Could 30 cm of Chair Movement Open Up This Soundstage?
Verification pending · Evidence-led diagnosis · Reversible first move · Verification pending
The capable system still produced a narrower-than-expected soundstage and song-dependent bass. An earlier clearance change had not been documented well enough to isolate cause. had assembled Original-generation Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 804 loudspeakers, Classé CAP-151 amplifier, Classé CDP.3, Bluesound NODE 2 and LAiV Harmony µDAC.. A narrow soundstage and bass that varied with the music, without evidence that equipment replacement was justified.
The System and The Challenge
Context: The capable system still produced a narrower-than-expected soundstage and song-dependent bass. An earlier clearance change had not been documented well enough to isolate cause.
System: Original-generation Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 804 loudspeakers, Classé CAP-151 amplifier, Classé CDP.3, Bluesound NODE 2 and LAiV Harmony µDAC.
Symptoms: A narrow soundstage and bass that varied with the music, without evidence that equipment replacement was justified.
Room Constraints
- Narrow mixed-use room with unequal reflection paths
- Window, blinds and radiator on one side; wall and doors on the other
- A large pinball machine between the speakers
- Chair near the room-centre region
- Exact ear coordinates and treatment construction unverified
The Starting Point
The photographs supported a geometry-led investigation. The chair could plausibly be narrowing the listening angle, while the pinball machine and side asymmetry could influence the front-stage reflection pattern.
Investigation & Modelling
Illustrative geometry showed that moving the chair 30 cm forward would widen the included listening angle. These were modelled relationships, not surveyed coordinates. The earlier clearance experiment could not answer the question because its reference points and simultaneous variables were not recorded.
Customer-reported symptoms and observed constraints. Geometry modelled from assumptions, not surveyed.
Recommended First Move
Keep both speakers fixed, mark the chair baseline and compare a 30 cm forward seat move against the original position.
- Mark both speaker footprints and the chair baseline
- Standardise source route, balance, processing, grilles and port bungs
- Verify polarity and secure connections
- Compare baseline, chair 30 cm forward, then baseline again
- Use the same centred vocal, spatial recording and multi-note bass excerpts
- Test 50 cm forward only if the first move is clearly useful and comfortable
No listening change or acoustic improvement has yet been confirmed. Treatment and later speaker changes remain provisional.
Recommended and reversible. Not yet implemented or verified.
Verification Pending
Chair-first test proposed, not implemented. Modelled angle changes are not surveyed room geometry and no improvement is verified.
Why This Case Matters
High-end systems are often blamed before the listening triangle is tested. A seat-only comparison is inexpensive and reversible; AudioBro adds the discipline to make the result meaningful.
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