Q U I C K S T A R T
10
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Positioned a different distance from the side walls as from the front wall, to
prevent overlap of the reinforcement spectra. For smoothest bass, the side wall
distances should be asymmetrical, with the pair shifted a foot or so to one side,
and for best imaging, they should be symmetrical.
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The stand height should place the center of the rectangular electrostatic
element within an inch or two of your ear height when you are seated. The
center is about 12” [30 cm] from the bottom of the speaker, so the stand
should be about 12” [30 cm] shorter than your ear height. It is alright to use a
stand with a tilted platen to get the same effect, but in that case, make sure to
account for your distance from the speakers when selecting the height.
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Tweeter control set at maximum.
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200W/ch/8 Ohm solid state amps are a good place to start. Aside from that,
one should use at least a 40W/ch/8 Ohm amplifier; 90W to 120W will provide
maximum steady state SPL, but 250W will give the headroom needed for full
transient reproduction; 400W max. If driving with a tube amplifier, use the 4
Ohm output taps for best woofer control (highest damping factor), or the 8
Ohm tap for highest SPL.
That said, an 18W parallel 300B SET will somewhat surprisingly produce
adequate volume levels for small ensemble music in a large room, so if what
you own now is a tube amplifier with relatively low power, it’s worth waiting
until you hear it with these speakers before shopping for a new amplifier.
Tips:
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The tweeter level changes quickly with control increases but
very
slowly to
decreases. For decreases, the speed will be increased by switching the speaker
supply off for a while, such as five or ten minutes, before repowering and
listening at the new setting. The quickest approach is to start low, and increase
the level to what you like, so each change you make happens quickly.
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Too much bass? First make sure the tweeter control is all the way up (set at
zero). Then try moving the speakers away from walls, and particularly out of
corners.
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Not enough bass? Try moving them closer to walls, particularly into corners.
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Lumpy bass? Try making the side to side position asymmetrical.
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Imaging problems?
o
If your back wall is closer than about 10 feet [3 meters] behind you, try
adding some absorption (if your room is lively) or diffusion (if you
room is already well damped) to that wall.
o
If your listening seat has a high back, change to a seat with a back that
does not come higher than your shoulders.
o
Try moving them farther from the front wall, while realizing that the
trade-off will be less bass.