I have the Clarisys Speakers. They are the Planar type. I would like to treat the wall behind the speakers. I have been told not use any type of sound absorber, so I am interested in the GIK Acoustics Q7d Diffusor
I have a large 85" TV in between the speakers, so the only area that can be treated is behind the Planers. Check out my systems page.
I have yet to find a review of these diffusors, so has anyone used these and can comment on the effectiveness?
From what I understand, the Clarisys speakers are designed to reflect sound forward and behind the speakers. They use the back wall reflection as part of the open audio design. The Planar design does not radiate any information to the side walls. I have the speakers about 30" from the side wall because the bass seems a little stronger.
I have moved these 250 lb. speakers back/forward/ side to side/ toe in/no toe in and the present placement seems to be the best.
I have also found that the 85" TV screen to also help deflect and improve the openness. I have tried sound absorbers in front of the TV and it seems to restrict the soundstage.
The dealer, SunCoast Audio also advises using No absorption, and when they have them at shows they use some sort of reflective clear screen behind them to eliminate any absorption from drapes etc.
So, I don’t know if these speakers are a different animal than typical Planar speakers, but reflection or diffusion seems to be the way to go.
Ozzy - thanks for this discussion - I have been a fan of planer speakers since 1982. I have stuck with Magnapan all these years. Got my Maggie 1.6qrs modified by Peter Gunn when I retired 3 years ago. They keep improving - I guess there is a real issue on Maggie panels when they moved from copper wire to aluminum wire. My Maggie 1.7is do not compete on vocal and horn ‘quality’ vs the modified 1.6qrs. I also have worried about the ‘flat screen TV’ between both systems and it’s affect on sound stage, imaging and sound quality in general. I am also over the Moon happy with The Swarm subs with my Modified 1.6qrs. I am considering some sound absorption panels or a ‘blanket’ over the TV screen during ‘serious listening ‘ sessions.
Mijostyn - I am a retired Chemist - not an Electrical Engineer - how do I cut off my Maggie’s at 100 hertz and let The Swarm take care of all the base requirements for my system?
This is a recent post from the Audio Sharks Forum by SunCoast Audio about the Clarisys speakers.
"Clarisys are panels, dipoles, so the sound is coming out the front and back. It doesn’t care what’s on the side walls as its radiation pattern is unlike a box speaker or Omni. With Clarisys, unlike some of it’s competitors (or what some claim to be full ribbon - which are really Mylar in the bass), from the lowest note to the highest note, the driver material is identical. This creates a very coherent sound. The entire frequency range is one material."
This is a recent post from the Audio Sharks Forum by SunCoast Audio about the Clarisys speakers.
"Clarisys are panels, dipoles, so the sound is coming out the front and back. It doesn’t care what’s on the side walls as its radiation pattern is unlike a box speaker or Omni. With Clarisys, unlike some of it’s competitors (or what some claim to be full ribbon - which are really Mylar in the bass), from the lowest note to the highest note, the driver material is identical. This creates a very coherent sound. The entire frequency range is one material."
I intend no offense to SunCoast Audio as I don’t know them and have no conflict of interest, but that quote reads more like dealer promo than tutorial physics-based guidance.
The Clarysis company website claims live rooms with walls of concrete or similar to be ideal, so your drywall @ozzyprobably matters, and possibly not in an ideal way.
My own speakers aren’t planar but do behave similarly in some ways. One meter behind them is a full-wall window, about 14’ x 8’ of glass. Being able to play with a bank of wood blinds the same size gives interesting results that vary in favorability depending on the person listening, but no one has favored fully exposed glass. That’s why I suggested trying something a bit less reflective than glass (tv) and a bit more diffusive than a flat plane (of said glass). Wouldn’t cost you much to try.
A potential issue I see in the way these speakers are designed (basically one driver mechanism for all frequencies? Cool! And, hmmm…) is how they manage to balance the whole bandwidth at MLP distance. It’s known the +/- 3dB ratings given for speakers don’t always hold strong outside of the 1m measuring pocket, so if Clarysis are “down” meaningfully in part(s) of the lower frequencies then the benefit of using solid walls (concrete or the like, as recommended by the manufacturer) should be at least in part to reinforce the bass via strong room gain. If that scenario reflects (pun!) reality, then an active crossover and higher-crossed subwoofers might be more beneficial than they presently seem.
Main critique should be, nifty as this design is, the company doesn’t give enough info about their frequency-dependent behavior for consumers in typical North American homes to have much to work with, empirically speaking. At least not for the prices on these models (IMO). Perhaps I’m missing something.
The speakers are made in Vietnam - if testing is also done there, I wonder if it’s in a fully concrete building as is common in SE / E Asia. I expect my system (which is highly dependent on room interaction) would probably need considerable adjustment if moved from its present all-concrete-boundaries into a drywall-above-slab residence. American homes seem asymmetrical nightmares, structurally/boundary-wise (for sound waves), in this regard. Speakers that play with the room to such an extent as Clarysis suggests might be even more sensitive to these factors. Obviously the room boundaries can’t be changed, but worth considering rather than only making assumptions based on what’s inside the room?
You might also try laying down some large panels of wood on the floor between / in front of the speakers, to see what a more symmetric pair of vertical boundaries (bare ceiling and fooor) accomplishes. Just a thought in line with much of what I tried during setup for a similar sound. BIG sound is such good fun.
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