Martin Logan Expression 13 - setup question

Hi @pvanosta - I agree! The ML Masterpiece line is something special. I have a pair of Impression 11A's in a relatively small room, 11x20. Per ML's guidance, you want the rear woofer no closer to the rear wall than the diameter of the woofer. So in the case of the Expressions, that's 10". With ARC built in for the subwoofers and the ability to adjust their level +/-10 dB, you can eq for a lot of bass issues.

My bigger concern would be having the ESL panels too close to the front wall causing the timing of the back wave's reflection to be too early and smearing the front wave. You can address it with some absorption on the front wall, but these ESL's sound best when you can give them ample room to breathe. I have mine positioned so that the back of the ESL panel is about 50 inches away from the front wall. The farther away from the front wall you can get them, the bigger the soundstage will be. Hope that helps!

Seems like a waste of nice speaker not being able to get them out in the room to breath

Rear wall damping is recommended too. They should still sound nice, just not optimized to their potential.

I have a pair of Theo's 7 feet out. One of these days I'll graduate to BiG panels-Soundlabs.

I also have a pair of Impression 11A's in a 12/14 feet room connected to another small 12 / 3 feet space. The speakers are placed on the long wall and the back driver is about 20 cm (8 inches) away from wall. Absorption on this wall is crucial, not too much and not too little, but the sound is good and, unlike other users, I didn't like the speakers too much when away from the wall, the sound gets too thin IME. So in my opinion placing the speakers close to the front wall should not be a problem provided the above mentioned rule (no closer to the rear wall than the diameter of the woofer) is observed and damping the wall is possible.

On the other hand, I didn't like what the ARC room correction did to the dynamics or overall tonal balance: bass became much too rounded, with an almost nonexistant leading edge or tactility and generally speaking much too subdued (I\m not a basshead, mainly classical and jazz listener). Hope it helps!

Thank you all for the inputs, that is very helpful. Might have to stick with Summit X (no rear-firing woofer and slightly shallower base unit) if I want to satisfy my ML craving :)

Luxury problems...