Distance from wall?

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Larryfl1

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Hi

I have montis on the way and really didn't think about the distance from the wall

I really would like to keep the 1-2 feet from the wall not be recommended 3-4 feet as that would put it too close to the seating areas

I really didn't think about this Shen getting them.

It's for mostly tv and done music so don't want them in the mispddle of the room

Would the smaller panels have been better to keep tighter on the wall?

What will I lose if I keep it around 2 feet from wall?

They will be around 7 feet apart and I will be sitting about 10-12 feet in front of them but 1 seat will only be around 6 feet and favor one side
 
Larry,

They will likely sound "fine" at 2' but nowhere near as good as 4' to 5'. 60" has been my "defacto" distance for decades.

The additional space really allows the "soundstage and dimensionality" to bloom (front to back) and generally attenuates any in room bass response anomalies. Read smoother in room response.

Good luck.

GG

PS: And once you've got them where you want them, don't forget to play around the vertical panel rake angle.
 
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Larry, Gordon is correct …… to a point, I for one don't think they will sound 'fine' @ 1-2' off the wall..…..my question to you is…… why did you buy a 10k pair of speakers that you don't plan on setting up correctly ??
 
Good point Dave. Why indeed.

Regarding distance from back wall, I suspect many users have their panels set a a less than optimum distance and still "enjoy" the sound.That's what I meant when I said they will sound fine.

Practically speaking, my guess is that these users are giving up 40 - 60% of ultimate performance (music listening mode) by compromising on this distance and other critical setup factors.

Bad news. ML's are tough to set up. Good news, your efforts will be well rewarded if one takes the time to optimize performance.

GG
 
I really would like to keep the 1-2 feet from the wall not be recommended 3-4 feet as that would put it too close to the seating areas

I have limited space too and more the better is the answer! But 30 inches works fine with Spires and a similar listening distance to what you propose! Meticulous adjustment with tape measure to inside and outside edge of speaker from wall plus flashlight test and use of ears all worth the effort in the setup. More care needed than in your typing (joke!)!!!

Never mind that TV stuff with the Montis .... They're much too fine for that..... feed them some great music and a quality front end!!!

+1 to Gordon's comments.

Enjoy them...

Bruce
 
If they are mostly for TV, I suggest that you cancel the order and buy something cheaper. Used the money saved for something else.
 
I have a small living room so my new Theos are set on each side of the TV with their fronts measuring 24" from the wall behind them. I think they sound pretty nice so I can only imagine how much better they will sound when I move into a bigger house and hopefully get the chance to move them away from that back wall as you all suggest.
 
5 feet seems to be necessary for seriously good sound, you can go down to 3 feet but never going to get what you paid for.
 
good point Bernard, I concur with you and Gordon …….


Guys,

thanks for the feedback and i hear where you are all coming from...

in fairness to the the reseller he said for tv i probably wouldn't notice much of a difference from the lower models...so he was good that way and didnt try to oversell me ( i oversold myself)... i just started to think the lower base and stuff may be nice... and since i buy speakers once every 10-15 years...its a 1 time purchase so it was either the ethos or montis... and i kind of said... why not... bite the bullet 1 time...

on the distance...i can actually do the 36 inches without an issue.. i was just thinking of the 1 seat that will be closer to that speaker and it may be tough for that person to hear the speaker from the other side...but that will only be that 1 seat... the other few seats should get overall good coverage..

i assume if i had gone with the ethos or even lower the same distance is preferred no matter what model is that correct?

my room is a little funky... the main couch is centered about 16 or so feet from the tv...but then i have 2 seats that favor the left side and work their way closer to the front wall but are essentially on the left side of center.... my right side is a giant fish tank so there fore the 2 seats have to be only on the left side and the couch in the rear of the room..no seats on right side of center...

the room is also a family room that continues another 15 feet beyond in the back to the kitchen... typical florida style family room...so essentially the family room plus kitchen is about 30 feet long..though when sitting in the family room you are about 16 feet from the screen/speakers in the main seats...

the reason i went with Martin logan on the mains is that i have the stage x for the center as their center is so clear for voices and i felt that since i have their center i should have their mains.... i currently am trying to sell off a pair of B&W cm9's that these are replacing... i had tried the b&w center and there was no comparison in clarity to the stage x...

I haven't opened the montis yet but they were delivered today... with the way my room is did i make a mistake going with electrostatics? or just don't worry about that front left seat and try to never sit in it :)
 
No mistake. Just sit in the magic spot and listen to more music. You may well find that with the Montis you listen to more music and less TV.

I hope you have good amplification, and are not planning to use a receiver to drive the speakers.
 
It's really very simple. If you can put them five feet from the wall with diffusion behind them, they will sound best from a size/depth of soundstage perspective. But if you can only put them 2-3 ft from the wall, then you must put an acoustical absorption panel behind them to absorb the rear wave. This will decrease the size (depth and width) of the soundstage, but will actually improve clarity and imaging. This is my experience based on having several ML systems in both types of setups. One way will be better than the other for you, depending on your room and your own personal tastes.
 
It's really very simple. If you can put them five feet from the wall with diffusion behind them, they will sound best from a size/depth of soundstage perspective. But if you can only put them 2-3 ft from the wall, then you must put an acoustical absorption panel behind them to absorb the rear wave. This will decrease the size (depth and width) of the soundstage, but will actually improve clarity and imaging. This is my experience based on having several ML systems in both types of setups. One way will be better than the other for you, depending on your room and your own personal tastes.

thanks for the comments.

what would you recommend to put behind the speaker? preferably something that looks nice on the wall as it is our family room...

currently i have them setup...

it does sound nice... very clear..

what i am noticing is with the yamaha doing the room setup for equalization...they are very very clear...somewhat too much highs... missing a little on the lows and mid..i think... but very clear on highs and lots of highs...

Larry
 

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