16
Improving Bass Performance
Select a music track with well-recorded bass, such as acoustic
string bass. Listen for all the bass notes having roughly equal
level. If any notes jump out at you more strongly than others, try
moving the TAD Reference One loudspeakers until you get the
most even progression of the notes.
Typically, moving them towards the walls will increase low
bass output, but can result in more unevenness higher up the
musical scale. Moving them closer to the side walls will not
produce the same effect as moving closer to the back wall, so try
experimenting moving both ways for the most pleasing sound.
Also listen to drum sounds. The kick drum should sound tight
and fast, without low-frequency boom. Changes in loudspeaker
position of as little as a few inches can have a large effect upon
bass performance, so take time and try many positions.
A useful tip to speed up the process is to have a partner move
around the room while talking. Listen to where the voice sounds
most natural, without added chestiness, and position the
loudspeaker in that location.
Improving Imaging
Now select music with a strong center image. Listen for that
image to be exactly centered between the loudspeakers, and to
be well-focused. If the image is unclear and spreads wide, the
side walls are probably creating strong reflections. Try moving the
loudspeakers closer together to reduce this effect. If this brings
them too close, try instead toeing in the loudspeakers so that
the axis crosses in front of the listening position. Because of the
superior off-axis performance of the CST driver, the strength of
the side-wall reflections will be reduced, and at the same time,
the image will be stabilized and focused. Now listen to music with
well-recorded acoustics. Check that the image is wide and deep.
Limited depth suggests that the speakers are placed too close to
the front wall. Try moving them forward.
OPTIMIZING THE SYSTEM
Final Optimization
You may find that as you move the loudspeakers to optimize one
aspect of performance another worsens; for example, trading
improved image accuracy for poorer bass response. If this
occurs, try moving your listening position. Bass response is
governed strongly by both loudspeaker and listening positions,
whereas imaging is mostly determined by the loudspeaker
position. Therefore, you may find that if optimizing for imaging
compromises bass, then changing the listening position will bring
back bass performance.
The room characteristics will also have a profound influence upon
the sound. Live rooms, with few soft furnishings and hard floors,
will impart an artificial sense of spaciousness to the sound but
reduce the intimacy and accuracy. Overly dead rooms, with lots
of furnishing, carpets, and drapes will produce a very dry, lifeless
sound and require lots more power to drive the loudspeakers to
adequate sound levels. The optimum is somewhere in-between.
Avoid hard, unbroken, parallel walls, especially side walls, as
these impart strong flutter-type echoes and will have a bad
influence on the imaging. Try and break up long expanses of
walls with drapes, wall hangings, or bookshelves, and try not to
introduce too much asymmetry into the room layout, as this will
also affect the imaging.
Summary of Contents for Reference One
Page 1: ...TAD Reference One...
