josq wrote:When judging sound quality difference you have to correct for loudness. (Slightly) louder appears to sound better. When you add another speaker pair you are getting a bit more loudness so you have to correct for that.
Yes, that is a 'trap' you can fall into when auditioning speakers or monitors at Guitar Center or similar with their multi-selector panel. The sightly louder speaker is the most impressive, especially since the comparison is usually out in the open and competing with other noise.
josq wrote:Thats because 1) adding the 10th pair of speakers (obviously) doesn't make the same difference as the 2nd pair;
Using a Hauptwerk algorithm where pipes/notes are divvied amongst x number of speakers, I found the magic number to be "4"; 4 stereo pairs to be exact. I've done a few tests and it seems the 5 pair is where the diminishing return starts; adding a the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pairs you hear a noticeable improvement, especially if you pause to play and audition after each addition.
josq wrote:Since you have a large room, I think the safest way to progress is to get the UMC1820 and to add another 8 channels (plus a subwoofer).
I would caution not to use this interface. It is known to have a buggy driver that is not compatible with certain releases of Windows, especially the later Windows 10 updates. There are so many other interfaces that will sound better and more reliable. If your are opting for Adam monitors don't cheap out on the interface. The later MOTU models rival that of RME.
Danny B.