# Speaker stacking



## pietsch288 (Sep 10, 2006)

Hi guys, 

I have the polk rt-3000p speakers for LCR and surrounds the SB channels are f/X1000. I'm thinking about buying another pair (just the bookshelf tops) and stacking my mains. My plan is to not hookup the tweeter on one speaker so only one tweeter plays thus adding 2 more midrange speakers to my mains. I would stack them so the midrange speakers are directly on top of the working tweeter, so the tweeter would be dead center of 4 midrange's. My goal is to accomplish a thicker/fuller sound. I am not worried about my amp as I am using the sunfire cinema grand 400x5 amp which can handle extremely low ohm loads and it's only going to be running the bookshelfs as the bottoms are powered. Can anyone give me the pros and cons of doing this please.


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

At least you have tried to think it through. But, alas, experience shows that this is rarely a successful approach.

_Thicker and fuller sound_ implies mostly improvement in the upper LF range, say 80 to 160 Hz or so, which will NOT be improved by your approach, or at least not without side effects. Those side effects would probably include interference in the lower-mids - interference that varies with the tiniest change in listening position and is hard to put one's finger on, elusive, but bugs you like crazy about half the time then not at at all the other half of the time. Driver integration is the key, and in your case it is not likely to be very good. It usually does not happen as a happy accident.

Getting all the drivers to work together and behave in a speaker design is the _secret in the sauce_ that can make all the difference in its listening pleasure.


If you just want to be able to blast louder, go for it. If you are looking for any improvement in sound quality beyond that, you will probably be disappointed.


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## pietsch288 (Sep 10, 2006)

Is there someone that makes a multiple driver LCR? Maybe something with like 4 ea 6.5" drivers.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

There are many speaker manufacturers who use a design like that but have you simply tried moving your current speakers out away from the walls a little? That can dramatically open up the sound of a speaker.


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## Lumen (May 17, 2014)

You can also try manual EQ. A slight boost of 1-2dB in the 80-160Hz range Wayne suggested might help. If it doesn't, try around 200-400Hz. You want a broad peak here (like a tone control), so use a low-Q filter. My AVR lets me sweep a center frequency up and down, so I can hear the effect while source material is playing.


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## ajinfla (May 10, 2009)

You could have poor integration between your mains and subs creating a hole and "thinness". Or.....
So more speakers, EQ etc may not help, or help but create other problems.
Solutions are tough when causes are unknown.
The first thing to establish is the source of the problem.

cheers


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## pietsch288 (Sep 10, 2006)

Don't stack speakers, got it. Lol
Right now my mains are just outside my screen aproxamatly 16-20" from the side walls and 3' or so from the back wall, my plan is to move the mains in Aprox 16-24" more and place them just inside the corners of the screen (screen in acousticly transparent ) and re-run audyssey. I had originally thought that I had enough clearance from the side walls and was trying to achieve better separation. My room is treated as well.

I think one of the things I'm trying to change possibly is trying to get "a more forward sound". The sound seems deep like it's coming from the back of the box (if that makes sense) that being said my polks are wayyyyy better than my klipsch RF-7's ever were. After I treated my room the RF-7's had to go and ever since then I've been scared to try a different speaker because the I don't hate the polks "I really LIKE them", LIKE being the key word not LOVE, these polks were really expensive and well built back in the day so I wonder if I'm just chasing my tail............


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Ya, the Polks you have are really nice speakers. Do you have any toe-in on those speakers? How about room treatment?

What does Audessey have set for your mains crossovers?


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## Gdaddy (Oct 29, 2016)

Lumen said:


> You can also try manual EQ. A slight boost of 1-2dB in the 80-160Hz range Wayne suggested might help. If it doesn't, try around 200-400Hz. You want a broad peak here (like a tone control), so use a low-Q filter. My AVR lets me sweep a center frequency up and down, so I can hear the effect while source material is playing.


This advice worked wonders. Boosting the frequency from 80 to 200hz brought out a fullness/richness to the sound that was much improved. Since the vocals were boosted it improved the imaging as well. Highly recommended.


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## pietsch288 (Sep 10, 2006)

Yes, my room is fully treated. I think I'm going to try and move those speakers tonight and re-run audyssey to see what happens.


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## AudiocRaver (Jun 6, 2012)

ajinfla said:


> Solutions are tough when causes are unknown.
> The first thing to establish is the source of the problem.


Hit the nail on the head! A solution where the problem is not well understood is usually a new/worse problem in the making.


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