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Great Speakers - More is More?


Reflecting on my other thread desperately seeking great midrange, I recalled some of the holy grail audiophile speakers of my youth including the Quad ESL 57 and the KHL 9.

At that time, there was an interesting superlative which could be added to either of those names: STACKED!

Stacked Quads! Stacked KLH 9s! The Levinson HQD system featuring "stacked" Quads! Stacked Tympanis!

As I fine tune my listening room and enjoy the unusually articulate bass of my Tympani IVa's, I recall that it is often attributed to the unusually large surface area of the bass panels.

So why not "stacked" Magneplanars? Stacked MG-20's?

There was another thread discussing the surprising virtues of the cheapo Radio Shack speakers. In that thread, one of you suggesting "stacking" the monitors for a bargain priced "line source".

This seems like an obvious area for audiophile experimentation, yet no one seems to ever discuss it.

Please help me to buy more audio.
cwlondon
plato
1,543 posts
 
CW, yes, I think the problem of having multiple tweeters at different points on the horizontal axis can be problematic and lead to time smear distortions and complicated reflective patterns. I think that's why vertical arrays are generally more successful and coherent. Plus in panel and ribbon speakers the drivers do not have much vertical dispersion...

You can get more relative bass with horizontal stacking, but sometimes too much bass and then the imaging usually becomes more vague, as well.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
many years ago, i visited an audio dealer at his home. he owned 8 pair of quad esls, placed at various locations in his listening room.

i remember listening to an lp of dave bruck "take 5". it was a most memorable experience.

i also listened to 8 pairs of sound labs, also a memorable experience.
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 


Maybe 2 pairs of MG-20s, where the mid and tweeter were disconnected in the second pair, vertically biamped and crossed over at about 80 cycles?

That sounds like fun.
unsound
7,332 posts
 
My apologies to those who've read this from me before. I'd be curious to hear these planars doubled up, but, placed back to back.
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Unsound

Back to Back? How would that work?

More energy to both the front and rear?

Wouldnt there be conflicts or cancellations?
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