On Axis and Off axis

[JeffM 10+ year member]

Does anyone know what effect of on axis/off axis tweeters has on imaging/sound stage?

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[hoss 5,000+ posts]

it has to do with how it will blend with the mids.

its somewhat subjective, and entirely install dependent. but it just has to do with the sound dispersion of the tweeter.

think of it as a laser vs a flashlight. a tweeter with a strong on axis resonse is like a laser (in the sense that the sound travels like a beam, it is concentrated as you are looking at the tweeter head on, and you can barely see the light when looking from a 45 degree angle. and likewise, another tweeter might spread light like a flashlight, with a wide spread.)

higher freq's actually do tend to act more like a laser in the above example. they are more concentrated in a "head on" situation. so an off axis tweeter might help in your install case, and would definitly help in the imaging/staging.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

It's hard to say what exactly will be better.

I've heard tweets mounted off axis on dashboards or in pillars, for example, that sounded amazing...but it's dependent on the design of your dash and the rake of the windshield.

Conversely I've heard on-axis tweets in kicks that have brought the stage up to eye height...there's no one right way to do it all the time.

 

[tcguy85 10+ year member]

yea i just moved my tweeters so they are 100% on axis and i like the difference a lot. a lot more top end detail, but still no harshness up top. also like he says it can move the stage higher, and for me it did that as well.

but it all depends on the car, the location you mount them and the tweeters themselves.