CLS Placement as rear surrounds or as THX style dipoles

[Bimotarich]

I am thinking of buying a used pair of CLS speakers to use as my surround speakers. I found an old pair cheap - 5 hundred bucks (but shipping will be expensive!). But I am concerned about placement. They would be very close to the side wall (could be toed in a lot) and VERY far from the back wall (9 feet). I have Martin Logan SL3s up front and love them! I am on the look out for an ML center channel too... currently using B&Ws for surrounds and center (600 series s2's all full size). I could maybe wall mount the CLS perpendicular to the wall like in a THX type arrangement... anyone ever try this?

I mostly use my rear surrounds for DVD audio multitrack recordings and for movie use... I can go THX or 5.1 or even 7.1 if need be...

 

[Pcar928fan]

CLS are HUGE! You really want those as surround speakers? They sound great (from what everyone here says) but they would be MASSIVE overkill for surrounds. I use Ascent for my surrounds and Script for my rear effect surrounds, and the Ascent are WAY overkill for Home theater use. They are fun when playing stuff in 5 or 7 channel stereo but Script are FINE for surround use really...

 

[Bimotarich]

I would of course go for one of the smaller ML options if I could find them cheaply enough... but my budget being what it is (basically ZERO LOL), I need to go cheap. I could maybe put the CLS's up front and SL3s in the back... Hmmm... That might work better space wise, but maybe not soundwise... again any comments?

 

[Rabbit house]

I would of course go for one of the smaller ML options if I could find them cheaply enough... but my budget being what it is (basically ZERO LOL), I need to go cheap. I could maybe put the CLS's up front and SL3s in the back... Hmmm... That might work better space wise, but maybe not soundwise... again any comments?

Bimotarich,

I live in Japan. I know it's very expensive to get even used MLs in Japan and hard to get them because ML is not so popular in Japan. Though I understand your budget is Zero ( ), have you checked the Japanese Yahoo auction? Now one guy offers used Ascent pair in 1600 USD and the other guy junk CLS pair in1250 USD. The CLSs looks bad with a trouble in low frequency sound he says.
As for the used Asent in the auction, it looks good and suitable for your demand. If you don't know this auction, pls check it.

Shuji

 

[enilsen]

I could maybe put the CLS's up front and SL3s in the back... Hmmm... That might work better space wise, but maybe not soundwise... again any comments?

The CLS's have an incredible 3 dimensional sound stage. Using them up front might your best option for placement and imaging.

 

[MiTT]

The CLS's have an incredible 3 dimensional sound stage. Using them up front might your best option for placement and imaging.

Couldn't agree more. I'm actually on the prowl for some CLS's myself (after hearing Radu's [Lugano] when we were in Italy and Switzerland). If it were me I'd sink everything into getting the CLS's, getting them into top notch working condition and using the SL3's for the surrounds. CLS's are way to good a speaker to relegate to surround duty - we would have to give you a LOT os verbal abuse if you did that.

 

[MotorToad]

I certainly wouldn't try to talk you out of getting these so cheap (unless I knew where you were getting them! ), but I can think of another option for them. Perhaps you could sell them to a friend and use the money for more surround-like speakers and a center. If they're in good shape it seems you're getting them for much less than they're worth. Then you'd have quality surround speakers, the CLSes could be utilized to their potential, and you'd be able to visit them in their new home if you pick the right friend. Using these for surrounds is like having RE Amemiya build a race-spec RX-7 to take your kids to school.

 

[Bimotarich]

Hmmm I like the RX-7 idea! LOL... I will keep you posted... I think I would will put the CLS up front and put the SL3 in back... and move the B&Ws to the bedroom...