[NilsOlav]

Hello everyone,
 
I have KEF Q300s for my computer's speaker setup, placed on my desktop. The left speaker is close to the left corner of the room, while the right speaker is only against the back wall, which is right about at the middle of the room between both corners. After doing a lot of testing and worrying about my speakers/amp, I concluded that the corner is what is causing the left speaker to have a broader, deeper sound.
 
What are some solutions to this problem? For reference, my room is less than 100 sq. ft. and the walls are made of a cheap plaster.

 

[flatmap]

What you describe is consistent with the reinforcement caused by corner placement.
Basically a 'horn effect' like what you would get by cupping your hands in front of your
mouth.
 
How to solve?  Really I think you must move it out away from the corner. One (perhaps
not so pleasing) is to take the corner speaker and put it on a stand slightly behind you
in order to avoid the corner.  Well it is an irritating idea, I grant you.  But if you give
it a try you might find it preferable to the corner effect.
 
Or might relent on your current desk location of course, moving it out from the corner.
 
Sorry I can't think of anything else...

 

[wuwhere]

Place acoustic foam panels on the corner like these.
 

 

[NilsOlav]

 
What you describe is consistent with the reinforcement caused by corner placement.
Basically a 'horn effect' like what you would get by cupping your hands in front of your
mouth.
 
How to solve?  Really I think you must move it out away from the corner. One (perhaps
not so pleasing) is to take the corner speaker and put it on a stand slightly behind you
in order to avoid the corner.  Well it is an irritating idea, I grant you.  But if you give
it a try you might find it preferable to the corner effect.
 
Or might relent on your current desk location of course, moving it out from the corner.
 
Sorry I can't think of anything else...

 
Space is an issue in my room, its very compact, so its gotta stay on that side of the desk. I can move it away from the corner and closer to my computer monitor, but thats about it.
 
 

  Place acoustic foam panels on the corner like these.
 

 
I will try this, I suppose. How much of the corner will I have to cover with these? Enough that it covers a few inches above/below the speaker, or a lot more than that? I'll buy some of those foam speaker stands too in case that could help improve the sound as well.

 

[DingoSmuggler]

Thin acoustic panels like those won't have any impact on low frequencies, only upper mids and highs, due to the long wavelength of bass frequencies.
 
 
Do whatever you can to get your listening position as central as possible to the main wall, and the speakers as close to being equally spaced from the centre also.
 
You could also look into room EQing software, but you're better off fixing acoustic problems as best you can acoustically, then use processing just as the icing on the cake.
 
 
The #1 positively best way to avoid room acoustic misbehaviour is... SPOILER: use headphones 

 

 

[flatmap]

Another thought:  you could buy wall brackets and mount the speakers above you desk, equidistant from the corner.

 

[wuwhere]

   
Space is an issue in my room, its very compact, so its gotta stay on that side of the desk. I can move it away from the corner and closer to my computer monitor, but thats about it.
 
 
 
I will try this, I suppose. How much of the corner will I have to cover with these? Enough that it covers a few inches above/below the speaker, or a lot more than that? I'll buy some of those foam speaker stands too in case that could help improve the sound as well.

 
They can be up to 3 inches thick, perhaps two panels per side?
 

  Thin acoustic panels like those won't have any impact on low frequencies, only upper mids and highs, due to the long wavelength of bass frequencies.
 

 
My goodness, these are bookshelf speakers not full-range with double 12" woofers.

 

[NilsOlav]

  Another thought:  you could buy wall brackets and mount the speakers above you desk, equidistant from the corner.

I would have done this from the start, but the walls in this room are made cheap plaster, so I can't nail brackets into it or the wall will just chip apart.
 
 
 

   
They can be up to 3 inches thick, perhaps two panels per side?
 
 
My goodness, these are bookshelf speakers not full-range with double 12" woofers.

 
 
Well, I DO notice deeper bass resonating from the left speaker, and that is one of my primary concerns. The song I use to test my speakers has a steady bass beat. In the left speaker, the bass is much deeper: I can feel the bass vibrating through the table even; whereas its much weaker in the right speaker and I can't feel it vibrating through the table. So, will these acoustic panels help reduce this, or not?

 

[wuwhere]

  Well, I DO notice deeper bass resonating from the left speaker, and that is one of my primary concerns. The song I use to test my speakers has a steady bass beat. In the left speaker, the bass is much deeper: I can feel the bass vibrating through the table even; whereas its much weaker in the right speaker and I can't feel it vibrating through the table. So, will these acoustic panels help reduce this, or not?

 
Try swapping the speakers to see if the loudness follows the speaker. The corner can affect the sound but should not be as much as you are describing. Also check if your amp's left and right channel output is about the same.

 

[NilsOlav]

   
Try swapping the speakers to see if the loudness follows the speaker. The corner can affect the sound but should not be as much as you are describing. Also check if your amp's left and right channel output is about the same.

 
I have done extensive testing, swapping both speakers, as well as the amp's left and right output, and even the speaker wire and RCA connections. The deeper, broader sound always stayed on the left.
 
Then I cleared off my desk and only left 1 speaker connected. I started playing my test song with the speaker placed to the right, then while it was playing, I slowly slid it towards the left speaker position. The closer it got to the corner, the deeper the bass got.

 

[wuwhere]

   
I have done extensive testing, swapping both speakers, as well as the amp's left and right output, and even the speaker wire and RCA connections. The deeper, broader sound always stayed on the left.
 
Then I cleared off my desk and only left 1 speaker connected. I started playing my test song with the speaker placed to the right, then while it was playing, I slowly slid it towards the left speaker position. The closer it got to the corner, the deeper the bass got.

 
Have you tried toeing them in instead of straight, parallel to the back wall? The foam should be able to help absorb and breakup the sound bouncing off the side wall.

 

[NilsOlav]

   
Have you tried toeing them in instead of straight, parallel to the back wall? The foam should be able to help absorb and breakup the sound bouncing off the side wall.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. My room is very small, so I can't rotate my desk if thats what you mean.
 
So....should I just get some foam panels and cover the corner near my left speaker with them, leaving the wall behind my right speaker untouched?

 

[flatmap]

 
I'm not sure what you mean by this. My room is very small, so I can't rotate my desk if thats what you mean.
 
So....should I just get some foam panels and cover the corner near my left speaker with them, leaving the wall behind my right speaker untouched?

I consider the foam panels a long shot.  I don't think they are going to change the bass response.
 
Is there no acceptable way to move the speaker out of the corner? 

 

[NilsOlav]

 
I consider the foam panels a long shot.  I don't think they are going to change the bass response.
 
Is there no acceptable way to move the speaker out of the corner? 

Nope, space is really an issue here. It isn't just bass though. I'm listening to a song that has very little bass, and I notice the vocals sound like they're coming from the left. If foam panels can at least make mids and highs sound more centered, I would buy them.

 

[flatmap]

The panels can certainly help tame the reflections of mid-to-high frequencies.  
From what you say, you certainly want to manage the side wall and you might
well experiment treating all or part of the wall you are facing.
 
I'd say, start with the side wall and be sure to cover the first reflection point there.
 
You can also experiment with decorative wall hangings and such if you want to avoid the
appearance of the panels.  Experimenting with a temporary throw pillow or similar might
help you decide if a purchase is warranted.  IME.