Copper Magazine · Issue 26 · A free PS Audio publication
Issue 26 FEATURED

Something to Talk About

Something to Talk About

Recently, I was thinking about the many topics that my Get Better Sound audio seminar attendees have liked most over the years.  The list is fairly long, but there has been a general pattern.

It took a while, but I managed to narrow that list down to those that have proven to be the most popular.  It occurred to me that instead of just submitting a topic, perhaps you could choose from those topics that interest you most and post a reply below.  That way we can discuss your favorite.

Here is my list – in no particular order:

If different loudspeaker manufacturers use fundamentally different set-up guides, who is right?

 Could your chair or sofa be damaging your music reproduction?  

 Why an equilateral loudspeaker setup can detract from your musical experience

 Precise Imaging vs. Tone?

 Depth vs. Presence?

 When exotic speaker feet, spikes, isolation devices, etc. can negatively affect your sound.

 Why you should remove unused speakers from your listening or short/cover them  

 Why wide dispersion for loudspeakers might be a bad idea for home audio  

 The one thing that your system must have to be musically satisfying  

 What are audiophile “sound effects” – and how do they affect our listening?  

 Why you shouldn’t place equipment or furniture between your speakers  

 The “around-the-corner” test  

 How to determine the acoustic transparency of a material to be used for room treatments or speaker grille cloths  

 How to know when you’ve gone too far with room treatments  

 The Top Three most important places for room treatments  

 How to avoid the ­worst sounding location for your system electronics and sources

 Fine-tuning your system’s tonal balance and stereo imaging with speaker placement

 How to use toe-in (speaker angle) to make your speakers seem to “disappear” sonically, as well as to affect their tonal balance  

 What happens when you listen at different seating heights ?

 Why you shouldn’t consider speaker placement final until you’ve discovered the correct AC polarity for all components  

 When you should consider trying an asymmetrical speaker/listening positioning for the best bass response  

 When you should consider a 45-degree placement for difficult rooms  

 Why you need to have an audio system “road map”

 The one thing you must do to make sure your vacuum tube electronics perform at or near their peak

 Vertical vs. horizontal bi-amplification  

 Bi-amping with similar amps vs specialized/different amps 

 Can you adjust spectral balance to +/- .5 dB with your electronic crossover?  

 When adjusting bass levels with a bi-amplified system, can you shift the crossover point to compensate for the lower or higher level you just selected?  

 Looking forward to seeing what interests you!

Note: These potential Copper articles will be excerpted and edited from existing Get Better Sound topics, as well as from their accompanying Quarter Notes newsletters.

