Free space between the speakers ??

I have always wondered why it is advised that there be just empty space between the speakers in a stereo replay system. And why it is best not to site the rack slap bang between the speakers. This confuses me as the sound source is the speakers and how can it make a significant difference if the space between the speakers is empty or a chimney breast! Apart that is from adding extra reflections to the speaker outputs, reflections that may blur the stereo picture.

Looking at Devs profile pictures and he has a fine setup with the screen between the speakers. How can the screen affect what comes from the speakers at either side? Or does it affect the sound? There is usually little enough free space in a music room anyway, so these things do matter especially if they affect the sound.

 

I'm not certain, but from memory I think the sound stage shifted when I replaced the 32"CRT I had in the middle of the speakers. Perhaps I wasn't paying due attention before.

 

yeah, a lot of people say it's best without a tv placed there - tho, I've always had a tv there...

you could try and place a blanket over the tv too - but make sure it's turned off first...

 

I can only pass on my own experience, but with that rack in the middle sound staging and spread was not as good. I moved the rack, and the resulting improvement was marked. I then received a dose of wittering, in a pleasant way, and put a console table in middle. Nothing changed. So just to be certain I lifted it out again, then back, and nothing changed, so the rack went back. This time it did change, so the rack came out again, OK, back to normal, back in went the console table, no change. In my case the rack is around twice as deep as the console table, and is close to the front edge of the speakers, so I can only assume that the speakers need some space behind to function at their best. If they have this space then having something in between in neither here nor there. If they do not it ''kills'' the sound stage to some extent.

 

Usually its best to have nothing between the speakers at driver level, and then have some sound absorptive material on the wall between the speakers.

Sound doesn't just radiate from the front of speakers, as the frequency lowers it becomes an omni-directional sound source. At higher frequencies diffraction at the cabinet edges can cause the sound to reflect backwards from the speaker and then reflect back towards you from the wall behind. All these reflections and many more around the room are integrated in to the whole sound by your mind, and so the fewer reflections you have (or controlled by other means) the more of the true sound from the speakers you will hear.

 

or you could just sit four feet away from the speakers and not worry about the reflections too much

 

Or you could sit between the speakers with them toed in like a giant pair of headphones

In an ideal situation I'd like to be able to have nothing between my speakers, but with space limitations I do have the TV between. I also have some amps on the floor between the speakers but they are set low to the ground so I am inclined to believe that this really has no impact on the soundstage or imaging. My speakers have the advantage of an Infinite-Baffle design which reduces the impact of reflections, with the primary soundwave arriving first.

 

big headphone placement works for me, just that reflected sound from the wall behind the speakers to worry about.