SL3s and a very small room

I am down sizing due to a move... and here in Japan that can mean VERY small... the average room is 9ftx12ft with 8-9ft ceilings. I have a pair of SL3s in storage that need new panels... I would love to hear them again... but is it worth it to buy new panels if they are going to be in such a small room? (panels are now a ridiculous $1,300 plus shipping which is bound to be several hundred dollars as well).... Martin Logans are no longer sold in Japan. So if I do not repair them I will probably have to go back to a box speaker... thoughts? Can I make the SL3s work in such a small space?

I recently moved into a 1906 house that also has very small rooms. My SL3s work very well in a room similar to yours BUT this is due to three factors: first, I used the bass switch in the back to effect a 3dB cut, second I use a DSPeaker Dual Core to correct for room modes in the bass, third i got rid of the spikes and replaced them with double thickness E.V.A. Anti vibration pads. With these changes, the SL3s are sounding better tha ever. But it may not be cost effective for you, given that you need to replace the panels. And, of course, another most important element: sound absorbing panels at the first reflection points, plus corner bass traps at the back wall and 'Skyline' diffusers at the front wall (behind the speakers) . . .

Regards,

Guido F.

If the old SL3 panels still play but are just down a bit in efficiency or highs, then this might be a great time to add some kind of DSP crossover and eq in place of the passive stock xo and eq. This will allow you to boost the missing highs, while at the same time dial in the bass much better for the small space. Win, win?

I have a pair of SL3's repaneled several years ago for $700 and really enjoy them in an 18x 26 room. If I recall correctly, the feeling was that these needed a lot of space to do their thing. Regarding DSP, I respectfully disagree with Tosh. If the panel is bad, it seems like a band aid solution. Plus you have to really know what you are doing with DSP,XO,etc. Every time I start looking at Jonfo's amazing project, I realize it's way above me.
I don't think I will be repaneling my speakers at those prices. Have you considered newer, moderately priced ESL ML's?

Lightloopy said:

I have a pair of SL3's repaneled several years ago for $700 and really enjoy them in an 18x 26 room. If I recall correctly, the feeling was that these needed a lot of space to do their thing. Regarding DSP, I respectfully disagree with Tosh. If the panel is bad, it seems like a band aid solution. Plus you have to really know what you are doing with DSP,XO,etc. Every time I start looking at Jonfo's amazing project, I realize it's way above me.
I don't think I will be repaneling my speakers at those prices. Have you considered newer, moderately priced ESL ML's?

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I actually just completed a changeover from passive crossovers to active with my Vistas. I used MiniDSP PWRIce 250 plate amps. While the mod wasn't completely foolproof, it was far from impossible. Tosh was very helpful; he's a knowledgeable fellow. Setting the crossover points and playing with the PEQ filters has been a lot of fun, actually. Not difficult, but requires patience to appreciate the changes to different settings. The speakers do sound much better; that much was apparent right away. Now that I have the flexibility of DSP, I don't think I'll go back to passive in the near future.

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?15894-ML-Vista-Crossover-Bypass

Lightloopy said:

I have a pair of SL3's repaneled several years ago for $700 and really enjoy them in an 18x 26 room. If I recall correctly, the feeling was that these needed a lot of space to do their thing. Regarding DSP, I respectfully disagree with Tosh. If the panel is bad, it seems like a band aid solution. (snip)

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My DSP suggestion was not a blanket statement about fixing all bad panels, but a possible tailored solution taking advantage of the likely lower SPLs needed in OP's small space. Driving bad panels with additional compensational EQ to full volume would indeed be bad for the amp and worse than a band-aid.

Bimotarich said:

I am down sizing due to a move... and here in Japan that can mean VERY small... the average room is 9ftx12ft with 8-9ft ceilings. I have a pair of SL3s in storage that need new panels... I would love to hear them again... but is it worth it to buy new panels if they are going to be in such a small room? (panels are now a ridiculous $1,300 plus shipping which is bound to be several hundred dollars as well).... Martin Logans are no longer sold in Japan. So if I do not repair them I will probably have to go back to a box speaker... thoughts? Can I make the SL3s work in such a small space?

Click to expand...

I think you'd be better off with smaller speakers in that small space. I've got a friend who has a listening room similar in size and he tried to make SL3's work in it, but it never did work well.