New CLXes!

I just took delivery of my long awaited new CLX Art speakers a little over a week ago. I've let them run for break-in and have had some glorious listening sessions.

I just had a deep listening session for a few hours last night. These are marvelous speakers. The review descriptions were really on the money, extremely detailed, very revealing.

With about 100 hours of break-in on their clock, I am now working on fine tuning the set-up. I have a good size room, probably just right for these speakers. I set them up within inches of the owner's manual recommendations using the height ratio equation for the distance from the front wall and the room width equation for the distances from the side walls. They are just under 5 feet from the front wall, measured from the wall behind the front wall shelves. They are just slightly towed in, with the recommended inner third of the curvilinear panel reflected by flashlight. The sound stage is huge and the bass is excellent. However, I think the accuracy was a bit better when I had them more towed in and I am finding them still slightly bright.

What further recommendations and experiences have any CLX owners had with placement? I want to keep from going insane with tweaking them, but I still think there is room for improvement. Also, my f113 is in the corner behind and to the right of the right speakers. Any thoughts on optimizing the sub placement (I find that particularly tricky)?

Thanks for any feedback, it is a big help.

Here are some pictures of the new speakers:

WOW! Absolutely beautiful set-up.

WOW

That is awesome..

Happy listening, Good luck dynamite system!

Very Nice setup

Gorgeous room, Jeff!

Jeff said:

Also, my f113 is in the corner behind and to the right of the right speakers. Any thoughts on optimizing the sub placement (I find that particularly tricky)?

Thanks for any feedback, it is a big help.

Click to expand...

Well, the simplistic method is to do the "subwoofer crawl". Easily google-able, here's a video explanation. If you want to use a more rigorous approach, beg, borrow or buy a quality room measurement device e.g. REW, XTZ or Dayton Omnimic. This is, IMHO, an essential tool for best SQ. Place the mic at the listening position and have a partner move the sub along the available wall space (dolly required for that f113!) while you observe the changing FR response as it's moved. You're looking for the position which provides the most even response across the frequency band of interest. Run ARO after the sub is in its final resting place, as you want to EQ the worst peak found in that position.

How are you going to mate the f113 to the CLX? Low-pass @ ~56 Hz to fill in the bottom octave+ or ???

Jeff, that is awesome! glad they arrived safely. I would love to come over and hear this setup! I was at Todds house 2 weeks ago in Maine and would love to stop by your house as well! Im in CT also. Your welcome to hit my house too. let me know. congrats!!!!

Jeff - Ummmm... Holy Hopped-up Jehoshaphat! Killer system!

To partially reiterate RUR's input above... I agree that the buddy-crawl approach is probably the best method for locating your (massive) sub. Hopefully ideal sonic location will correspond with acceptable aesthetic location. It helps if your crawling buddy is a Victoria's Secret model... but I digress

So was the extended wait worth it in the end? Don't answer that. Of course it was worth it. And your color choice is a nice compliment to your equipment and room.

Your h/w floors and other hard reflecting surfaces *may* be contributing somewhat to the perceived brightness. I was actually worried about brightness in my room as many earlier speakers exhibited a certain "edge" to one degree or another"... but the CLXs (in my room) do not seem overly bright - even with minimal wall treatment. It could also just be (to some degree) a matter of break-in time in your case.

Well, congrats and thanks for sharing your beautiful room with us. Note that a few folks have posted vids of their systems (links to youtube). Let us know if you consider doing that. And if Necrosuit and you get together... please have a cold beer on me (metaphoically of course, because I'm too cheap to actually buy a few beers )

Curious as to those who own CLX's.

Are they as sensitive to vertical azimuth adjustments as the other models?

GG

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!

