Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams

[exupgh12]

Steve, Congratulations on your new speakers. It's great to see your enthusiasm and excitement.
I wish you many hours of fun and exciting listening.

 

[Steve Williams]

Steve, Congratulations on your new speakers. It's great to see your enthusiasm and excitement.
I wish you many hours of fun and exciting listening.

Thank you. I have to admit thatI am enjoying this new speaker. Every day has become a new learning experience for me

 

[sbo6]

Years ago Gary Koh visited with his wife and daughter and every few songs I suggested someone else sit in the chair. After Gary left he sent me an email that I thought always rang true. He said that the shortcoming was the one sweet spot. Listening he said should provide enjoyment for many listeners regardless of where they are sitting and he designs speakers to provide that off axis enjoyment. I have never forgotten that email.

Well, that's why they call it the "sweet spot" and not sweet spots.
Personally, and for many (most?) others that I visit, most of us do our listening solo, so having a wide sweet spot is meaningless for the single digit % times folks come over to listen.

Vivids also have a very wide sweet spot with linear off - axis dispersion, so it's an added benefit but not a priority for me. Enjoy!

 

[Steve Williams]

Well, that's why they call it the "sweet spot" and not sweet spots.
Personally, and for many (most?) others that I visit, most of us do our listening solo, so having a wide sweet spot is meaningless for the single digit % times folks come over to listen.

Vivids also have a very wide sweet spot with linear off - axis dispersion, so it's an added benefit but not a priority for me. Enjoy!

I hear you and your'e correct that for most of the time it is one ass in the sweet spot. Having said that with the Wilson there remained only one sweet spot and sadly almost everyone who visited were taller than me and so they were out of focus and did not get the satisfaction which I got. In the last few years of my Wilson saga, Damon Von Schweikert and Leif Swanson helped create an algorithm which did not exist in the Wilson manual. The toe in of each speaker was neutralized and all upper modules were changed dramatically such that their positioning had the drivers perfectly aligned. My chair was moved forward to a true near field such that I was inside the triangle. Wilson recommends a ratio of 1.0-1.25. My ratio was 0.88 and in all the years I owned the speaker this change provided for me and my guests the greatest listening pleaser

 

[treitz3]

I have a wedge cushion pad that sits on the listening chair, for those that are shorter than I. Alternatively, I have thin bricks that the listening chair sits on, so if anyone taller than I comes over? I simply remove the bricks. Over the years, I have discovered that ear height at the listening chair is just as important as the distance to and from the speakers themself.

Tom

 

[Steve Williams]

I used a wedge cushion as well

 

[Bruce B]

And finally the biggest take away for me after 35 years is that unlike Wilson where everything is set up like a laser directed to the ear height and sitting distance from the speaker. If your ass isn’t in the sweet spot and the ear height is set for someone else then your listening experience will be far from accurate. This is not the case with the Zellaton. The off axis dispersion is such that listening enjoyment need not be where my one chair is

This is probably the biggest reason I moved from Wilson... Like you, I went through many years of Wilson products. I ended up with speakers that exhibit great off-axis performance and wouldn't have it any other way. Congrats!

 

[Steve Williams]

This is probably the biggest reason I moved from Wilson... Like you, I went through many years of Wilson products. I ended up with speakers that exhibit great off-axis performance and wouldn't have it any other way. Congrats!

Thanks Bruce. Enjoy. For me these past few weeks have been a true learning experience

 

[microstrip]

This is probably the biggest reason I moved from Wilson... Like you, I went through many years of Wilson products. I ended up with speakers that exhibit great off-axis performance and wouldn't have it any other way. Congrats!

Wilson speakers such as the XLF or latest versions of the Alexia had a much wider sweet spot than the previous designs such as the Alexandria S2 or Watt/Puppy - three people could easily sit side by side with them with excellent soundstage at 11 feet distance.

We can play with the sweet spot size adjusting toe-in and speaker distance but it is always a compromise as it is intrinsic of stereo - if you want to get the very best of stereo imaging absolute symmetry is a must. As always in this hobby, it is a matter of preference and all that counts in this thread is that Steve is very happy with his speakers and we are happy with his happiness.

 

[Folsom]

Steve, the rear isn't "baffles", they are aperiodic vents. It's not clear to me why that isn't described with them as the default, but that is what they are. The front and sides are baffles because they specifically stop the rear sound wave from moving forward into the front sound wave and causing cancellation.

Another member has mentioned that aperiodic vents are used to lower Q, but I wouldn't use that as a specific descriptor. In my experience they may do that, but the actual sound you get doesn't make you think that's exactly what is happening. IMO it tends to make things sound refined, better resolution, and overall more natural - all the while not robbing bass like most moves to lower Q will do.

 

[Steve Williams]

I truly have no idea. It’s all Greek to me. I do know that Gideon calls them quasi or pseudo baffles baffles but it’s all Greek to me. What counts is what I hear and theses ears have never heard anything as good as I am hearing now.

I appreciate your explanation and I’ve said before I have just never heard bass in my room as did as this

 

[Folsom]

It's possible he does not want his custom tuned, custom made, vents associated with the general ones that can be purchased online for DIY people.

The Zelletons have been fascinating to me that they are made this way, as from the front I never had any reason to expect them to be so unique. Then on top of it the people who like them were surprising to me. So when I learned about their backside it made a lot more sense. I respect the amount of time and perseverance it takes to tune speakers that way.

I've played with tuning aperiodic vents myself and The words for how well it works cannot be summed up in Q. The bass is so legible that isn't a bit of a new sensation compared to so many other setups. I think it does very good even above the bass band for a ways through the spectrum.

 

[thedudeabides]

So serious music listening is principally a one person hobby? Do most folks think of it in that manner or am I misunderstanding? I must be an outlier since I rarely sat in the "sweet spot" and never thought of it from that perspective. IMHO, seems "upside down" and anti-social compared to a typical live listening experience. Also counter-productive for growing the hobby and fostering a larger acceptance by the general public. Not a criticism. Just an observation.

 

[Steve Williams]

So serious music listening is principally a one person hobby? Do most folks think of it in that manner or am I misunderstanding? I must be an outlier since I rarely sat in the "sweet spot" and never thought of it from that perspective. IMHO, seems "upside down" and anti-social compared to a typical live listening experience. Also counter-productive for growing the hobby and fostering a larger acceptance by the general public. Not a criticism. Just an observation.

You seem to be echoing what I have been saying and one of the reasons why I decided to switch speakers. I’m shocked by how good my speakers sound from anywhere in my room

 

[Steve Williams]

I know Gideon is out of the country on a well deserved vacation. I’m not sure whether he reads WBF sitting beach side or in the spa but if he does I’m hoping he will find time to answer these questions

 

[benito]

I know Gideon is out of the country on a well deserved vacation. I’m not sure whether he reads WBF sitting beach side or in the spa but if he does I’m hoping he will find time to answer these questions

Hi Steve, congrats for your new speakers.

Have you been enough curious to hear the sound behind your speakers yet ?

 

[Steve Williams]

Thanks for the reminder. I have had family here all weekend through today so first chance will be tomorrow.

 

[thedudeabides]

You seem to be echoing what I have been saying and one of the reasons why I decided to switch speakers. I’m shocked by how good my speakers sound from anywhere in my room

I am indeed. Why spend all that money if you can only hear its true value and performance wihin a very limited area? Makes no sense to me but obviously many people choose to do so. Seems contrary to the often stated goal to recreate, to the extent possible, the sound of live music in their listening space. That was my compelling reason for owning the MBL 116's for many years.