A new approach to point source?

[Arindal]

Is it true in general that point source speakers usually have a smaller soundstage?

Have listened to quite some different models and cannot confirm that. If there is any general trend, I would say that the majority of point source speakers has a less diffuse, more coherent and more stable soundstage. While in my understanding this does not mean ´smaller´ by any means, some people who like an overly diffuse and enveloping ambience, as typically delivered by omnidirectional speakers, might think otherwise.

 

[Audionaut]

Is it true in general that point source speakers usually have a smaller soundstage?

No, in my opinion they have a much more consistent image.

You can literally see this in some examples, but you can also hear it in a blind test.

vs.

 

[Arindal]

You can literally see this in some examples, but you can also hear it in a blind test.

Fully agree, but have to remark that this is not exclusive to conventional coaxial designs with a tweeter placed inside the voicecoil former of a midrange/woofer or a tweeter horn going through the pole piece hole. The same might be achieved by midrange drivers surrounding the tweeter, tweeter and midrange drivers overlapping each other, being placed one in front of the other, very very close to each other, or, being designed as a fullrange driver for all relevant frequencies. All these concepts have different advantages and disadvantages, but are theoretically capable of achieving the goal of a pointsource from the perspective of imaging and localization stability.

 

[Audionaut]

All these concepts have different advantages and disadvantages, but are theoretically capable of achieving the goal of a pointsource from the perspective of imaging and localization stability.

Yes, it was just an illustrative example.

 

[Audionaut]

Guarded point source

 

[Arindal]

Guarded point source

Is this a B&C driver?

 

[Audionaut]

Yes, this one

 

[Curvature]

Incidentally in my own dedicated space, I've also treated the floor and the ceiling, and not the side walls. That room is among the better ones I've heard in terms of soundstage, 3D imaging and immersiveness.

How did you treat the floor and ceiling?

 

[sigbergaudio]

How did you treat the floor and ceiling?

The entire floor in the room is carpet, ceiling has a 40mm acoustical panels (suspended a bit below the actual ceiling creating an air gap behind the panels) covering 2.4x2.4 meters over the listening area.

 

[kimmosto]

Is it true in general that point source speakers usually have a smaller soundstage?

This is case-dependent. Some speakers with coaxial (mid+tweeter) have quite wide soundstage, but especially HF could be really scattered due to acoustical and electrical design. Quite opposite of what was advertised. More common is that soundstage is logical, but size depends on other things.