How does rake adjustment affect sonics?

[Mirolab]

Electrostats are a line-source, and the ideal orientation is for that line source to be perpendicular to you ears at the listening position. The only reason M-L rakes them back is because the panels are only 48" (typically) and need to sound OK when you stand up. A true "ideal" line source would be a 7 foot high panel that was standing perfectly 90dg. Notice that short Magnaplaners are tipped back, but the really tall ones are not. All that said.... just adjust it and see for yourself what sounds best. It very easy to do. Calculating angles won't solve anything in this case.

 

[Robert D]

Good discussion and great suggestions so far.

I'll add that the ideal is a pure vertical rake, as that engages the fewest room reflections. So for some of the newer, shorter models, one thing to consider is placing them on a riser that places your seated ears at roughly 2/3 of the way up the panel height.

Yeah, it seems like the panels on the Prodigy speakers I have are vertical to begin with. Does Martin Logan rake some of the newer models because they are shorter?

 

[JonFo]

Does Martin Logan rake some of the newer models because they are shorter?

Yes, that's the primary reason. Most of the Gen1 lineup was 6' tall and had vertical rakes. I think the Aerius was the first raked model because it was shorter.

Even today, the Neolith is vertical, as is the (recently discontinued) CLX.

 

[Mirolab]

In '89 I owned the original Sequels. They were purely vertical, and the woofer cabinet was quite tall. This was fine on the sofa and in the room, but if I sat on the floor, they sounded terrible, because the bottom of the panel was too high. I think M-L made the right choice to lower the panel and tilt it back. My ML3's sound OK from the floor. Not the best, but still OK.

 

[ejspain]

Just what I found!

how close are you?

 

[Gordon Gray]

IF the 90 degree hypothesis is optimal, an easy and precise way to achieve it is to take a laser pointer with a flat back end and place it on the middle of the panel and adjust tilt angle until the beam is at ear height.

IMHO, it is. Better everything but may be too thin and revealing for some. Listen and determine what you prefer.

Here is a cheap way to set your panels perpendicular. Get a piece string and tie a light weight on the bottom and eyeball the string and the front edge of the panel trim from the side.

I posted about this topic many years ago.