or solid surface, it can shake as it produces sound and,
consequently, the sound can be compromised. If your
speaker is sitting on the carpet and only foot gliders are
used, the bass can be ill defined and even boomy. The
use of spikes is recommended to insure secured footing
for your speakers. (See Solid Footing, this page, for spike
information and installation instructions).
Dipolar Speakers and Your Room
The MartinLogan Montage loudspeakers are dipolar radiators.
This means that they produce sound from both their fronts and
their backs. Consequently, musical information is reflected
by the wall behind them and may arrive either in or out of step
with the information produced by the front of the speaker.
The low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled by
the position from the front wall. Your Montage’s have been
designed to be placed two to three feet from the front wall
(the wall in front of the listening position) to obtain the best
results; however, your room may see things differently. So
listening to the difference of the bass response as a result of
the changes in distance from the front wall can allow you to
get the best combination of depth of bass and tonal balance.
Now that you know about reflective surfaces and resonant
objects, you can see how the midrange and high frequencies
can be affected. The timing of the initial wave as it radiates
to your ears, and then the reflected information as it arrives
at your ears later in time, can result in confusion of the
precious timing information that carries the clues to imaging.
Consequently the result is blurred imaging and excessive
brightness. Soft walls, curtains, wall hangings, or sound
dampeners can be effective if these negative conditions
occur (your dealer can give you good information here).
Solid Footing
After living and experimenting with your Montage’s, you may
want to use ETC (energy transfer coupler) Spikes (see figure
3), which are available from your local MartinLogan dealer
or from the Xtatic shop at www.martinlogan.com. With the
use of these spikes, the Montage will become more firmly
planted on the floor and, consequently, bass will tighten
and imaging will become more coherent and detailed. It
is best not to implement the spikes, however, until you are
secure in the positioning, as the spikes can damage the
floor if the speaker is moved. MartinLogan ETC spikes will
fit any common 1/4” x 20 thread insert that may be found
on your other audio equipment (racks, etc.)
Spike Installation Instructions:
1 Carefully lay your speaker on its side to gain access to
the bottom.
2 Remove existing feet or spikes. Thread new spikes into
holes and screw them in all of the way. If the speaker
does not sit level loosen one spike until level is
achieved.
3 Tighten the jam nut snugly by hand. Do not over tight-
en the nut.
4 Right the speaker.
Caution:
Make sure your hands and any cabling are
clear of the spikes. Do not slide speaker as spikes are
sharp and can damage your floor or carpet.
5 Adjust to level by rotating spikes. Tighten the jam nut
securely when satisfied that speaker is level.
Caution:
Walking the speaker may result in a broken
spike.
Figure 3.
The ETC Spike.
Room Acoustics 9
