Been Trying Some Speakers...

[James Edward]

I've been auditioning a few speakers, looking to replace my Spatial M3 Turbo S. My only reason for doing this has to do with aesthetics. The system is in my living room, and the Spatials are unique in their appearance to say the least.
I hit upon comparing one speaker with another unlike I've seen done before; simply using one speaker in the left channel, the other, you guessed it, the right channel.
You need a preamp that has a mono switch and balance control, to ensure you're sending the same signal to each side. I found it remarkably effective to parse out the tonality differences between speakers. This method will obviously not help with soundstage, image, etc., but I'm all about tone.
Well, when all was said and done, the Spatials are staying. I guess I really enjoy the rich midrange of a the large drivers. This became very apparent when rotating the balance control between speakers. Just to be sure, I switched speakers between L/R to eliminate any room effect.

[Folsom]

Pi corner speakers?

[Nick B]

Jim,
I was wondering how your speaker search was going. I've never heard Spatials at a show or an audiophile's place. The rich midrange you describe is tempting and they  would be fun to try, but I really don't have the space or want to spend the 💰
Nick

[James Edward]

Pi corner speakers?

Can't do corners- I only have one real corner where I can place the speakers.

The open baffle speakers seem to be my best bet at this point. Lacking a second corner since it opens into another room, my listening area is fundamentally unbalanced. Too large a speaker gets boomy on one side. Too small is unsatisfying in the bass because it leaks into other areas of the house.

The Spatials don't seem to have me fighting the room in the same way. Their only real drawback is physical size and placement needs. They do have to be out in the room. But they sound great to my ears, which favor a warm balance. I am so glad I did the side by side comparison- there was something in the other speaker's sound that was lacking, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Their bass and treble were ticking all the right boxes.

Thanks for reading...

[rollo]

  Jim your room is a difficult The "L" shape with a large opening to Dining room is an issue that is tough to fix. Would you consider putting the speakers on the long wall where rack and sofa are now ? You have had numerous VG speakers yet the same result, changing them.
  I would strongly consider a different set up. BTW did you look at the JBL A190 ?

charles