Tweeter height - how to compensate?

Something doesn't add up here: if you are of average height, sitting on a standard sofa and your ear is 6 to 8" below the tweeter, then either the designer of the speaker is somewhat detached from the real world or she intentionally put the tweeter above the average listener's ear. In the latter case, either
(a) the speaker design is botched, or
(b) your are sitting much closer to the speaker than it is designed for, or
(c) the effect you are hearing should not really be attributed to the relative tweeter height but to a system quality or synergy issue.

Not knowing anything about your system, I do not want to speculate. What makes me curious is that this thread started about the tweeter rather than an apparant roll off in the highs at your listening position. You should not be able to identify and locate individual drivers of a speaker unless you bring your ear next to the speaker's baffle. Of course, it is entirely sensible to suspect that high frequencies are emmitted by the tweeter ;)

Gabbro: Yes, the sofa is at or slightly above ear height (depends on how straight I sit).
So is this THE reason? Do you other guys agree/have you experienced this? Question I would ask then, is why did this not happen with the Maggies and the same sofa?
Sorry to make a big deal of this, but it really is quite annoying.
I will have to get that sofa out of there for a listening test. Must - do - when - wife - not - at - home.

Sean and Kck - I can't believe sound "drops down". Why would it be effected by gravity? (Did I spell that the right way)? I'll have to verify this when I get home.

By chance, is the back of the sofa at or perhaps slightly above ear height? Maybe the sofa is damping the sound just behind your head and thus you percieve the sound to be different 6" above the tweeter. Just a thought...

Agree with the "drops off" just based on observation. Six inches above the tweeter does not sound like six inches below!

The speakers are full-range 3-way floorstanders. They are aprx 9 feet apart and each is 11 feet from listening position. Enough room from the sides and rears.

I guess all I can do is raise the seat somehow.

Thanks.

Sound "falls off" or "drops down" as it travels further from the speaker. You are either sitting near-field with non near-field speakers or something is wrong with the installation. It is either that or you simply like a "hotter" high end than what the speakers are voiced to deliver. Sean
>

Invert the speaker and sit on the floor?

Why do you think 6-8" is such a huge issue?

How far away from the speakers do you sit?

If you like the sound while you're walking around you are well above 6-8" higher than the tweeter's axis unless your height seated is only 16" less than your height standing, which would make you about 4' tall...

So, something other than the negligible difference between the height of your tweeters and your ears when seated is going on.

system details would help, obviously. What speakers?

OK, will go to the Baby Superstore and see if they stock a booster in XXXXL. Kidding.
Yes, I can remove spikes, but that itself is a sonic compromise, yes? And that takes care of maybe an inch.

I will look for pillows, and try moving the speaks back a bit.

Thanks all. Welcome more suggestions if any.

Grow six inches...???

Remove the spikes if the speakers have any. Move them farther from the listening position to get the dispersion greater per Hpshps.

Something either has to go down or up here. I'm guessing the speakers are not moving down.

Good luck,
Marty

You did not describe what is wrong with the sound. It's just a rule of thumb that the tweeter should be at ear height but ultimately the distance from the speaker, the speakers dispersion characteristics and whether the speaker is used as the designer intented matters, too.

Try using a booster seat. The yellow pages work just fine.

Good luck.

I think you were on the right track tilting the speaker forward, a la WATT/Puppies. The breaking up of the soundstage could be due to increased floor reflections. Consider putting something on the floor to absorb reflections, like pillows, a stuffed ottoman, etc. Good luck.

Sit on a nice, big, over-stuffed pillow?

-RW-