Pioneer TAD-R1 owner manual Optimizing the System, Improving Bass Performance, Improving Imaging

OPTIMIZING THE SYSTEM

Improving Bass Performance

Select a music track with well-recorded bass, such as acoustic string bass. Listen for all the bass notes having roughly equal level. If any notes jump out at you more strongly than others, try moving the TAD Reference One loudspeakers until you get the most even progression of the notes.

Typically, moving them towards the walls will increase low bass output, but can result in more unevenness higher up the musical scale. Moving them closer to the side walls will not produce the same effect as moving closer to the back wall, so try experimenting moving both ways for the most pleasing sound.

Also listen to drum sounds. The kick drum should sound tight and fast, without low-frequency boom. Changes in loudspeaker position of as little as a few inches can have a large effect upon bass performance, so take time and try many positions.

A useful tip to speed up the process is to have a partner move around the room while talking. Listen to where the voice sounds most natural, without added chestiness, and position the loudspeaker in that location.

Improving Imaging

Now select music with a strong center image. Listen for that image to be exactly centered between the loudspeakers, and to be well-focused. If the image is unclear and spreads wide, the side walls are probably creating strong reflections. Try moving the loudspeakers closer together to reduce this effect. If this brings them too close, try instead toeing in the loudspeakers so that the axis crosses in front of the listening position. Because of the superior off-axis

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performance of the CST driver, the strength of the side-wall reflections will be reduced, and at the same time, the image will be stabilized and focused.

Now listen to music with well-recorded acoustics. Check that the image is wide and deep. Limited depth suggests that the speakers are placed too close to the

front wall. Try moving them forward.

Final Optimization

You may find that as you move the loudspeakers to optimize one aspect of performance another worsens; for example, trading improved image accuracy for poorer bass response. If this occurs, try moving your listening position. Bass response is governed strongly by both loudspeaker and listening positions, whereas

imaging is mostly determined by the loudspeaker position. Therefore, you may find that if optimizing for imaging compromises bass, then changing the listening position will bring back bass performance.

The room characteristics will also have a profound influence upon the sound. Live rooms, with few soft furnishings and hard floors, will impart an artificial sense of spaciousness to the sound but reduce the intimacy and accuracy. Overly dead rooms, with lots of furnishing, carpets, and drapes will produce a very dry, lifeless sound and require lots more power to drive the loudspeakers to adequate sound levels. The optimum is somewhere in-between. Avoid hard, unbroken, parallel walls, especially side walls, as these impart strong flutter-type echoes and will have a bad influence on the imaging. Try and break up long expanses of walls with drapes, wall hangings, or bookshelves, and try not to introduce too much asymmetry into the room layout, as this will also affect the imaging.