The Sweet Spot

DM60

DM60

Well-known member
OK, not sure if this will make sense. The reason I got into recording and love music stems from really liking to listen to music. When I was in the Army, I purchased stereo equipment that cost me a years pay. Maybe 6 months, but it was like $3000 I paid for my stereo on a private's pay. So, here is the point, getting the stereo set up and then sitting in the sweet spot. Either you understand this term or ...

OK, fast forward, I have purchased SDCD's, Dobly Audio, Quad (yea, no I didn't) but trying to get a better sweet spot. I have this new stereo (OK, probably 5+ years, but it is still a good piece of equipment) and I was pushing back at using some of its new technology, faux surround, Dolby logic, sofort and so on. But I think I hit on it. 5 speaker stereo! That means 5 sweet spots.

Speaker set up large speakers up front, L/R, rear speakers R/L. That give you 5 sweet spots. Everyone in the room gets a sweet spot!

Anyone else try to also get a great sound out of your stereo equipment? What do you do? By the way, room treatment really works when "tuning" the room for listening, not just the EQ selector.
 
I haven't been where you're at since 1980. I had a receiver, tuner, turntable, cassette tape deck, 12-band EQ and ONLY two medium cabinet room stereo speaker units - 10" woofers with mids and tweeters. No really high-end stuff.. less than 1K for everything.

This was all in our living room and I used speaker positioning and EQing to set up a single sweet spot, depending on where I was gonna plop down for the evening. The room had medium-pile carpeting with padding, upholstered furniture and medium-weight drapery - no echoes.

Five years later, all that was gone and I was just dipping my toe into home recording - never to resume home audio again.
 
I just never could get into multi-channel audio beyond 2. I know, call me old fashioned. I did start following a twitter account called @VintageAudioLuv
It really perked up my gear lust. I have some really old stuff now like a 40+ year old pair of Bang & Olufsen speakers I just love for certain kinds of music. Recently I picked up a pair of ADS speakers in pristine condition. I worked for a music store when I was young and always liked this model. When my old Luxman amp became impossible to fix, I started dreaming of the possibility of moving up. Careful, it can be a slippery slope.
 
Folkcafe said:
I just never could get into multi-channel audio beyond 2. I know, call me old fashioned. I did start following a twitter account called @VintageAudioLuv
It really perked up my gear lust. I have some really old stuff now like a 40+ year old pair of Bang & Olufsen speakers I just love for certain kinds of music. Recently I picked up a pair of ADS speakers in pristine condition. I worked for a music store when I was young and always liked this model. When my old Luxman amp became impossible to fix, I started dreaming of the possibility of moving up. Careful, it can be a slippery slope.
Click to expand...
I think after 40 years (this started when I was in my 20's) I have my addiction under control. I am a functional alcoholic, metaphorically speaking.
 
I don't think I have a problem. Besides the recording setup with the Tascam and JBL308s, I've only got 2 functioning stereo systems, and the 5.1 surround system in the den. The dining room computer with the JBL305s doesn't really count.

The bedroom has a pair of Vandersteen 1Bs with an Onkyo receiver and a Sony 100 disc CD changer. The den has an Onkyo receiver with Polk Monitor 70s plus a center, sub and 2 rear channels speakers. Cable box and DVD player for source material.

The basement has the old system, IMF TLS50s, Bryston 2B amp, AudioSource preamp, Rega Turntable, Panasonic CD player and Yamaha Tuner. It was all bought back around 1980.

I don't any other real vices, don't do dope, never smoked, not a gambler. A fellow has to spend his money on something!

Don't ask how many guitars I have.
 
I long ago gave up with my stereo/home theatre setup in the living room. It uses a mic to measure the room and compensate for freq and timing. In the end, it just sounds like mid-freq mush. The EQ controls on the receiver are difficult to get to through the menu system and aren't straight forward. It gives you options for setting the sub level compared to the main speaker level, or satellite levels compared to the main, but no kind of graphic EQ.

Of course, I probably spent less than $300 on the receiver, so I guess I got what I paid for. In the end, the wife doesn't care about fidelity so she doesn't complain, which means, I can ignore it. go to my studio and watch movies there.
 
Chili said:
I long ago gave up with my stereo/home theatre setup in the living room. It uses a mic to measure the room and compensate for freq and timing. In the end, it just sounds like mid-freq mush. The EQ controls on the receiver are difficult to get to through the menu system and aren't straight forward. It gives you options for setting the sub level compared to the main speaker level, or satellite levels compared to the main, but no kind of graphic EQ.

Of course, I probably spent less than $300 on the receiver, so I guess I got what I paid for. In the end, the wife doesn't care about fidelity so she doesn't complain, which means, I can ignore it. go to my studio and watch movies there.
Click to expand...
I think that is the conclusion I arrived at, the room I setup for mixing is the best room to listen. Not just my stuff, but for pleasure listening.
 
I messed around with 5.1 for years. Surround this and surround that. Satellite speakers and mains. Sure, it was fancy but it didn't really sound better

about 6 years ago, I got a vintage Pioneer SX-1080 receiver, a pair of Advent speakers and a Nakamichi CP2A CD player. Boom. The music was back.

Sadly I moved last year and everything is in storage. Stupid apartment has paper thin walls. I need a house again.
 
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