The arrival of a pair of full-range 244's yesterday afternoon enabled me to assess how their use at the second-reflection point fared in terms of effect on the sonic presentation versus that of their scatter-plate-equipped cousins. After extensive listening comparisons last night that involved the shuttling of each pair in and out the bedroom, I concluded that although installing the scatter-plated pair at the formerly vacant reflection point had noticeably improved the overall sonic picture in several respects (as indicated in my last post), putting the full-range 244's at that position took every one of those improvements to a new level. Grammatical niceties aside, "even
more better" might be the most appropriate way to characterize the difference.
The tests were made with the nearest edge of each second-reflection-point trap positioned about a foot ahead of the plane of my ears as I parked in a semi-scrunched sprawl near the bed's midpoint. These photos show them from approximately that perspective.
Left side:
Right side:
(Ignore the glossy-black Paradigm SE-1's on the carpet--they'll be moved out of the room.)
Overall trap placement is diagrammed here:
I was particularly impressed with the increase in: perceived dimensionality and spatial expansiveness of the soundstage; in the sonic palpability of instruments and voice; in tonal "liquidity" (e.g., in the French horn); in dynamic contrasts; and bass decay that enhanced foundational solidity.
Having said that, I'd make two points: First, what improvements I heard built on what I'd already thought good with the scatter-plates in place; and, second, none of the improvements put lipstick on a pig. I purposely played some recordings that I consider sub-par to see if the configuration change would doll them up. Nope. All the increased focus and perceived increased resolution did was simply put me further "into the mix"--and if it was a bad one, its flaws showed even more prominently. But the
good stuff--that's something else entirely.
Yeah, well that's all well and good. But the really big question still hung out there. This is a shared space, after all, and while I could play to my heart's content while
testing configurations, was this to be just a transient experience, one of those situations where you tread onto the rim of sonic Paradise for a couple of hours only to be tossed out just when the getting's good?
Cue "the conversation":
WIFE: I see we now have two of those things on each side.
[Uh-oh. "...those
things." That doesn't sound like anything approaching acceptance, much less approval. But she has a point. The bedroom has morphed into Stonehenge.]
ME: Well, I'm just testing to see how it would sound with them in place. I can always move them ou--
WIFE: No, no. They're fine. And I'm glad you got them in grey. But I worry.
[A moment of stunned silence. I catch my breath.]
ME: Uh, about what?
WIFE: Those things on the back wall. Are you sure they're all right up there? I don't want them falling down on your head while you're listening.
ME: Uh, oh, nothing to worry about. They're hung securely. Two hooks each.
WIFE: That's good.
ME: [Deep, deeper, deepest sigh of relief.]
So we're good. And at the point where I won't inflict any more pics or diagrams on you. What this trapping configuration does is make listening in a space fraught with multiple asymmetries and an unhealthy dose of SBIR issues far more than just "decent" or "good". So much so that I'm almost tempted not to refer to it as the "secondary" system.
Chalk me up as a happy camper.