Placement Suggestions for Cube Speakers

Clint DeBoer · #1 10-04-2005, 10:14 AM

Since consumers continue to desire cube speakers, because of their "amazing sound" and "small footprint", Audioholics has devised an optimal placement scheme to help maximize performance and minimize space consumption. An oldie, but goodie, this article gives Audioholics' take on just what to do with those small, cube speakers in your home theater. Placement is key, lest you waste all of the opportunities for ergonomic optimization and maximizing the characteristics of these supposed full range micro-drivers. Read on...

[Read the Article]

sdy284 · #2 10-04-2005, 10:50 AM

excellent article

I wish i could show this to every Best Buy/Circuit City employee that "cube" setups....are f'ing horrible

patnshan · #3 10-04-2005, 11:44 AM

This is hillarious!!!!!! The people in the office are wondering why I am laughing so loud!

They probably have bose speakers at home

Thanks,

Pat

Shadow_Ferret · #4 10-04-2005, 12:52 PM

OK, I understand the article was tongue-in-cheek, but the quote "limited imaging and stereo separation" of the small cubes being the reason why they are all placed close together doesn't wash. Or maybe I just don't understand what people mean by those things.

I've heard those little cubes at the Bose store and I could hear the seperation. I was listening to Shrek 2 and it was the scene where they are in the Potion Shop trying to escape and I distinctly heard the siren's wail coming from the right rear speaker.

If, as you suggest, these little speakers aren't capable of this sort of imaging and separation, was this some sort of clever marketing ploy to make me THINK they were providing this quality?

tbewick · #5 10-04-2005, 01:49 PM

People buy cube speakers because they are convenient. As for bashing the Bose name, I don't see what they do wrong. If someone likes the sound from their Bose system, as I'm sure many people do, then what's the problem? Most ordinary people aren't interested in flat frequency responses or in playing their music and DVD's very loud.

You could highlight any number of hi-fi manufacturers for having silly adverts. The truth is hi-fi is rather dull - you really can't get excited by an ugly black box that is an amplifier, or an obtrusive of pair loudspeakers. The only thing you can get truly excited about is the sound, though you need people to come into the shop to have a listen in the first place. That's why the amplifiers have all those shiny dials and lights and why speakers are constantly being redesigned. Sure, some of this is because of better design, but a lot of it is to do with making the product look nicer.

I think my only criticism of Bose is that they are overpriced. Again though, you could point the finger at any number of hi-fi products for offering poor value for money. Indeed, is a Bose system any worse value for money than some of the reviewed speaker wire on this website?

RJB · #6 10-04-2005, 03:02 PM

Ah..em...I'm somewhat disappointed...the title suggested an article with a REAL placement suggestion

...all I see is something polite to laugh about...

Now back to the Yellow Pages....hmmm...how do you spell that again..P..R..O..C..T....

Clint DeBoer · #7 10-04-2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow_Ferret

I've heard those little cubes at the Bose store and I could hear the seperation. I was listening to Shrek 2 and it was the scene where they are in the Potion Shop trying to escape and I distinctly heard the siren's wail coming from the right rear speaker.

Well, imaging is actually the ability to place the size and location of instruments/objects at specific points between the speakers. It's easy to say that a speaker can produce pinpoint sound - any $0.50 driver can do that provided it's 'on'. But take two drivers and see if you can specifically place (and describe the size and characteristics of) items in the space between and then you'll see if a system has good imaging.

Sheep · #8 10-04-2005, 09:09 PM

That was great, needed a good laugh. Those recoil springs are a great idea, you can even use the tv as a car now!

The problem with bose and their speakers, is unless you are directly comparing them, its hard (unless trained) to hear the difference. I was once fooled, but then I turned on some RTi's and never looked back.

The Sheep

outsider · #9 10-04-2005, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbewick

The truth is hi-fi is rather dull - you really can't get excited by an ugly black box that is an amplifier, or an obtrusive of pair loudspeakers.

I think whether or not something is dull depends on the person. Some people think golf is dull while others enjoy it. Some people enjoy driving through mud in their jacked-up 4x4. Some people like sad movies.

Ugly black box? That depends on what you think looks nice. Personally, I have seen a few amplifiers that I would consider beautiful. Such as the amps offered by Krell or Parasound.

Obtrusive speakers? Is there really such thing? The only obtrusive speakers I have found are ones that have horrible sound quality--those silly little cube speakers come to mind.

mulester7 · #10 10-05-2005, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clint DeBoer

Well, imaging is actually the ability to place the size and location of instruments/objects at specific points between the speakers. It's easy to say that a speaker can produce pinpoint sound - any $0.50 driver can do that provided it's 'on'. But take two drivers and see if you can specifically place (and describe the size and characteristics of) items in the space between and then you'll see if a system has good imaging.

.....for twice reading.....