And this tells me what?
nav said:
...There are a couple issues with frequency response and listener distance that simple level matching will have no effect upon.
Firstly, real-world drivers have varying radiation patterns at different frequencies. For a particular frequency, a measurement made at an angle relative to the driver's axis of motion may have a different level of output; and the relative output at each angle will be different for every frequency! Though what I wrote does little to explain the mechanics, this is why drivers tend to "beam" as they reproduce a higher frequency. The crossover design can affect how prevalent this is with a certain speaker quite a bit.
Secondly, when utilizing multiple drivers in a near-field situation ("sitting too close") the listener will have a substantially different angle between their ears and each driver. For speakers not designed for this, odd relative peaks and dips in frequency response are simply to be expected.
Thirdly, baffle reflection of a large object ("speaker") relative to a smaller object can play into other oddities.
This is all without even getting into acoustic reflections due to the room...
Edit: tweaked for a more apt quotation.
Tweeters
beam? No...really? Some more than others...Do we have any waterfall graphs or polar dipersion patterns to consult with?
Re: "Near-field radiators"? Multiple drivers of the same type in proximity of each other may certainly have minor differences vis a' vis propagation and reception angles (I think JNeutron could provide the required math), but I think any manufacturer worth it's salt would go to great pains to match the drivers characteristics when using them in multiples...and I also think there would be a certain amount of resultant comb-filtering effects that would be taken into account during the products' design.
Again, even in close proximity (is a 6-foot leg acceptible?), with that eqilateral triangle and commensurate at-ear-measured SPL levels corresponding to that distance, there should be no difference as far as I can see...in fact the Axiom site touches on near field listening, and while they cite use of bookshelf-type systems, floorstanders will work within the same ratio parameters...in fact those near field situations tend to ameliorate some of those direct/reflected sound issues, which is probably why studios tend to favor monitors within two-meters of the listener.
And...those SPLs are important...what sounds good and measures well @85dB level, can be found lacking at other levels...The entire FR can change as Fletcher-Munson shows us and any driver anomolies i.e. "beaming" can be exacerbated.
Are there better choices? Genelec 1032s come to mind...they're even internally bi-amped...plug in your source and your good to go...of course using MP3s and other cr@pola sources would seem to be rather foolish. And they ain't cheap.
Even lesser quality, smaller loudspeakers (typified with 4-6in. woofers) when placed in close proximity of the listener can provide quite satisfactory and balanced performance...Again it's those at-ear SPLs...Distance requires higher power and and also brings room effects into the picture...obviously you won't get any visceral, floor-shaking lows, but it has been my experience that the tweeters will not be required to broadcast a reasonably hemispheric soundfield for any great distance, which is what usually taxes their abilities to produce a cohesive, non-beaming wavefront.
Possible problems (beyond room treatments), as I see them:
Too loud...
Bad program material...
A 4 Ohm speaker causing problems with the amplification...
Perhaps too accurate, too linear, too dry and analytical, particularly in the near-field app...
Personally, I have found systems that produce an extended, reasonably flat FR to be hard and harsh in character and would always opt for a gentle roll-off above 10kHz thinking it sounds much more natural and musical.
So...are the OPs speaks overkill...well, maybe but there's no reason (at least I can't see any) they can't (at reasonable at-ear SPLs) be quite suitable.
jimHJJ(...and that's my story and I'm stickin' to it...)
