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Martin Logan SL3 missing soundstage

I have bought a used pair of Martin Logan SL3 with completly rebuilt crossovers and fully rewired with Kimber silver cable inside; I changed them over my SF Grand Piano Home and I think they are great speakers but I can't get a decent soundstage at all.
They sound very flat and two dimensional compared to the SF.
When I audition them they were connected to Gamut gear and sounded very, very nice, nice soundstage as well.
My room is 12feet wide and 16feet long; the speakers are positioned on the lenght side of the room.
They are appox. 2feet from the side wall and 3feet from the front wall, 7feet apart.
The room is with carpet.
I tried many positions and I can say that the ML are very sensitive to positioning, but have you got any suggestions on how to improve the missing soundstage?

I have heavy curtains on the back and my setup is:
CDP - Musical Fidelity KW DM TR+DAC
AMP - Primare A30.1
TURN - VPI SCOUT,Ortofon A Cartridge
PHONOSTAGE - Eastern Electric Minimax
INTERCONNECTS - Van Den Hul The First, Zion silver
SPEAK CABLES - Qed xt 400, biwired
ISOL8 main conditioning
carloscotland
carloscotland OP
25 posts
 
I think you guys are right in many respects; I have been moving the speakers a lot today and I found a better balance today.
I probably have to move th room around a bit a I can't move the SL3's more foward than 4feet from the front wall.
T-bone, I have the sitting position close to the back wall and when I move my head forward imaging becomes marginally sharper; unfortunaltly I can't move the sofa yet so I will try to put something behind the back wall as it is bare naked.
Newbee, yes I have heavy curtains just behind the wall, and a niche of aroun a foot and a half going into the front wall all made in wood, where the windows lay.
I believe bad reflection is occouring just now, I mean imaging-wise; sound quality is very good just a bit bright but I can live with that.
By the way, got a new interconnect from Townshend Isolda DTC100 and made a good difference, SL3's image a lot more freely.
Will keep you posted and I will upload some pictures in the future.
However if all of you guys have got more tips please let me know.
Cheers!
siliab
362 posts
 
I would suggest playing with the relative and absolute phasing of the speakers by swithching the leads from the speaker wires accordingly. I've experienced the zero soundstage phenomenon with multiple systems and found this to solve the problem on multiple occasions.
carloscotland OP
25 posts
 
Hi Siliab, do you mean send the signal out-of-phase?
If so I'll try and I'll let you know, thanks.
siliab
362 posts
 
Hi Carloscotland,
First switch the polarity of the speaker cable leads for one speaker (i.e. black to red, red to black), and listen for restoration of the soundstage. This will switch the relative phase of the loudspeakers. If things improve, I would also switch the absolute phase of the loudspeakers. This is done by switching the polarity of both sets of speaker cable leads simultaneously. Absolute phase can have a surprising effect on imaging and soundstaging, particularly with systems that are inherently good at it. Hope this helps!
carloscotland OP
25 posts
 
Thanks Siliab, I will try that. I already managed to get something back by moving the speakers more distant from the front wall.
I am surprised how little changes can have a profound effect on imaging.
I still trying to fight against some brightness but I think it is mostly from my system spec.
Cheers.
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