"The only thing that remains is that mids are not as detailed as I was used to when listening to WLM or Zu. Sometimes when listening to songs which I know very well there is a lack of midrange information. Effects that I clearly remember from the past are less audible with the M3 turbo S. Maybe it's just because there is so much overall information and dynamics. Hard to tell.
What do you think about the midrange of the M3s? Are you satisfied?"
Jan from Germany posed this fascinating question. Although I have M4's I believe they are close enough to the M3's that I can venture an opinion.
Jan, the short answer is I am very satisfied with the midrange. But it is quite different from WLM's (which I have also owned) and from most other box speakers for that matter. The first thing to note is that the midrange resolution is going to be affected by proper placement. And, at least in my case, it took a fair amount of time and experimentation to get that just right in my room. Secondly, once you get them properly set up, you should notice two things about the mids (1) they are more laid back or recessed sonically than what you may be used to - the entire sound field is nicely spread out between and behind the speakers so is really the opposite of "in your face" (like WLM's for example - and I don't mean this as a slam against WLM's). (2) The mids may strike you as being a bit "down" in level in comparison but you should notice right away that you are getting more - substantially more - information that ever before, not less. A perfect example of this is the "The Panther" on Jennifer Warnes CD The Well. I love Warnes and have listened to this cut dozens of times. At the beginning there is a series of drum kit effects (rattles, gourds, etc.) behind the singer which are designed to enhance the songs aura of primitive mystery. On every system I've owned these effects audibly fade away once she's into the body of the song. On the Spatials I was amazed to hear that these effects continue throughout the piece - just at a lower level as her voice comes forward. Furthermore, they are clearly mixed in to cover the entire sound stage with an eerie 3D effect. You can relax and listen to them throughout the cut or ignore them and focus on Warnes and her back up band. This is the kind of midrange you get with the Spatial Holograms. It has added a terrific amount of enjoyment to my listening sessions. The usual caveats about your mileage, etc. apply, of course.
Cheers,
Bill
