Rocklard's Visit to Bigman's

Praise indeed

The video does not do the sound any justice at all.

Matt black front and top, finished ply on the sides?

Oh no, nicer than that. Matt black top half of baffle and top.
Bamboo sides (not curved) and bamboo bottom half of baffle. Looks great.

I'd go full baffle as it makes them look smaller

how do you think they'd fair for near field listening? approx 1.8 meters sitting from them.

I'm not far off that to be fair.

Is that from head to speakers, or front of chair to speakers?

I'll measure the distance.

To be 100% clear...I have absolutely no doubt the DIY OTPAP (On the piss acoustic panels) are largely responsible for these working here.

Let me have the dimensions of your room too and I'll see how we compare.

You may have ‘just’ designed and built the cabinets Jason, but the standard and quality is stunning.
Think you are going to be busy.
One thing I forgot to mention is that they are nowhere as big as I thought they might be from the photographs. This is a good thing.. I thought they might be too imposing, but they are not at all.

It's unlikely the 50mm thick panels will do much with any bass causing the boom you had.  That was at low 40Hz  and is your fundamental room mode (around 42Hz).  Large bass traps would help, as we found yesterday.  50mm is more likely to help with high frequency reflections and improvement of soundstage.  I'm not an expert, but have talked to few acousticians in the past about this.

You main mode at 42Hz was obvious yesterday and easily measurable (and calculatable).  The Q500s have a port tuning of 42Hz hertz also:

www.stereophile.com/content/q-acoustics-concept-500-loudspeaker-measurements

You unfortunately had the perfect storm.  The port was exciting your main room mode and things were getting out of hand quickly.  The Ekta's port is tuned at around 36-37Hz so far enough away to not be a problem as you heard.  

It's not a definite rule and depends on many factors, however, it was obvious to me yesterday.  My mate had exactly the same problem with my old speakers (he bought them) - room mode @42hz and port at 42Hz.  Exactly the same issue and sounded the same and measured the same (albeit only on a phone).  EDIT: we solved his by stuffing his ports and lifting his port frequency.  We then used 2 subs to fill in the frequency below speaker roll off.  Effectively tuned out the room mode by removing energy at the frequency.  Your Q's were just adding extra energy at exactly your room fundamental mode.

i have them toed in with 570mm from front baffle to wall at their furthest out side. i reckon they'd work.

I used to have them here:



Bass was fine.  A slight lift, but fine.  Soundstage is definitely better if you can get them out.  Cabinet depth could be 340-360mm depending on design

Yup. It was a perfect storm indeed.

The Etka didn't actually have a run without your large foam rolls yesterday, but once you left, the LF did start to infiltrate the sound.

It's odd as until you hear that, or rather don't, you don't know it's happening.

The Etka sounded a bit thicker and I didn't quite get the same sound we had gotten. I have now cut rockwool into strips and padded that corner out...it's about 150-200mm thick and it really shows. The LF bleed is cut out and that ultra tight and clean soundstage is back.

Had a monster listening session today and I am more convinced today than yesterday that these speakers are possibly the best things I've heard.

You're right, the Ektas had the foam rolls behind for the whole time I was there.  We put them in with the Qs and they helped there, but couldn't solve the port/room interaction completely.  

Yes, I certainly believe the foam rolls helped on the Ektas too - I've been using them for about a year now.  Around 200mm thick should definitely start to work (as you have found today).

I'm glad you like them so much.  I've not heard much better, although shows are always hard to judge kit.  I have heard a few speakers that I considered as good or better, but they were £50k plus.  The Focal Stella Utopias were amazing, but they are a little more expensive... about 50 times!  I don't think they had more resolution though, just more heft!  Those illuminator drivers (in the Ektas) are in speakers costing 100s of thousands of pounds.  Those drivers are seriously good and very few sub £20k speakers will have drivers that good.  

The only thing the Ektas can never do is defy physics!  They are everything you'd ever need in your room and probably a room quite a bit larger.  My new room (one day) will be pretty large, so why not go big?!  I want to move more air in the lower registers -   that's my main reason for moving on and that upgrade itch!  I doubt I can better the mid/treble on the Ektas, but I hope to add even more weight and realism - time will tell...