Is your rack in between you maggies?

crazyravr · « **on:** 12 Sep 2012, 03:35 pm »

Or is it to the side?
I am new at the planar game and for now have my system in between the speakers (3.6) so before I start disconnecting things and moving around with speakers such as maggies does it matter where your rack is?

josh358 · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 Sep 2012, 07:53 pm »

Some people seem to get good results with equipment in the center if it's very low down, e.g., a power amp. But if it's higher up, it will interfere with the image even more than it will with boxes. Forex, I have a room with a fireplace mantle that juts out around a foot and I can't put the speakers against that wall, whereas they image beautifully against the mostly plain wall across the room.

In my experience, planars like a relatively smooth surface behind them. Ideally with diffusion at the first reflection points (the place where you can see the tweeters in the mirror).

Anyway, I think the thing to do is to experiment and see whether it's high enough to make a difference in your case.

Rclark · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Sep 2012, 07:55 pm »

No I opted for a low, wide table like rack, and it is well off to the side out of the way.

SteveFord · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Sep 2012, 09:02 pm »

Mine are:
in the center and back a bit (3.7)
behind the left hand speaker (1.7)
and speakers attached to the cabinets (MMG).

None are ideal but that's what I have to work with.
The racks are low rectangular cabinets.

brooklyn · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 03:12 am »

I have my home made rack on the side wall. The system sounds great, the only drawback is long speaker cables.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #5 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 04:12 am »

No, the equipment is off away on the side. the amplifier is behind/between the speakers, with a low slung open fram leather chair between (the back of the chair is so low, the air conditioner sleeved into the wall, vents are above it..)
I have had my stuff between the speakers many times over the years, and off to the side a few times too.
My 7 meter connection from the pre to amp is a long wire.

berni · « **Reply #6 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 06:02 am »

If you have your MG set up properly, you will have them at least 5 feet from the wall(more is even better) , so your rack if opened and not very high or wide will act as a difussor. You must have them further out so the rack doesnt interfere to much..

crazyravr · « **Reply #7 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 01:01 pm »

I guess like you guys say there is no other way of finding out other than to try. Currently I have the rack 3 shelf in the middle with monos to the side beside the speakers. The speakers are around 3.5' from the front wall and 3' from the side walls with tweet on the inside. Originally I had them with tweets on the outside and there was absolutely no bass and the image was all over the place. Now the image is more focused and I have lots of bass.... but who knows what happens when I move the rack.

kevin360 · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 01:26 pm »

I'm in the 'tweener camp. My 3.7 system has a rather large homemade rack between, but well behind them (>6'). My MMG system not only has a rack between them, but there's a TV on top of the rack - it's a very near-field system anyway (don't think it matters too much in that scenario).

J-Pak · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 04:21 pm »

When I had MMGs, I found the imaging suffered when I had my rack between the speakers. Moving it off to the right of my listening chair helped. I left the power amp between the speakers and made a run of 20 foot interconnects from preamp to power amp.

StereoNut · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 04:39 pm »

I prefer the rack in between!

medium jim · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Sep 2012, 05:09 pm »

I have a hybrid stereo/entertainment rack where the rack goes about half way up and is on the right side. Until recently, I had a flat screen TV in the center that I removed. The right side acts as quasi diffusion as does the array of CD racks now on the left side. I have a large picture on the front wall framed with glass in the middle (where the TV) was.

There was no forethought to adding the picture other than for aesthetics, but I guess Josh was correct that a large smooth surface is a good thing as my center staging seems to be more vivid, to the point that I might move the ribbons to the outside.

Jim