Near Fields

[Unregistered]

I have noticed in a number of the editorial reviews here on small sat systems, the reviews will mention things like "which was suprising because these were not set up as a near field."

I feel I have read nearly all of the beginner-related articles and then some as well as a healthy dose of discussion forums. Yet I still have not idea what in the world a "near field" is or if it is in fact a good thing. I realize I am low on the totem-pole of audio understanding but it seems as though this is mentioned in relation to entry level systems, which are geared to the neophyte user rather than the experienced and elite. Would anyone care to explain this term to me?

 

[Rob Babcock]

The term "near field" is a fancy way of saying "listening really close to the speakers." By positioning the speakers within 3-6 feet of the listening seat, one is supposed to minimize room effects and "hear into" the recording better, so the theory goes.

Very small speakers work better in the "nearfield" than very large ones as large speakers with several widely spaced drivers need distance to properly integrate. If you sit too close to a multidriver speaker it's easy to hear the individual drivers instead of a nicely integrated whole sound.

Nearfield listenings is thought by many to be more intimate and engaging that the more common speaker placements.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

Back in the 60's I used to listen in the Strawberry Fields. I could do it forever!

But seriously: I've also heard another take on the near/far-field thing, having to do with the geometry of the sound radiation. "Nearfield" listening to conventional point-source speakers yields a hemispherical wavefront since the sound is basically radiating in a more or less hemispherical pattern (fully spherical in the case of low frequencies). Getting farther away yields what is supposedly a "farfield" image, where the hemispherical wavefront is so large that it is perceived more as a flat wavefront. As for what this means to the sound - don't ask me!

Supposedly, planar type and line-source speakers put one in the "farfield" even when listened to close up because of their cylindrical/flat wavefront.

If I had to hazard a guess, I suppose the difference in sound between "near" and "far" fields would be like the difference between front row and rear seats in an auditorium: greater stereo separation but less "ambiance" in the nearfield and the opposite in the far field. Since I have scant experience with planar speakers or with large enough rooms to be in the "farfield", I could be out in left field...