Planar Speakers and Diffusors

Great speaker/sub combo @mscetal! As you are new here, you probably don't know that I have for years been recommending the GR Research/Rythmik Audio OB/Dipole Sub for use with planar loudspeakers. I made the double-woofer version, in W-frames rather than H.

I have Maggies on each side of a 65 inch TV, no absorption behind either, but a couple plants as diffusers. For critical listening, I worked up a screen of sorts made of Geo textile fabric that I drape over my television. I had the wife sew a slot/pocket on one of the long ends and inserted a dowel into it to match the length of the TV. That sits just over the top edge of the television and the rest just drapes down and hangs freely. When done listening I simply roll it up and tuck it into a closet.

Thank you for some very good information.

The DC3 Multiuser, QRD diffusers, along with adding a couple plants interests me.

At this time, I’m going without front wall/behind speaker treatment. The soundstage is huge as it is!

But I am such a tweaker and audio hobbyist, I’m sure I will revisit the suggestions sooner or later.

ozzy

You got a lot of opinions on this Q! My reading is that the reflections off the back wall can reinforce the front at the right distance. My experience with Magnepan with sub is the back wall without absorption or deflection behind the speakers is best. I do have a bass trap on the back wall between the speakers. I'm in a pretty small room with corner bass traps and light absorption here and there. Informal Deflection at reflection points. Moving the speakers various ways was hugely useful. So was playing with my seat position. I got a totally flat REW curve and nice, wider than the speakers, sound stage. Happy experimenting!

I have extensive foam absorption on my side walls and ceiling with 90oz carpet. My front and rear walls are 3/4" cherry plywood with the entire room super strong and non-resonant (my profile indicates the $150K that went into building it). My old Focuses were not good sounding here. The Signature IIIs with the rear firing tweeter obviated the need for front wall absorption. My Von Schweikert VR9 SE Mk2s have adjustable rear tweeter and sub with such great dispersion that I don’t seem to need anything on front or rear walls. I used to own 5 different stat speakers over two decades. They were about 5 to 6 feet from the front walls mostly in a room 5,800 cu ft room. They did not appear to require rear baffling of any time although I had considered an expensive curved foam design for the Monolith IIIs.

The Clarysis is a fine speaker.  In a large enough room with ample depth to the front wall, they may not require any baffling (absorption or dispersion).   At under 3 feet, very likely necessary.