You’ve probably pulled your speakers well into the room. Imaging’s likely locked, the soundstage might feel spacious. Still, maybe there’s something off with vocals—possibly a little thin, not quite embodied. You slide the speakers back, just a touch. Suddenly, warmth returns. The voice steps forward—not just audible, but felt. Could it be the cabinet—not the driver—is voicing the presence?
What to Do
Try this: don’t chase “space” until you’ve heard your speaker’s baffle in its zone. Every enclosure, whether narrow or wide, radiates differently at the baffle step—the transition where forward-firing energy wraps around the cabinet. For small standmounts, that step might land around 300Hz. Out in the open, they lose reinforcement right where vocal body lives. Push them closer to the wall—six inches at a time. Stop when voices start sounding like people, not projections. Still not connecting? Try adjusting height. Sometimes, a few inches up or down reshapes how the lower mids reach your ear.
Here’s Why That Works
The baffle defines more than aesthetics—it’s the boundary between pressure and radiation. Below the baffle step, sound transitions from directional to omnidirectional, and that shift creates a dip unless compensated. Near a boundary—like the front wall—the reflected pressure boosts the missing energy. That’s not “more bass”—it’s correction, restoration. It’s the cabinet reminding you how it’s meant to play. Especially in small monitors, that front-wall proximity can be the difference between skeletal presence and full-bodied sound. Let your system breathe—not just in space, but in weight.
