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Is my room doomed? Pic

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4525445010_d045b8812d_b.jpg

For a discription of room dimensions and equipment you can click my system's page.

While the system is pretty new, I'm having a hard time getting it to sound anywhere as good as the dealer/distributor using very similar equipment (outside the preamp). Is it my room?

The center image is good but the soundstage height/depth is not what I know these speakers are capable of. The depth of the layers in the soundstage is also shallow. I have no sidewalls, and the speakers are firing into floor to ceiling windows (but I do draw the curtains).

Any suggestions? Pull the speakers out more? Toe in more?
enzo618
rrog
1,958 posts
 
It looks like a nice big room in the photo. I find it hard to believe you don't hear a huge difference when you close the drapes behind the sofa. If the drapes are made of light weight material you may want to find something heavier. Drapes can make good room treatment too and you can open and close them at will. The wall of windows is an obvious problem. The louder the volume the worse it gets.

I found a photo from CES 2008 showing Rockport speakers with woofers firing to the inside. I know it can be harder to get side firing woofers to work with your room.
http://blog.stereophile.com/ces2008/010908rock/
audiokinesis
2,724 posts
 
Perceptually, a sense of "envelopment" is heavily dependent on reflections coming from the sides. Since there are no sidewalls to speak of, these reflections would have to be synthesized and reproduced through small speakers (which need not begin to approach the Rockports in capability). In other words, this might be a case where it makes sense to consider a multichannel system. Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like some guidelines (don't worry I have no intention of selling you anything, but would rather not post my ideas on the subject here).

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
jeffjarvis
257 posts
 
I think your ears are way too close to the back wall/windows.
Move the sofa into the room a bit. Get your head at least a meter away or more from the windows. Put up wooden blinds and keep curtains closed.
Try a carpet.
Work on some acoustic treatment for the ceiling reflections.
Try moving the bass speakers inside.
Get your speakers and ears equal distance apart.
rtn1
535 posts
 
You have a lot of great suggestions to try. Cmalak's suggestion to email some pictures to Andy and talk to him by phone is a great idea. Seems like you need to definitively settle the issue of the side-firing woofers in that room before you start chasing your tail in an endless pursuit.

Here is the disturbing thing about tweaking. I have found that in a highly resolving system, the seemingly most inconsequential change can make or break the system. I have experienced this repeatedly. Even if you are 95% there, it is ALWAYS about that last 5%. Right now, I am almost afraid to make a change.
lasercd
50 posts
 
Enzo:

I'm waiting for the delivery of my own pair of Aquila. I noticed in photos of various systems on Audiogon that there is no consistent pattern as to how people set up their RT speakers with side firing woofers.

I asked Andy Payor about this and he said that the woofers should ALWAYS be facing towards one another.

I suspect this is your problem. Hopefully I'll be able to compare notes with you soon.

Ken Golden
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