What affects front to back depth in room/ system?

A primary factor is how much space behind the speakers.

My current setup, wall behind, I get great imaging EXCEPT limited Depth

 

Prior Location, Long Space, Speakers 2/3’s out facing Living Area One End, Very Wide Archway Open to Dining Area Behind Speakers: MORE DEPTH.

However, the reverse existed regarding rear wall reflection timing..

Prior: Sofa against rear wall, quick rear wall reflections

Current: Open space Behind Listening Position, diminished volume of and increased time delay of rear reflections, improves precision of imaging.

And: Rear PORTS: Closed here, Open Prior (a bit of extended bass out of the 15" woofers) too close to rear wall now.

I was young, thinking too much, had Electrovoice Engineers help me with port design, never needed, waste of time.

My friend has my old JSE Model II’s, he loved them here when younger. He lives in a Firehouse he bought, they have PLENTY of space behind and to the side, he updated the crossovers, changed the tweeters from those nice but easily blown Dynaudio D21’s.

HOWEVER, like my prior location, his sofa is against the wall behind. I keep telling him, treat the wall behind, minimize the rear reflections. He mentioned he has a giant American Flag. I would glue a thick layer of old fashioned carpet underlayment on the wall behind the flag.

He thinks he may reverse everything in the big room, then he would have plenty space on sides, rear, and behind his listening position, that ought to be better than ever.

Maybe when setup, I’ll have him and a strong friend or two move my current speakers over there, hear them in that ’open’ setup for the first time, and he wants to compare these to the Model II’s.

Ability to Visualize is part of our experience, 2 channel system: all Imaging is Phantom in origin and that modified by the space.

You would think: ’How the hell does he have a dining room table in the middle of the listening area???? Keeps telling us his system has excellent imaging, WTF?

 

Close your eyes, tables out of your perception: everything comes from the un-obstructed L and R speakers, the Phantom Image is NOT coming from a center speaker: timing, volume differences, phase, whatever the engineers did, comes together as excellent or poor imaging.

This is why I often say: REMOTE BALANCE is a wonderful feature, a small tweak can bring the entire intended Imaging into Focus, not just the center singer, everything ’sharpens’.

It is/was much easier to perceive ’DEPTH’ in spaces with open space behind the speakers, and in fact that open space and resulting reflections/timing ... does help your brain Perceive Depth.

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Another Perception Aid is Knowing Where the various musicians are seated,

expecting violins left, bass right, Woodwinds Center l/r and f/b, Horns rear, Drums rear left

i.e. Knowing,, Expecting, Perceiving that imaging IF the engineers got it right.

standard Orchestra Arrangement:

 

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HUH?

I saw the Hot Sardines Live in Montclair, then I bought a double LP of Live Performances: One Toronto, the Other Joe’s Pub, NYC.

 

Joe’s Pub, Piano on the Left? Piano was right when I saw them live.

Everything was ’opposite’ to my former experience and expected perception. McIntosh Mode switch to the rescue: ’Stereo Reverse’, now that is ’right’, did someone involved make a l/r mistake?

Nope, as it happened, Donna was at the Joe’s Pub performance, and that smaller stage, the Piano was on the left.

OK, now, knowing that, and being familiar with Joe’s Pub, I listened in Stereo, not reversed.