Posted by Albert Porter on October 04, 2002 at 17:56:43:
In Reply to: Re: photos: Simple is Better posted by Terry Koehn on October 04, 2002 at 16:19:25:
Terry Koehn I agree with you.
Obviously I've not auditioned the system we are debating but It does look terribly complex.
Others here at SLOG have questioned the lack of acoustic treatment for good reason. The photographs have the appearance of a space that is hard, lean and mean.
In my own system, experimentation with various acoustic treatments have proven to be at least as important as my equipment choices.
As to complexity, I've tri-amped, bi-amped and now have the best sound I've ever had, using a single pair of Wolcotts. Granted the multiple amp setups drove cone speakers, and I am terribly biased toward Soundlabs, but I would sacrifice simplicity if it had proven superior.
If I had a really large room, the four speaker rig might be appealing. My space is similar to this guys room. It measures nineteen and a half feet wide, thirty three feet long, and with a ceiling that vaults from eight foot two inches to twelve and a half feet.
Instead of stained glass, I have a skylight that is approximately nine by twelve feet. It's constructed with four large (clear) Plexiglas domes and provides a view to a three story high oak tree with furry and feathered inhabitants.
I have an image posted here at SLOG and over at Audiogon under the heading "Albert Porters System," there are multiple photographic details of my room treatments at the Audiogon site.
There is an entire (rear) wall of RPG's, tube traps for the corners and Owens Corning acoustic treatment installed over the triple laminated walls and ceilings.
Considering the dimensions of a four Soundlab rig, there would need to be a width of perhaps thirty feet, providing breathing room between as well as beside the speakers, while avoiding placement against side walls.
As you said, sometime simple is better.