More from Issue 26

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#236 Magic Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Live and Rediscovered by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Great Rhythmic Divide: Composer David Chesky Asks, Why Doesn't the Symphony Orchestra Groove? by David Chesky Nov 02, 2026 #236 More Record Reviews: Roni Eytan’s Microtonal Harmonica, Jane Ira Bloom, and a Frank Zappa Freak Out by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 An Album of Inviting Beauty: Goodnight Moon from Acoustic Eidolon, And an Interview With the Artists Who Created it by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 Never Ignore Your Inner Voice by B. Jan Montana Nov 02, 2026 #236 Composer Joseph Bertolozzi Uses Bridges, Structures and the World as Musical Instruments, Part One by Joe Caplan Nov 02, 2026 #236 Transmission: A Powerful Horn-Loaded Album from the Huntertones by Ray Chelstowski Nov 02, 2026 #236 Les Quatre Saisons du Québec: a New “Four Seasons” on Tour and on ATMA Classique by Robert Schryer Nov 02, 2026 #236 From The Audiophile's Guide: A Glossary of Terms for Today's Audio Systems, A – M by Paul McGowan Nov 02, 2026 #236 From The Listening Chair: An Introduction to Audiophile Tweaks by Howard Kneller Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Vinyl Beat Grew Two Inches Since October! by Rudy Radelic Nov 02, 2026 #236 How to Play in a Rock Band, Part 29: Figuring Out How to Play the Songs by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Return of the Residents: Eskimo is On the Road by Wayne Robins Nov 02, 2026 #236 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Nov 02, 2026 #236 The People Who Make Audio Happen – Fun In Las Vegas at…CES 2026? by Harris Fogel Nov 02, 2026 #236 The Forms of Things Unknown by Frank Doris Nov 02, 2026 #236 Prophetic by Peter Xeni Nov 02, 2026 #236 Here's Looking at You, Kid by Rich Isaacs Nov 02, 2026 Favorites From T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026 by Cam Martin Oct 05, 2026 #235 Singer/Songwriter John David Schrader: On the Need to Create, Part Two by Joe Caplan Oct 05, 2026 #235 A Life in High-End Audio: The Roy Hall Interview, Part Two by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 Grammy-Winning Producer, Songwriter, and Guitarist John Leventhal Goes Instrumental With National Drift by Ray Chelstowski Oct 05, 2026 #235 From Swimming Pool to New Listening Room—to Founding an Accidental Audio Company by Gilles Laferrière Oct 05, 2026 #235 The Vinyl Beat’s Size Matters Edition by Rudy Radelic Oct 05, 2026 #235 The Sublime Complexities of Nature by B. Jan Montana Oct 05, 2026 #235 How to Play In a Rock Band, 28: Growing Older and Dealing With It by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 Young Rascals: From Bar Band to Stardom by Wayne Robins Oct 05, 2026 #235 Duncan Sheik: In Memoriam by Ray Chelstowski Oct 05, 2026 #235 From The Listening Chair: The Meze Audio 105 Silva Headphones by Howard Kneller Oct 05, 2026 #235 Checking Out Some NOLA Loudspeakers – and Some Thoughts About Audio Writing by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 The Kanazawa Phonograph Museum: Music from a Time Capsule by Sebastian Polcyn Oct 05, 2026 #235 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Oct 05, 2026 #235 From The Audiophile’s Guide: Making the Most Critical Choice by Paul McGowan Oct 05, 2026 #235 Evolutionary Growth by Frank Doris Oct 05, 2026 #235 Speed Racer by Peter Xeni Oct 05, 2026 #235 Happy Halloween! by James Schrimpf Oct 05, 2026 #234 A Life in High-End Audio: The Roy Hall Interview, Part One by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Jason Greenlaw Offers His Personal Perspective on Jazz Guitar in Vantage Point by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Transcendent Phoenix: Lucina Yue Brings the Ancient Konghou Into Modern Times by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 We Must All Follow Our Bliss by B. Jan Montana Sep 07, 2026 #234 How to Play in a Rock Band, 27: Leveling Up by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Ross Valory: Traveling Into New Musical Territory With All of the Above by Ray Chelstowski Sep 07, 2026 #234 Singer/Songwriter John David Schrader: On the Need to Create by Joe Caplan Sep 07, 2026 #234 The People Who Make Audio Happen: More From T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026 by Harris Fogel Sep 07, 2026 #234 The Vinyl Beat Digs Into the Gadget Box by Rudy Radelic Sep 07, 2026 #234 The Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues Spoken Loud by Wayne Robins Sep 07, 2026 #234 Musical Moments by Rich Isaacs Sep 07, 2026

Something to Talk About

Something to Talk About

Recently, I was thinking about the many topics that my Get Better Sound audio seminar attendees have liked most over the years.  The list is fairly long, but there has been a general pattern.

It took a while, but I managed to narrow that list down to those that have proven to be the most popular.  It occurred to me that instead of just submitting a topic, perhaps you could choose from those topics that interest you most and post a reply below.  That way we can discuss your favorite.

Here is my list – in no particular order:

If different loudspeaker manufacturers use fundamentally different set-up guides, who is right?

 Could your chair or sofa be damaging your music reproduction?  

 Why an equilateral loudspeaker setup can detract from your musical experience

 Precise Imaging vs. Tone?

 Depth vs. Presence?

 When exotic speaker feet, spikes, isolation devices, etc. can negatively affect your sound.

 Why you should remove unused speakers from your listening or short/cover them  

 Why wide dispersion for loudspeakers might be a bad idea for home audio  

 The one thing that your system must have to be musically satisfying  

 What are audiophile “sound effects” – and how do they affect our listening?  

 Why you shouldn’t place equipment or furniture between your speakers  

 The “around-the-corner” test  

 How to determine the acoustic transparency of a material to be used for room treatments or speaker grille cloths  

 How to know when you’ve gone too far with room treatments  

 The Top Three most important places for room treatments  

 How to avoid the ­worst sounding location for your system electronics and sources

 Fine-tuning your system’s tonal balance and stereo imaging with speaker placement

 How to use toe-in (speaker angle) to make your speakers seem to “disappear” sonically, as well as to affect their tonal balance  

 What happens when you listen at different seating heights ?

 Why you shouldn’t consider speaker placement final until you’ve discovered the correct AC polarity for all components  

 When you should consider trying an asymmetrical speaker/listening positioning for the best bass response  

 When you should consider a 45-degree placement for difficult rooms  

 Why you need to have an audio system “road map”

 The one thing you must do to make sure your vacuum tube electronics perform at or near their peak

 Vertical vs. horizontal bi-amplification  

 Bi-amping with similar amps vs specialized/different amps 

 Can you adjust spectral balance to +/- .5 dB with your electronic crossover?  

 When adjusting bass levels with a bi-amplified system, can you shift the crossover point to compensate for the lower or higher level you just selected?  

 Looking forward to seeing what interests you!

Note: These potential Copper articles will be excerpted and edited from existing Get Better Sound topics, as well as from their accompanying Quarter Notes newsletters.

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