Hi Michael,
I had the MicroBes in my system for 3-4 years so hopefully I could help.
You are perfectly right when you say that they do not give that pin-point
image other speakers give, e.g. the Dynaudio C1 speakers, which are much
more narrower than the Microbes, have beaten them in this department by a
mile (in two different rooms actually). This is the price paid by the MicroBes
for not being a narrow design. However, the MicroBes are not bad at stereo
imaging. IMO they are certainly above average. They just required a more
careful set-up. That is, you have to make sure that your head is exactly
between the two speakers and that the speakers are orientates (angled)
symmetrically with respect to your head. To achieve this, I use a thread/string
that I fix in in the middle (most upper part) of my listening chair (with tape or
with a needle). With this thread I measure the distances from my chair to two
different corners of the same speakers, then I adjust the other speaker so that
the equivalent distances are identical between the two speakers. This should
give you a good stereo image (assuming that your speakers are positioned
more or less symmetrically in your room).
After you have positioned the speakers symmetrically, play a song where the
voice of the singer is exactly in the middle of the two speakers (e.g. Norah
Jones track 10 from the album "come away with me"), and move your chair (on
the median line) closer or farther away from the speakers while listening for
the localization and focus of the voice. In the two rooms where I have used
the Micro Bes, it was not necessary to toe-in the speakers much in order to
obtain a good stereo image. That is, for a given toe-in I have always obtained
a better stereo image when moving my chair closer to the speakers.
Be aware that to obtain a stereo image comparable (but certainly not better)
to the one thrown by the Dynaudio C1 speakers, I had to pay attention to
millimeters when positioning the Micro Bes.
Keep us posted.
Paul
I had the MicroBes in my system for 3-4 years so hopefully I could help.
You are perfectly right when you say that they do not give that pin-point
image other speakers give, e.g. the Dynaudio C1 speakers, which are much
more narrower than the Microbes, have beaten them in this department by a
mile (in two different rooms actually). This is the price paid by the MicroBes
for not being a narrow design. However, the MicroBes are not bad at stereo
imaging. IMO they are certainly above average. They just required a more
careful set-up. That is, you have to make sure that your head is exactly
between the two speakers and that the speakers are orientates (angled)
symmetrically with respect to your head. To achieve this, I use a thread/string
that I fix in in the middle (most upper part) of my listening chair (with tape or
with a needle). With this thread I measure the distances from my chair to two
different corners of the same speakers, then I adjust the other speaker so that
the equivalent distances are identical between the two speakers. This should
give you a good stereo image (assuming that your speakers are positioned
more or less symmetrically in your room).
After you have positioned the speakers symmetrically, play a song where the
voice of the singer is exactly in the middle of the two speakers (e.g. Norah
Jones track 10 from the album "come away with me"), and move your chair (on
the median line) closer or farther away from the speakers while listening for
the localization and focus of the voice. In the two rooms where I have used
the Micro Bes, it was not necessary to toe-in the speakers much in order to
obtain a good stereo image. That is, for a given toe-in I have always obtained
a better stereo image when moving my chair closer to the speakers.
Be aware that to obtain a stereo image comparable (but certainly not better)
to the one thrown by the Dynaudio C1 speakers, I had to pay attention to
millimeters when positioning the Micro Bes.
Keep us posted.
Paul