03-Feb-2020, 14:36
General! It is good to see you back on the forum Sir! I see that your previous Antipodes server has been replaced with the latest CX+EX combo. I know that you are not one for detailed A/B sound quality comparisons, but I am intrigued as to how you are finding them with the O'dA. For what I have read, the CX/EX combo is rather good, but this is the first time I have seen them feeding a Devialet. Any general (pun intended) comments you could make about the CX+EX?
I am also interested in your use of Advanced Acoustics foam in the corners behind the speakers. Is there a particular reason you have chosen this approach over the more typical triangular profile absorber / diffusers? I am thinking this could be simply because they would be too big for the room?
@Pim - I think the "big speakers don't work in small room" issue is largely a myth. Room dimensions matter, in terms of room modes and resonances, but his applies to a room of any size. It is a complicated issue but if you get the other stuff right, simply having a big speaker in a small room is not in itself an issue. Just for fun, I once tried a PA system in a relatively modest domestic living room. The PA comprised of full range cabinets each with 12" and 15" bass drivers together with twin 18" horn loaded bass cabinets . This was crazy huge speakers in a small room, but with a bit of a tweak on the graphics equaliser it actually sounded ok. As another example, Oxford Audio have three demo rooms, one large, one medium, and one very small. (the small room is VERY small) I can think of a few "big" speakers that I have heard there that actually sound better in the medium size room versus the large one. To argue the point to the ridiculous, if you added enough room treatment to a small room you would ultimately end up with an anechoic chamber, which would not care what size a particular speaker might be. (as long as it fits though the door) As an aside here, the Phantoms produce as much bass as many "big" speakers, but nobody would question their use in a modest room, but in the same way, the Phantoms do need to be treated like big speakers in terms of positioning etc.
Also, I heard the Magico M3's in a demo once, and subjectively I would say that they had remarkably accurate bass, this has to be helpful in terms of getting them to "behave" in any room. Something with "flabby" bass is likely to keep hitting very particular room resonates, accurate speakers less so.
I am also interested in your use of Advanced Acoustics foam in the corners behind the speakers. Is there a particular reason you have chosen this approach over the more typical triangular profile absorber / diffusers? I am thinking this could be simply because they would be too big for the room?
@Pim - I think the "big speakers don't work in small room" issue is largely a myth. Room dimensions matter, in terms of room modes and resonances, but his applies to a room of any size. It is a complicated issue but if you get the other stuff right, simply having a big speaker in a small room is not in itself an issue. Just for fun, I once tried a PA system in a relatively modest domestic living room. The PA comprised of full range cabinets each with 12" and 15" bass drivers together with twin 18" horn loaded bass cabinets . This was crazy huge speakers in a small room, but with a bit of a tweak on the graphics equaliser it actually sounded ok. As another example, Oxford Audio have three demo rooms, one large, one medium, and one very small. (the small room is VERY small) I can think of a few "big" speakers that I have heard there that actually sound better in the medium size room versus the large one. To argue the point to the ridiculous, if you added enough room treatment to a small room you would ultimately end up with an anechoic chamber, which would not care what size a particular speaker might be. (as long as it fits though the door) As an aside here, the Phantoms produce as much bass as many "big" speakers, but nobody would question their use in a modest room, but in the same way, the Phantoms do need to be treated like big speakers in terms of positioning etc.
Also, I heard the Magico M3's in a demo once, and subjectively I would say that they had remarkably accurate bass, this has to be helpful in terms of getting them to "behave" in any room. Something with "flabby" bass is likely to keep hitting very particular room resonates, accurate speakers less so.
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
