Panel placement

[wpines]

How far from the back wall are your panels? Is 2 feet too close?

[Gordon]

I've tried many different set backs and have settled on 4.5 feet. I also have installed a pair of HF absorbers to deal with the rear wave. I'm also 2.5 ft from the side wall and the panels have been adjusted to vertical with no back tilt.

This arrangement gives me a wide deep stage with spot on imaging. While good results were obtainable closer in, I found the 4.5 to be the point where the speaker locked on to the room.

Gordon

[magnmac]

2 feet is pretty close; would not be optimum but whether that means a panel will sound bad? I don't know.. I use Cardas dipole speaker placement formula; and from discussions with the planar forum most have at least found it gets the speakers within 5% of the best placement after hours of experimentation; so it definitely is a good place to start.

Plug in your room measurements and it will calculate the distance from the front wall and side walls; from there all you need to do is experiment with seating distance from the speaker plane; but an equilateral triangle normally works fine there, up to a distance of 1.5 times how far the speakers are apart at their centres.

[rpcoins]

I also use the Cardas method as much as practical in my room. My speakers are about 3 feet on average from the front wall. Toe in changes the sides. I would prefer to be a bit more out from the wall, but the room size and configuration dictates placement.

Try more and less toe in to see what works for you. The smallest changes can make a big difference with Maggies. FYI, I have the tweeters outside as I have found that best for my ears.

[ehoove]

My MGIIIa's are toed in 42" on the outside and 31.5 on the inside. I really opened the sound stage by increasing both by 7 inches to where they are now, and it increased the bass response as well.
Regards,
Jim

[rpcoins]

Jim,

It is funny that we have almost EXACTLY the same set up. I am 31 on the inside and 40 on the outside... GMTA perhaps.

[McPlanar]

Thanks MagnMac for that link. I just tried it and got immediate positive results.

[magnmac]

Originally Posted by McPlanar

Thanks MagnMac for that link. I just tried it and got immediate positive results.

You're welcome. Yes, you can play around with those things for hours and just give up before you got them 100% perfectly placed, and then you get a nice formula someone suggests and bingo! It's amazing what a difference a measly 6 inches does hey? Now the only 2 other options you have is toe-in for imaging and whether you want your tweeters outboard on inboard... make sure you try both ways.

[Wayner]

I have mine about 3 1/2 feet from the wall, at about 12 feet apart, toed in at about 20 degrees. I have the older MartinLogan reQuests and they seem the happiest in This spot, tho it was tough integrating a subwoofer into the mix, but that has also been successful, placed outside of the Logans on the right side.

Wayner

[magnmac]

Welcome to AA Wayner.