My system
Here is my speaker system:
Speakers are Martin Logan Summits (bass disconnected) along side of Magneplanar Tympani IV bass
panels (modified). Tympanis are bolted together and stands provide total rigidity.
Eminent Technology Rotary Sub
Center channel is Martin Logan Logos
Rear...
The 1812 overture cannons is a great way to test the bass performance of your speakers.
The cannons have transient energy to below 5 hz, but unless your speakers can reproduce
this, you are not getting the awesome bass energy that is on this recording.
I use a Thigpen Rotary Subwoofer that can...
I agree with Martin Logan Summits, but combining Magneplanar Tympani IV bass panels
and not using the woofers in the Summits, results in "coherency" and stunning bass.
Soundstage is huge with depth that contributes to the feeling of space.
Jim Winey's Tympanis were his best efforts in bass...
Combining Summits with Magneplanar Tympani IV bass panels and rotary subwoofer
will provide a huge soundstage, "wall of sound", bass that will trounce the Neolith.
The Neolith's use cone woofers and are not the same as dipoles and will not give one
that feeling of great space and ambience, and...
JonFo, the bass would be definitely better, but in my opinion, low frequency spatial and depth reproduction
would suffer. A large room with the speakers placed well away from the front and side walls (10 feet
behind my Magneplanar Tympani's and 9 feet from side walls) provides that great...
The answer to bass integration
Utilizing cone woofers with electrostatics will never integrate, louder but just not
the way to go. My answer is to combine Magneplanar Tympani IV bass panels
with the electrostatics, which integrate extremely well. The Tympani bass panels
when modified...
Yes I have used a Audio Research, Belles 150A, Carver
Lightstar Research and a friends Krell power amps,
and the Arcam is by far is the more detailed, transparent with awesome depth! Plenty of power ,as well.
The Arcam AVR600 is a great receiver and can drive speakers with low impedance.
I use the Arcam to drive my Martin Logan summits and Martin Logan Logos (front and
center speakers). A total of 8 rear and side speakers are also driven by the Arcam.
The electrostatic speakers are a difficult...
Integration and coherency
While I agree with using active versus passive crossovers,
that is not the only problem. The electrostatic portion
of Martin Logan is dipole and the cone woofer is not.
My answer is combining Magneplanar Tympani IV bass
panels, which are dipole, along side of my...
ASC tube traps work very well
I also use GIK bass traps behind the seating area and other flat panel
absorbers as well. The ASC tube traps, being circular with reflective
membranes diffuse the mids and highs, where the flat panels do not.
The large ASC tube traps help with bass...
ASC tube traps
I use 16" ASC tube traps (7' high) behind the Summits, and Magneplanar
Tympani bass panels. The Summits are 5' out from the wall and the
bass panels are 9' out. The corners have full 16" round ASC bass traps
behind the speakers as well. They provide great bass...
Noise
At the listening seat one can not hear the plasma discharge and the cooling fan is heard when one is within a couple of feet. I do not own this system (a friend of mine). Here is another picture of
the Hill Plasma loudspeakers before modifying.
Plasma issues
The Hill plasma transducer has a built in fan and can be heard, but
only when one is next to the device. The Hill Plasmatronics avoided the air pollution hazard by having its own built-in supply of helium, which is a noble gas and thus unreactive even when ionized. Helium is...
Plasma reproduction in a class by itself
After hearing a plasma loudspeaker like the Hill Plasma, one gets a
real education of reproducing sound. The Hill Plasma was state of
the art in the late seventies and to this day no loudspeaker manufacturer has surpassed or equaled this transducer...
Another contender for transparency
The Hill Plasma speaker is far superior in many aspects to the ClX or any other electrostatic (no moving mass). Transients are essentially perfect and no resonances to speak of. Adding the Apogee Stages
and Apogee Scintilla's integrate extremely well with...