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1723 S Directivity

Mike M.
Community Member

I recently received my 1723 S Monitors and am driving them with a Parasound Halo integrated amp. I listen to a mix of music types as well as watch movies through them. There is a lot to like about these speakers. However, there’s something I’ve been unable to sort out. Many instruments remain largely right at each speaker. I have toed them in so they crossed behind me, in front of me, and listened on-axis as well. Crossing just in front of me offers the best center fill, but anything not specifically mixed to the center is locked to either the right or left speaker. This remains no matter the source. I have had a lot of speakers through here over the years and have never experienced this issue. Most speakers put up a better soundstage in my room placing instruments across the entire soundstage including well to the outside. The 1723 S Monitors have a definite center, left speaker/right speaker soundstage.

 

All replies (8)

Mariusmssj
Hero

Just to check, you’re not getting the phantom center effect where the sound feels like coming from the middle and instead you are hearing left and right speakers individually?

Mike M.
Community Member

I am, though it’s a bit more diffuse than I’m accustomed to. What I’m noticing the most is when instruments that belong within the soundstage are presented as disjointed from the soundstage and anchored at the speaker. It’s an odd phenomenon I’m not describing well.

Lukas
Customer Support

Hi Mike,

Could you post a photo of your listening position and speaker placement?

 

Mike M.
Community Member

I should note here that I cross-posted this question in the Arendal Sound Exclusive Club on FB as it seemed more active at the time. Rather than repeat things said there I will quote the relevant comments.

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Brandon (Arendal): Try toe in that will shoot each respective driver by the outside of each ear. Are you using sealed or ported and how far away from front and side walls?

Me: There really isn’t a toe in position I haven’t tried. I started out with them ported for the first couple of days, but am now using them sealed for better integration with the sub. As for positioning, I do have some placement restrictions. The speakers are about 36-inches from the front wall and about 16-inches from the side walls. This is roughly where every speaker that has been in my home has been placed since 1995. Not ideal, but it’s always been very workable. Obviously, some have performed better than others casting instruments well outside the speakers, while some retained the soundstage solidly between them. This is the first speaker that has drawn instruments to itself in this way.

Brandon (Arendal): since so close to walls, with the way the wave guide behaves, you can put some diffusion on that first reflection point followed by some absorbtion on the next panel and it works wonders. Here is mine .. but I have the towers.. (Picture not copied.)

Me: I have drapes on the left and an open doorway on the right. I do expect similar directivity characteristics with the S as with the bookshelf and also the 1723 Monitor as Warren Knauer (FB poster) called attention to. It seems to be consistent within the Arendal line. Not a bad thing, just an observation.

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There are very good reasons why HT speakers may have a narrower directivity pattern than a speaker designed for critical music listening. My questions and comments are not intended to be a criticism, and I want to be clear about that.

I hear the phenomenon most noticeably below the x-over region where I would expect the directivity to be the most hemispheric and therefore less localizable. A floor tom in a drum set that might normally move toward one side of the soundstage from the center yet remain within the logical soundstage image, may sound disconnected from the natural soundstage and located directly at the speaker itself. It’s something I’ve not heard from any other speaker in the 27-years we’ve been in our home.

Mike M are you using any type of sound proofing?

Mike M.
Community Member

No, I’m not. There’s really no place for it. I do have a 9′ x 12′ heavy wool Persian carpet on the floor, though the 112-year-old home still has lath & plaster walls & ceilings.

Lukas
Customer Support

Hi Mike,

It is strange as I never heard what you describe from our speakers.
Do you sit on ear level with the tweeter?

With x-over region, which x-over do you mean exactly?

Is it possible to make a photo so we can see what could be the cause?

Yeah I found your issue, its the plaster walls, even though your walls and ceiling has great sound proofing, your not getting an open sound stage or reverberation because of those plaster walls. So it depends on how open the room is, your dampening the sound stage dramatically. I would add a couple multifusers to your sound stage. It provides multi-reflection on both vertical and horizontal planes in sound critical spaces. It performs on mid and high frequencies, brightening and clarifying sound. Thats what I would start out with. Happy Listening! Ralph

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