Near-Field Listening: What Speaker Characteristics Make For the Best Experience?

audioarcher

Well-Known Member
May 6, 2012
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Seattle area
It's not just room interaction. You also lose detail the farther away you are from the speakers. It gets degraded by the air it has to move through.

I like to sit around 8 ft from my speakers. Any farther and I lose too much detail for my taste. Closer than that the performers sound too close. It is a balance of priorities. This all comes down to personal preference. There is no right answer.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
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Manila, Philippines
Tim is a musician so it is no surprise that he likes things "up close". I'm not a musician so I want to emulate what in my mind might be the best seat in the house. They are two very different perspectives. To say a far or even midfield perspective is not being true to the music to me is a crazy idea. Sort of dumb even. I don't know any musician worth his salt that plays for sound for sound's sake. Sound is the medium not the message.
 

GaryProtein

VIP/Donor
Jul 25, 2012
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NY
OK. I get it. I think your "distance" from the performers is defined by the recording far more than it is by the listening space or position, but I get it. And by the way, I wouldn't consider 6 feet near field. Less than four is more like it. My monitors sit a bit more than 3 ft from my ears. Toed in properly they image beautifully; close your eyes and they're gone. The distance I get from the performance varies broadly, depending on the recording. And 80dB @ 3ft is the same as 80dB @ 20 feet. It just takes moving a lot less air to get there. The difference is the amount of room interaction. I think you must have heard near field that was not set up properly, or speakers that would not cohere well in such a short distance.

P

I had no idea people listen to speakers, other than at their desk on a computer at three feet.

You are correct, I have never listened to high quality monitors at 3-4 feet.
 

Phelonious Ponk

New Member
Jun 30, 2010
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Tim is a musician so it is no surprise that he likes things "up close". I'm not a musician so I want to emulate what in my mind might be the best seat in the house. They are two very different perspectives. To say a far or even midfield perspective is not being true to the music to me is a crazy idea. Sort of dumb even. I don't know any musician worth his salt that plays for sound for sound's sake. Sound is the medium not the message.

A fair point, jack. My listening position, at the "original event", is pretty close. In fact I prefer the sound during rehearsal to performance, where we basically play in a circle facing toward each other. It's a great perspective, and is likely an influence in my comfort with near field and headphone listening.

Tim
 

Phelonious Ponk

New Member
Jun 30, 2010
8,677
23
0
I had no idea people listen to speakers, other than at their desk on a computer at three feet.

You are correct, I have never listened to high quality monitors at 3-4 feet.

Pretty much the norm for mixing in the studio.

Tim
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
The best near-field speakers I've heard are the PTE Phoenix and the Focal Twin6. Both of these speakers have been in my studio for extended listening sessions. I've had many speakers in here from Genelec, ADAM, KRK, Barefoot and Yamaha. The only complaint, if any, is the Focals can be fatigueing after 5-6hr. The best part about the Focals is that it is a front ported design and you can place them up against the front wall.
 

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