Thanks for the comment and compliment - it took me far too long to figure out just how important room setup is. And, unfortunately, it is probably the most overlooked part of putting together a great 2 channel rig. Though, to be fair, more often than not, the issue with addressing the room setup is due to lack of space and/or WAF.
It sounds like you've got a great setup there - and a lot of thought and care likely went into your speaker placement being away from both your front and side walls - I would love to hear it! I've tried doing the same - within the room limitations that I have, anyway. I'm still tweaking and working to add proper room treatments. I need to update my journey thread with some more info and pics of some of my experiments with speaker placement. My most recent attempt put my turntable off to the side of the room to keep the equipment between my speakers to a minimum. It is, at the very least, less of a visual distraction (forgive the terrible picture and lighting).
I'm always learning and tweaking and will continue to do so - of course, enjoying the music is most critical!
Are those speakers Usher also?
Don't worry too much about your gear being in between your speakers. Let me tell you a little secret: Assuming that the rest of the system is comprised of superior suitably matched components, and that the speakers have been placed well within a good room, the most limiting factor in many systems is the Source component. Because the Source isn't satisfying the owner(though they consider it to be sufficiently excellent) they start looking for reasons why they are not satisfied with their collection of great amplification and great speakers. If anything, the presence of superb amplification and superb speakers well set out in a good room
mandates the best possible Source one can aspire to.
The Source is like the origin of the water we drink and the amps and speakers are akin to the pipes which bring that water to our sense of taste. Sure if the pipes are fouled, the purest of water will be tainted, but this analogy I've posited above assumes amps and speakers which are beyond reproach. Pristine pipes can do nothing to improve foul water. The excellence which we eventually experience in a top flight sounding system
must flow from the Source component. It cannot be otherwise.
An even better analogy is considering the Source component to be the foundation component. Like the foundation of a building. Pouring money into a system's amplification and speakers without proper consideration of the Source is like building the most magnificent mansion on a compromised foundation. One may be initially impressed by the splendour of it all but eventually cracks will appear as one becomes aware of, then annoyed by, the flaws revealed as the Source's contribution. The more splendid the amps and speakers, the greater the dissatisfaction.
The best systems have a well spread
balance of virtues right across the system, but it has to start from the Source.
I regard the Source in a turntable based system to be comprised of the turntable arm cartridge and phono stage. The turntable is the foundation of that collection. Followed by the arm. Followed by a cartridge that is suitable for that arm. Followed by the phono stage. Not just my opinion on that order of importance. It can be demonstrated with controlled substitution of combinations of those elements. Here, just like on the overview of the entire system, a turntable Source comprised of those elements also only rises to glory when there is a balance spread of virtues across the elements of the Source.
You have invested in a good turntable for your system and I'm sure that you have experienced for yourself the huge improvement that it brought to your listening pleasure. Yes improving other elements like power conditioning, cabling, interconnects will further increase what situation. Mainly due to a clearer view of the virtues of the turntable. When you hear people extolling the improvements conveyed by their upgrading of the power aspects, the cabling, the interconnects etc, what they are extolling is the fact they they are now hearing
more of the virtues of the sound of their Source component. Virtues that were previously masked by the lesser performing elements that were put aside. Naturally, the newly substituted element gets the praise. Consider this: the same person might express disappointment with the exact same element if it was substituted into an otherwise superb system that contained a compromised Source component, simply because that element now has them hearing
more of the sins of that Source component. This is the origin of some of the contention between individuals who argue over the merits of the same particular specific element. Both of them using the same item but experiencing polar opposite results and truthfully communicating their experiences. Neither of them are wrong in their assessment of the element
in their systems. The flaw in the comparison of their assessments lies in the fact that they are not comparing apples to apples. The one with the superior Source hearing more of the virtues of his Source praises the element. The one with the more compromised Source now hears more of the compromises of the Source and complains about the fact that he is less satisfied with the result after the new element has been introduced. Of course, what I just said in the last six sentences does not explain all contention about the absolute ability of particular elements, nor does it mean that all dislike of a system element can be slated-home to the Source. Not by any means. It just explains some of the contention and some of the dissatisfaction.
