proper listening distance Khorns

[robkirby]

New to this site and considering corner horns. The only wall I can use has the corners 16 feet apart. My listening couch is 14 feet from this wall so the speakers if placed at the 45 degree angle in the corner would cross each other and intersect about 8 feet from the wall placing me 6 feet outside this intersection.

Any opinions on how this impacts the sound. If this dimension is critical and I sit 14 feet away from the wall I would need the speakers to be 28 feet apart. This seems crazy, who has that kind of space?

Thanks

Rob

[jmslaw]

Rob:

Don't worry. I have my Khorns on corners which are 20' apart and my listening position is about 16 feet away. I have tried the position in the 45* sweetspot and find I prefer to be further back, behind the "intersection" For purposes of bass reinforcement, you will be better off closer to the rear wall, anyway. It sounds like your room is a nice size to let the Khorns breathe.

[charlieboy]

Hi Rob,

Like Jeff said dont worry. In fact I tried the 1st postion like your thinking and I did not like the sound. My khorns are on a 22ft wall and I sit around 17 ft away and love them. Ive found that the khorns dont follow usual seating arrangments for me. If so I would have to sit around 9ft away to be in the intersection and like I said I did not like it. The soundstage they give out in my room is huge and deep. I thought I'd found the light with my cornwalls but the khorns took it to another level of bliss all together. Go for it.

[Seadog]

When I crank up the volume, they sound good everywhere in the house .

But seriously, mine are (for now) on a 12 ft wall and I still get decent soundstage and imaging 12 ft back, although 8 ft is better.

[edwinr]

Hi.

Ideally you should sit where the front face of the Klipschorns points right at your seating position. This gives you an absolute rock solid centre image and an amazing side to side soundstage. The only problem with listening like this, is that the sweet spot is tiny. If you move a few inches either way, you'll notice the centre image moving with you. It's a very selfish way of listening, but I prefer it.

Some people, however, don't like that perspective, and prefer a sound that is slightly more diffuse. If you have no choice in the matter, listen off axis. You won't really lose that much in the imaging department, and you will still be rewarded with great sound. The advantage of listening like this, is that the sweet spot is much larger, and you can share your listening experience with others.

[oscarsear]

I do have a space similar to yours. My Khorns are 15 ft apart and I could listen at 22ft but I've set-up the primary listening locale at the sweet spot (8 to 9 ft). Now the neatest thing about Khorns is this. When you're at the sweet spot it's spectacular. You're at whatever is being replayed. When you're outside the sweet spot guess what? You're at the same event only listening from a distance. It sounds live from where ever you listen. It's like this: If you're at the live performance the best place to be is dead center. When you're at the same live performance but in another space...the head or whatever...the live performance still sounds live. Voila...this is what the Khorn, 55 years of notoriety, will deliver. You will be very happy with Khorns in your circumstance.

[Kudret]

I received my Khorns less than a month ago. They are 17 feet apart in the corners (in a 17x36 room) and I'd like to sit 8.5 feet from the front wall for the best imaging.

When some instruments come from one speaker and some from the other speaker - it sounds as if the instruments are on my far left and right (not in front). I am still having difficulty getting used to this. I want to build some false corners so that I can change the angle of the speakers and and sit farther back.

Does anybody feel the same sitting too close to the Khorns in smaller rooms?

Kudret

[oscarsear]

=================================================================== - it sounds as if the instruments are on my far left and right (not in front). ===================================================================

Different recordings bring reproduction into the soundstage in various mannerisms. I added a center mono-speaker to my system which does better center the central musical features of recordings as they were recorded. What I'm saying is those recordings which had a central performer are better reproduced with this addition. Yet those recorded with a broader based soundstage are not, they become muddled. Sometimes instruments are supposed to be right and left and other times they're definitely not.

[scriven]

Kudret,

I have the same problem - a long narrow room and the Khorns have to be on the narrow wall. I cut a new top for the bass bin and disconnected the HF tops from the bass bin - see the picture. Now the bass bins can sit in the corners where God and PWK intended them to be but I can adjust the HF section to point wherever I want. I found that much easier than false corners.

[PrestonTom]

Rob,

There are all sorts of options. Since there is some directionality on the high mid and high frequency driver, being on axis is advsable (that is, you are sitting at the the apex of a 90 deg angle). One option is to build a false corner(s) and toe the cabinets inward. However, I would NOT suggest toeing in the cabinets by not having them snug in a corner. Depending whether it is a "B" or "C" model you might be able to toe in the top section independent of the bottom section. Whether this has an odd or unacceptable look about it depends on the beholder (no doubt you wife or girlfriend will be ready with a strong opinion however).

The K-Horns really do sound wonderful, but they sound best when propoerly placed in the corners.

-Tom

[charlieboy]

I think I should say something I forgot. No matter what room or anything I think the best advise is start with the traditional triangle seating then move a little forward or a little back listening then again untill you find that sweet spot then mark it or something so you know where it is if for some reason you have to move your chair. All the advise in the world is not the same as you hearing it for yourself the way you think it should sound.