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Toe-in recommendation for stand mount monitors

I've used floor standing electrostatic speakers almost exclusively for over 30 years and am transitioning, I think, to stand mount monitors. I've positioned them to start with in the same location as I had the Martin Logan Ethos speakers and the Odysseys previous to them. The listening area is about 18 X 24 feet with the speakers positioned 12 feet apart and 16 feet from my listening spot. From the standpoint of the often discussed equilateral triangle recommendation this is not ideal but I really have very little latitude.

Regarding toe-in, with the ML's I used their suggestion of the "flashlight method" as a starting point but for "conventional" speakers several articles suggest using directions given by the manufacturer. The speakers that I'll be using, though, are old, having been manufactured in the mid 90's and I have no manual for them.

I don't know if it makes a difference for the purpose of this discussion, but these new speakers are the original Serie Reference MMC 3A's manufactured in France. They're a mid sized speaker with a rating range of 40-20,000Hz which would accommodate most of our listening requirements but I also purchased a used Polk Audio Micropro 4000 sub woofer to use with them.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
128x128broadstone

Showing 3 responses by beemerrider

beemerrider
63 posts
 
I subscribe most nearly with Timlub's recommendation. Keep in mind that the vast majority of speakers are designed to produce a flat frequency response when measured on axis. This means that the more the speaker is turned off axis the less flat the frequency response will be. In most cases there will appear a dip in response at the crossover point between the drivers. I get my best results with my speakers very nearly pointing right at me but with slight toe-out as this provides a little more sense of spaciousness. If pressed to give an absolute recommendation I would suggest setting them up so you are on the verge of seeing the the inward sides of the cabinets. This is my experience in my smallish room with stand-mounted Usher BE-718s.
beemerrider
63 posts
 
Broadstone, it appears to me that you have your speakers just about where they need to be given the room anomalies you describe, i. e. - you are minimizing surface reflections and preserving the frequency response designed into them vis a vis your listening position. In smaller rooms like ours it isn't a bad thing to have speakers that beam so that reflections can be minimized.
beemerrider
63 posts
 
Good lad. I have owned something like 20 to 25 BMW bikes, from a '74 R90S through an '02 K1200LT. Four spine surgeries and a hip replacement put riding off limits in these, my golden years.

Just re-read your initial commentary and see that you're not burdened by having a small listening room. So, our discussion is a tad less critical in your case. My primary listening room is 24' X 26' and I am able to place my Apogee Slant 6s well into the room and away from all walls. Likewise my listening position is very nearly in the center of the room. There is no noticeable reflective sound and it's easy to experience much of the feeling of being in the recording environment. Still, as with my smaller listening room, I prefer the main speakers to be close to "on axis" with the listening position.
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