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This is a very important question as since very beginning of the projects it was questionable if I would be able to get away with the back/top firing position of my midbass horn. So, as now, when the midbass horn project is over and horns fully integrated into Macondo and into the room, does the midbass horns indicate themselves as horns are in the “wrong” location? Was I able to hide that location of the horns by my integration techniques? Was it a mistake to plan the midbass horns at the Behind-Above location as I did? The reason I would like to cover these questions is because I feel that the content of this thread is in a way a good blueprint for somebody who would like to follow my steps and built a similar horns in your own house. Do not take my “steps” too literally. There are many rooms out there with many options to position and variance of horns at the “wrong” locations.  My positioning of the midbass horns is just one of the options, there are many others. So, without generalizing too much I would like to cover my view on general atypical horn positioning and  about my behind-above in particular.

It is my feeling that there is absolutely nothing that can beat presentation and imaging of a properly positioned midbass horn or perfect room setup with midbass horn. In the perfect scenario the midbass would sit on the sides of MF Island. I have depicted it a few months back:

I do not have this option and my objectives did not even comply with this schema. May objectives were to make the midbass horn INVISIBLE IN THE ROOM and TIME ALIGNED. I absolutely successfully addressed my adjective; do I pay any toll for it by sonic problem related to my midbass horn imaging? Yes and now, and to evaluate it a bit complicated.

Under normal circumstances, sitting in my home and listening music there is absolutely no indication that there is a pair of 42Hz horns in the attic. The sound is full and coming very much from Macondo; in fact it is almost like a freak show with 115hz horns look like reproduce the whole bass spectra. When most of the LF events sharpen then bass localizes as it come from upperbass horn. This part of very, very, truly very good. However, there are some harmonic sequences (and only in classical repertoire) where sound coming ONLY from midbass and there is no sound from other channels. During those moments the midbass horns do indicate themes. Two moments however need to be considered to understand it correctly. The moments where no sound coming from Macondo are VERY seldom.  Also during those momants the horn does not localize behind me but rather Behind-Above, where 70-80% come to Above. The sound does not localize Behind-Above or better to say Behind-Above-Above-Above but rather sound moved a bit up. If MF move up then we have imaging shift –it is very visible and annoying. When however the lower end a move a bit up it is much less attracts attention as there is no focusing point. The sound instead of moving up just begins to fill the room from ceiling – with some music it creates very good effect.

All of it is very hard to delegate in description. Do not forget that miss- integration of my midbass horn is something that I very deliberate is trying to learn to recognize and to acknowledge. So I am much peakier and more anal then an average listener. There is a huge possibility that an average listener would not even recognize the difference. Sometimes I can play 5-6 CDs before I get a feeling that Behind-Above micro-event let itself to be heard. So, it is not so much in face and the Behind-Above is very non-invasive event what it take place.

What can I recommend to the people who are considering the similar deals on Attic and afraid that the Behind-Above positioning would be too critical? Well, invest in your education, fry over to my place and see how the Behind-Above works. I will be demonstrating to you the worst of the Behind-Above character and you will be able to make your own evaluation if it worth for you to be concerned.

My personal feels is that Behind-Above character works fine and evaluating all pluses and minuses that I know now I would still go for exactly what I did. Yes, some of the imaging moments that I was able to get in my old room are not available in my new room. I do not related it to Behind-Above location of my midbass, it also, not the end of my journey and I might further up find ways to shape up the imaging.  In the end I feel that Behind-Above location was a success. There are some adverse moments but they would be in ANY location of the midbass. Even if I go for the perfect room setup depicted above then the horns would have MUCH MORE reflections caught into the mouth with all negative consequences to Sound. One of the greatest thing of my Behind-Above location is that the horn is loaded to practically to open air, have no reflections and therefore it decays very softly. The advantage to sound is so huge that in my view it overrides any other advantages of disadvantages. This is my personal view and I built my horn for my personal use. I do clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of the Behind-Above idea and I do feel that with good sensibility the Behind-Above location my be very much well performing.

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