[jimtranr]

a significant improvement in soundstage presentation.

On the face of it, the attached thumbnails don't reflect a significant visual alteration of my primary system's Tube Trap configuration as depicted in the last photo and diagram posted a week or so ago. They're provided here simply as a refresher reference.

I made three adjustments:

1. Reorienting the fireplace-centered three-foot 9" trap so the diffusor section faces the listener.
2. Pulling that trap out from its snugged-up-to-the-fireplace position so its rear sits about two inches in front of the fireplace glass doors and tile.
3. Pulling the 16" rear corner and 11" jutting-out corner traps out about two inches from their respective corners.

What prompted the adjustments was something I read recently that unhooking corner traps from their flush-to-the-wall positions may open up the spatial presentation of classical and other large orchestral works. Since such fare (e.g., symphonies, concertos, "big" film scores, and ballets) constitutes a good portion of my listening, I thought I'd give the concept a whirl. It didn't cost anything--and, more important, I doubted that my wife would notice a two-inch moveout of the 16" rear-corner Super Traps that, tolerant as she is, induce a minor case of heartburn every time she glances back at that end of the room.

I also decided, despite initial auditions a while back suggesting that an orientation change wouldn't make a significant difference, to flip the fireplace trap around and pull it out a couple inches as well. Given the "acoustic shadowing" traps provide, I figured that a couple of inches separation in that location wouldn't hurt.

I've spent much of my time over the last several days listening to records, CD's, SACD's, and FM (particularly a recorded-live broadcast of a concert performed in the marvelous acoustic of the Concertgebouw) of mostly large-scale orchestral works. The verdict with the vinyl and digital discs I'm very familiar with is that the moveout and diffusor-orientation adjustments expand the sense of space and ambience on well-recorded material where at least a hint of significant space (whether "natural" or mix-enhanced) already existed. The Concertgebouw broadcast via my MR77 was just plain eerie in extending a virtual invitation to step into the soundstage, moreso than in previous listening sessions to the Radio Nederlands broadcasts on the same system.

Studio recordings, particularly multimiked-and-mixed-to-death productions of pop bands, vocals, and the like that previously conveyed no significant spatial illusion did not suddenly exhibit what some like to call "air," indicating that the trap adjustments did not add a patina of their own to whatever sonic presentation happened to be at the plate. But even on such recordings image focus was improved.

I don't suggest these trap adjustments as prescriptive, only as descriptive of what they effected in my specific listening space. But since they don't cost anything--except perhaps some time, particularly in comparative listening and back-and-forth trap adjustments--they might be worth a whirl. Here, they're now the standard configuration. I just hope my wife doesn't fix her eyes on the rear of the room too often.