I appreciate the tweak suggestions as well. Tonight I did a bit more tweaking and a lot more listening. I increased the toe-in and spread them out a bit further, I think I like this better. I also listened a good bit with the sub off. I must say I am really pleasantly surprised by the bass. It is much better than I had expected. I am somewhat on the fence with the sub, sometimes I like it better turned off depending on the song. I am also finding myself turning them down a bit lower than i normally listen. This is a very good thing. The ability to sound wonderful without having to crank it all the way up was one of the things that attracted me to them. I am finding a sweet spot at what I would consider "moderately loud" -about 90-95db on the trusty Radio Shack meter. This is for more rocking tracks, the mellower stuff is nice at any even lower level. I listened to Coltrane's Blue Train at a fairly moderate level (for me) and it was glorious.

But, wow are these things revealing. The articles were right on the money, you hear EVERYTHING -warts and all! This takes a bit of getting used to. I think that is why i am so concerned with my set-up. I am anxious to get it all dialed in. I think a few more weeks of break-in will show some smoothing out as well.

So CLX compatriots, what is your experience with things like toe-in and break-in? Any more placement tips? Thanks!

So CLX compatriots, what is your experience with things like toe-in and break-in? Any more placement tips? Thanks!

I use the flashlight, then I spread out the speakers about 3/4 to 1". Full break-in about 200 hours.
Congratulation on your CLX's. Your room looks beautiful.

Gordon Gray said:

Curious as to those who own CLX's.

Are they as sensitive to vertical azimuth adjustments as the other models?

GG

Click to expand...

Mine are left vertical. Whether I stand up or sit down I notice no difference is sound. With my summits there was a difference.

Ron said:

Mine are left vertical. Whether I stand up or sit down I notice no difference is sound. With my summits there was a difference.

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yup... exactly the same here. I've not bothered to try any other rake angles.

Jeff said:

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!

I appreciate the tweak suggestions as well. Tonight I did a bit more tweaking and a lot more listening. I increased the toe-in and spread them out a bit further, I think I like this better. I also listened a good bit with the sub off. I must say I am really pleasantly surprised by the bass. It is much better than I had expected. I am somewhat on the fence with the sub, sometimes I like it better turned off depending on the song. I am also finding myself turning them down a bit lower than i normally listen. This is a very good thing. The ability to sound wonderful without having to crank it all the way up was one of the things that attracted me to them. I am finding a sweet spot at what I would consider "moderately loud" -about 90-95db on the trusty Radio Shack meter. This is for more rocking tracks, the mellower stuff is nice at any even lower level. I listened to Coltrane's Blue Train at a fairly moderate level (for me) and it was glorious.

But, wow are these things revealing. The articles were right on the money, you hear EVERYTHING -warts and all! This takes a bit of getting used to. I think that is why i am so concerned with my set-up. I am anxious to get it all dialed in. I think a few more weeks of break-in will show some smoothing out as well.

So CLX compatriots, what is your experience with things like toe-in and break-in? Any more placement tips? Thanks!

Click to expand...

I agree with a couple other give about 200 hours for proper break in. But also the brightness could be coming from reflections around the room. You have a nice setup so maybe look into Tube Traps. They have a variety of products for all different configurations, and decors. Probably the most flexible type of room treatments.

But my main thing for replying is on the sub. I would hate to tell you to spend more money but the ML Depth i and Descent i were built and have special setting for the CLX. They even make a chip that you can put in your Depth/Descent that make is blend almost too well. You have a fantastic sub now but I have a feeling that based off of what you told us I would strongly urge you to consider an ML sub.

Congrats on the CLX's!

ine are Vertical but after many adjustments have them toed in more then the 1/3rd flash light rule.

Hola. Congratulations and happy listening... just enjoy the beautiful sound and the best speaker that ML had ever made. Roberto.

Jeff said:

I am finding a sweet spot at what I would consider "moderately loud" -about 90-95db on the trusty Radio Shack meter. This is for more rocking tracks, the mellower stuff is nice at any even lower level. I listened to Coltrane's Blue Train at a fairly moderate level (for me) and it was glorious.

Click to expand...

Gulp. Do you mean 90-95DB C weighted?

Jeff, great-looking system and room.

Any plans to complete your Macintosh setup with a Macintosh turntable ?