Too small a room for SCM150s? Think again!

[jophill]

I have seen photographs of large loudspeakers in small rooms from the Far East, but courtesy of the Audio Affair Facebook page I see these photos from closer to home.

It's an unusual match but I am aware of another similar SCM150 installation that the owner reports works very well. I can certainly imagine ATC's low-Q bass tuning being room-friendly and providing this new listener with quite an experience.

[QuiteLikesMusic]

A novel hair-dryer....

[Mariner]

When I look at the linked photo, I think of a speedboat in the swimming pool!
In my experience, each loudspeaker, depending on its size, needs a certain volume level in order to sound optimally. If I stay below that, he plays below his potential, if I go above that, it gets messy.
The volume in the room shown will soon deafen the listener if he wants to hear the optimum.
Such pictures may impress so many.
But just because you have a lot of money to spend doesn't mean the solution is good!
On the other hand . ...
Everyone can do what they think is right!😁

[jophill]

I think I understand the PoV but my occasional experience suggests that visceral impact (AKA 'slam') is distinctly improved as one goes up in woofer size. So, I am not quite sure the "speedboat" analogy works in all ways.

My 9" drivers (SCM50ASL) have the beginnings of visceral impact in a 6.5m x 3.5m room. I have occasionally been able to listen to BBC recordings of concerts where I was present, and I have tried to become clear about the difference between live and reproduced sound. Comparison was some hours apart at best and I accept the fallibility of my audio memory. So, I do accept my tentative view may be not reliable.

In a small concert hall (e.g., London's Wigmore Hall), a concert grand piano has a noticeable visceral impact if you are close enough. Listening at home to a recording, I typically have to turn up the volume beyond normal to reproduce the level I think I heard in the hall. At that volume, tonality is generally good and visceral impact is there but not as good. I suspect the 12" SCM100 driver and even 15" from SCM150 would "move more air" at low frequencies in my room. I wonder if this is what others experience or not?

So, I suspect you can make good use of the capability of a SCM150 in a relatively small room as long as you don't over-drive room modes. Just how small a room is a question to which I don't have an answer.

[Mariner]

I think i know what you are talking about.....but it's difficult to translate "visceral impact" to german.
With my C1 sub I have something like this impact in my 16sqm room, but with room corrections.
I combination with the 20th, for my ears, it is all I need.
But.....I often thought about the 50th, not for the bass, but for the mid driver.
Nevertheless....if someone think that he needs the the 100th ore more in a room smaller than mine, and place them in the corners..... why not??
But I can't believe that is the optimum! And music is far more than an " visceral impact"