christmas.. :-) Time to feed the chickens.. Regards |
