It's all gone so slow !

...I can't explain everything and could only make feeble, uneducated guesses even if I were at your place.

But consider that you've *moved* everything. How the stands are setup, how the cables are laying, a change of mains plugs (did you?), and a gazzillion other things can affect system performance.

Seems unlikely to me that *only removing* something from between the speakers would make timing worse. Something else has changed, and when you change that back, you may still have the improved tone/coherence/etc. and have your timing too.

All the best in sorting it out

- GregB
Freedom is not in finding the Holy Grail but in stopping the search for it

Try re-positioning the electronics to the opposite wall. If you are using a turntable (also applies to CD), the place that as far as possible from the loudspeakers.

It is likely that the modes of vibration from the loudspeakers were neatly avoided when the equipment was sited where it was. My advice is to keep the equipment away from the loudspeakers and experiment with positioning.... I know it takes time.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Thanks Greg but just to add to the mystery.

When I originally moved the kit and discovered the timing issue I moved it back to test. The result was timing straight back to normal. I've spent time aligning the rack and equipment in it's new position(and checked the floor for wobbles) but have found no improvement.

Very strange.

Darren Miller

The airborne vibration idea makes a lot of sense. I've actually got a walk in cupboard along the other wall and so could position the kit effectively out of the room. This should prove a point.

Sounds like my evenings planned.

Regards

Darren Miller

I still say that it is the modes of vibration from the floor.

The original position was in an antinode (low vibration)
The new position was in a node (high vibration)

There is bound to be a 2nd anti-node somewhere in the room. Let's hope its not where you are sitting!

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

I just know that I sitting right on it.

Cheers

Darren Miller

The answer is obvious - don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner.

You must rotate the room 90 degrees so the kit can stay where it is in proper alignment with the stars.

Quite a mystery you've got there. BTW, what kind of supports are you using (Oh Dear...)?

- GregB
Freedom is not in finding the Holy Grail but in stopping the search for it

Darren,

when you re-site the equipment is it still plugged into the same mains socket?

The sockets in my lounge are actually split between two different mains rings, which could easily cause quite a different sound.

I switched my mains off and opened up every socket on the kitchen mains ring (which also feeds the hifi in the lounge) and tightened the screws up as hard as I could without stripping the screw heads. The socket with the hi-fi attached was so loose that it came off in my hand as I unscrewed it from the wall. This tweak gave me a big improvement, and could explain your differences perhaps?

cheers, Martin

I think it is better to locate the system outside
the area betwwen the speaker like you did.

We had discussed it before - I think if you feel the music goes slower it means something goes better.

As I said, I think (just think...) that the reason is that when the music comes out better -
it gives your brain more time to "evaluate" it
because it is not "loading" with "false" data.

maybe the change confuses you because what you
used to hear - but I always noticed that improving the system in a substantial way
improves the sound and "slows" the music.
And this "slowing" makes everything clearer
and easyer to folow. Never felt it changes
my involving feeling or timing and always felt
it gives me a "relaxing" feeling.

That's all I feel about - and I always thinking many members here are rushing too fast to solve
any phenomenon in technical chnges.

I suggest you will not chnge anything for several days, audition music you love for some period and then decide if you have to chnge something again.

Arie

Omer,
If you are quoting me, at least correct my spelling....

Arie

Thanks for all the suggestions chaps. A few answers for some of your queries. The power is plugged into the same sockets. I also managed, with the aid of a wheeled trolly, to move the equipment between positions without disconnecting the power supply. I did have to disconnect the speaker cable though. I'm not sure if this would have made any difference.

I'm kind of getting used to the sound now. There's certainly more clarity than before but I'm still not conviced that the timing is right. The difference only happens when the system is placed between the speakers. I've now tried several different room positions. And the results are the same.

Darren Miller