Imaging across different Heritage Speakers

[Bhai]

I've had Cornwall IIIs with a Prima Luna integrated amp for 3 years now. I've now experienced them in two different rooms, and I've realised that proper imaging is possible from very specific listening positions. You HAVE to be pretty much dead center. Also the listening height has to be in line with the high and mid horns. I have experienced some flexibility by how forward or back you can be, but thats the only dimension where there is some play. First of all - do other Cornwall, Forte users agree with this assessment? Are you able to get good imaging from a wider range of locations?

 

And also - does this improve with the more higher end speakers like La Scalas, K-horns and maybe the Jubilee? Somewhere I read that the Jubilee allows for good imaging from multiple positions, but would love to understand more..

 

I'm mostly going to go for the La Scalas as my second purchase, and hope to bag the Jubilee a few years down the line!

[Ski Bum]

A larger and more stable sweet zone can be achieved via time/intensity trading. Toe the speakers in such that their direct axis cross well in front of the main listening position. Give it a try and report back.

[Shakeydeal]

Best imaging with any speaker can only be achieved in the sweet spot. Some speakers maintain some imaging off axis better than others, but even those will only have ideal soundstage and imaging from the optimum seating position.

[Marvel]

On 12/31/2022 at 1:11 AM, Bhai said:

does this improve with the more higher end speakers like La Scalas, K-horns and maybe the Jubilee? Somewhere I read that the Jubilee allows for good imaging from multiple positions, but would love to understand more..

The Jubilee wins in this regard, mainly due to the very large horn (K402). While they are large speakers, they actually work extremely well in smaller rooms, too, because of the design of the K402.

 

Our larger room where I have had larger Klipsch was a two car garage when the house was built (1962). Early on, the owner made it a family room, with a 9 1/2 foot ceiling, and 21x22 for the floor dimensions. I had LaScalas in there for quite a while. I had them about 8 ft. apart with them aimed at a point behind me. For me, it meant we could move a bit left/right with good imaging. Far better than crossing in front of the listening position. Others say that works better for them, and it may be the room that is the deciding factor.

 

I later got some MWM cabinets, and had them on their sides on each side of the LS. I used the MWMs for the bass, with the woofers in the LS disconnected. The bass was superb, and very, very even anywhere in the room. Now I am back to a pair of Heresy IIs, and eager to get some horn loaded cabinets back in the picture. Yes, the MWMs are huge, with two 15 inch woofers in each cabinet.

 

Here's a pic with the MWMs and LS together (tweeters are on baffles on top of the LS cabs, and turned out of the way in this pic... I didn't listen to them this way). Driven by a 25 wpc amp, the bass was effortless and the whole system could get dangerously loud without meaning to because it was so clean.