Sidewall and It’s Effect on Midrange- Question About Placement

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James Edward

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I own the M3 Turbo S and am curious about how the sidewall distance affects the sound. Most open baffle placement discussions center around bass; the need for distance from the front wall to sufficiently develop satisfying bass.
I’m curious since placement for OB bass contrasts with box speakers, is the same so for upper frequencies- i.e., does more distance from the sidewall provide a ‘meatier’ or ‘chestier’ midrange, or is it the opposite?
My room is far from symmetrical, and only one side has a wall to work with- the other side opens into a dining area. Which brings me to my next question- would some sort of a panel to the side of the ‘wallless’ side offer a benefit? If so, how wide and tall would it have to be?
Currently, the M3’s are about 38” from the front wall, and about 30” from the one side wall.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
The manual is woefully inadequate regarding placement in my not so humble opinion, since OB positioning is so different than conventional box speakers that most of us old audio nuts are used to.
A big BTW is required: I love the sound of the M3’s and ask these questions in hopes of wringing out even more satisfaction.

jseymour

Page 4 of the M3 User Manual.

D.  Experiment with distance from side wall if possible to find best lower midrange integration. Closer placement to side wall increases level in the 200 to 800Hz range.

As for the "wallless" side, I think it would be a worthwhile experiment to use 2 panels to emulate a corner behind that speaker.

ric

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JE, my guess is the moderator is the expert, but in lieu of that, I also have an open wall on one side, but not completely open so no so bad. I did experiment putting a single piece of plywood (drywall, or any 4x8 sheet) and could not tell that much, but in your case i'm guessing it would help. As I've said in other posts, my DIY Shakti Hallowgraphs (contact me for more details) work really well with adjusting room ambience. Not sure why midrange would be problem, could also be other equipment i.e. if you are thinking of changing your pc I have a lessloss cable you might be interested in, but that may be a last resort.
My thought for a wall would be to construct one that is maybe 4 feet high (4x8 sheet on edge as a temporary experiment)using standard 2x4 studs. Make it just large enough to be able to make it modular/mobile and move into place and see what you are hearing. Perhaps check cables, tubes, etc. Good luck!

James Edward

  • Jr. Member
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Thank you both for your replies. I’m actually quite happy with the M3’s, and wanted to know the sidewall recommendation as it pertains to distance.
The amazing thing is how coherent the sound is even with the missing sidewall. This was on my mind even with my previous box speakers.
I did not mean for my post to suggest that there is a problem with how I perceive the sound, I was just looking for guidance on placement to further enhance my listening pleasure. These are great speakers and fulfill my two most critical wants- the ability to play loudly with zero strain, and to have no perceptible treble harshness. Very good imaging is icing on the cake, but I rarely do the audiophile sweet spot thing...
Thanks again.
Jim

ric

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I think a lot (or at least a fair amount) of getting good sound is time. So, if you have it, you're probably going to have to experiment with placement, as I doubt anyone can be in your shoes. With the M3's, for myself, even toe in/out, it's better to move the speakers and live with it for a bit. For one, listener fatigue and memory can be misleading when adjustments are done too frequently. It seems that for your lopsided situation do you compensate by building a wall, or putt the speakers more off center to compensate for an off center room, or something else? Good luck!