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Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 10:01 am
by Dr Bunsen Honeydew
I have another way of showing and explaining the difference between point and squirt and semi omni loudspeakers. You have an orchestra or group or anything that creates a sound stage. With point and squirt it is like the players are on a revolving platform that revolves to follow you around as you move until you drop out of the sweet zone then the music fall apart. A semi omni keeps the sound stage stable and you just move around relative to it, and it rarely makes the music fall apart as the room *is part* of the soundstage. The soundstage / music starts to fall apart when the room is too large, especially if too high for the speakers

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 10:06 am
by antonio66
I can vouch for that Doc.

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:11 pm
by SteveTheShadow
Plus one on that score.

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:09 pm
by evilC
So, what is 'too high', where I am now has 10ft ceilings. Does the maximum/optimum height vary with the size of the upward firing drive unit (I'm thinking Cubes here)?
Stupid thought, but with higher/lower ceilings do you move the speakers closer to/further away from the wall?

Clive

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:15 pm
by Dr Bunsen Honeydew
10ft is fine, we are talking about the sort of rooms used in big room dem shows like Owston and NEBO. They get lost in very large areas and they lose the room effect with 12 to 15ft high ceilings. The room I had at Scalford about 8 years ago had what looked like 20ft ceilings. Cube 1s really struggled to work.

Image

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:18 pm
by evilC
Thanks. Not. So I can't cross them off my list! :)

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:25 pm
by Dr Bunsen Honeydew
Up to you.

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:27 pm
by terrybooth
evilC wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:09 pm Stupid thought, but with higher/lower ceilings do you move the speakers closer to/further away from the wall?

Clive
Once you've learned how to position cubes to suit you (how far out from a wall, how far to toe in), you can pretty much plonk them down in any domestic room and you'll get what you expect. I know this is a bit tautologous, but I don't think the variation in normal domestic listening conditions (unless you live in a barn) particularly affects them.

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 4:57 pm
by Nihil Sleighride
Since getting used to my Larsen's, I don't think I'd go back to point and squirt. As an aside, I believe MCRU may now carry the range, as they are on the website; might be an alternative to the NS1000 he proposes to use at the phono bake off.

Re: Semi Omni v Point and Squirt

Posted: Mon Jul 31, 2017 6:29 pm
by SteveTheShadow
Yes, I've seen the Larsens on his website.
Like you, after having experienced semi-omni operation via my own design speakers and the NVA Cube 2 s I had on loan from Richard, I'd never go back to direct radiators. Semi-omni presentation is simply more natural to my ears and sounds like real music playing in the room. The only thing that came close for musical realism were my big Metronomes.