Make One Change At a Time

absolute fidelity

The Refinement stage

After following the rough setup guide above, you may not be completely satisfied with the results. We share with you here some of our observations in setting up these loudspeakers.

One rule of thumb you should always keep in mind. Make one change at a time! Do not, for instance, change position of the speakers and make an adjustment to the amplifier all at once.

Make each of these changes separately and note the difference - by listening - with each adjustment, then make the next change.

Each adjustment, in positioning, and in control adjustment will result in a subtle sonic change. Even when you are moving the midrange/tweeter panels further apart, or closer together, move one panel, listen, and then move the other panel. You may also find an asymmetric placement in-room more accurate and pleasing.

Defining the Soundstage

A common problem we find with many set-ups is a tendency to separate the speakers too far from each other. This gives an unnaturally stretched soundstage between the two speakers, and creates problems with focus. The key problem is a lack of soundstage information beyond the left and right sides of the speakers.

If you find that the sound is not spacious enough or you are not getting enough front to back depth, pull the speaker away from the front wall. This is typically preferable to separating the two speakers too far, and will almost always give you better depth and soundstage information. A word of caution though: if you move the speakers too far from the front wall you may lose the focus of the image.

A problem with the soundstage could also be caused by the recording. Try another recording if you cannot achieve what you are trying to do.

Appropriate Mid-bass/Low-bass Balance

Yet another problem is a lack of mid bass energy. In order for the appropriate amount of mid bass energy to be present, the speakers