Room Size ? Esl 15a

[School]

Ok so my current listening room is 12x14. It currently has a pair of esl 9s. I was recently offered an amazing deal on a brand new pair of esl 15a speakers from a dealer. The deal was so good I couldn’t pass it up. Now my question is due to the size of my listening room did I make a big mistake or can arc and room treatments get be through until I purchase my next home.

 

[athrose]

Ok so my current listening room is 12x14. It currently has a pair of esl 9s. I was recently offered an amazing deal on a brand new pair of esl 15a speakers from a dealer. The deal was so good I couldn’t pass it up. Now my question is due to the size of my listening room did I make a big mistake or can arc and room treatments get be through until I purchase my next home.

Everyone is different, but I have 13s in a room that is 25’ wide x 55’ long with 9’ ceilings and they do a great job in my space.

 

[ttocs]

I would've done the same thing and take the great deal now if I knew I'd be moving into a larger space.

It could be a bit tight, but I think it's doable. Room construction plays a part in this in addition to the size.

 

[School]

I would've done the same thing and take the great deal now if I knew I'd be moving into a larger space.

It could be a bit tight, but I think it's doable. Room construction plays a part in this in addition to the size.

I’m just concerned about the sound. Some people saying I’m an idiot lol

 

[Russr]

I'd put them in my bedroom! Some mood lighting behind the panels, and you're done!

 

[Tmort]

Man you’re going to need a lot of room absorption. My 9’s are in a slightly smaller room than yours but sound great with a good amount of acoustic panels behind the panels and at first reflection points on the side walls.
That said, I can’t blame you!

 

[twich54]

I’m just concerned about the sound. Some people saying I’m an idiot lol

I'm not gonna say you're an idiot but no way will that room ever be optimized for those speakers. You can treat it till the cows come home and it will still be a compromise !

Good luck !

 

[Leporello]

If you truly got a good deal on ML's current flagship product I would have done exactly the same thing, and dealt with the room mismatch later. I think you can make them work, if not, save them for another living situation. The built-in ARC will at least help the bass.

 

[Tmort]

I'm not gonna say you're an idiot but no way will that room ever be optimized for those speakers. You can treat it till the cows come home and it will still be a compromise !

Good luck !

Save the 9’s for that room and put the 15’s in a much bigger space where they can breathe!

 

[FLBrad]

Man you’re going to need a lot of room absorption. My 9’s are in a slightly smaller room than yours but sound great with a good amount of acoustic panels behind the panels and at first reflection points on the side walls.
That said, I can’t blame you!

I’m confused as I thought that putting absorption panels behind ML electrostatics was not desirable. I LOVE my Ascent i’s and the amazing, deep soundstage they present. I was under the impression that the back wall reflections due to the dipole design largely contributes to that wonderful soundstage. If so then why absorb those rear sound waves coming off the MLs? I’m hoping someone much more knowledgeable than myself can set me straight. TYIA

 

[Robert D]

Save the 9’s for that room and put the 15’s in a much bigger space where they can breathe!

Thats my thought. The OP was talking like he has a next home in mind. How far in the future is this planned? If it is under 2 years then I would probably just keep the new 15's boxed up and fresh like new. Move to the new home and then unbox them for use.

 

[ejspain]

I would've done the same thing and take the great deal now if I knew I'd be moving into a larger space.

It could be a bit tight, but I think it's doable. Room construction plays a part in this in addition to the size.

super tight

 

[JonFo]

I’m confused as I thought that putting absorption panels behind ML electrostatics was not desirable. I LOVE my Ascent i’s and the amazing, deep soundstage they present. I was under the impression that the back wall reflections due to the dipole design largely contributes to that wonderful soundstage. If so then why absorb those rear sound waves coming off the MLs? I’m hoping someone much more knowledgeable than myself can set me straight. TYIA

It actually is desirable, as it kills any comb-filtering due to front wall reflections; it also dramatically reduces the head-in-a-vise effect, as there is no longer a 'balance' to deal with rear-wave reflected sound vs. direct sound.
Yes, it significantly alters the perceived soundstage, but once you get used to it, it is a more satisfying listen, and the sweet spot is wider, enough for at least two people.
Absorption is THE game for multichannel setups, as dialog clarity of good instrument localization is important.
For instance, Atmos music will be one ugly smear without absorbing reflections. Immersive positional algorithms assume monopole speakers.
My room is completely treated, my front wall is covered edge to edge with absorption, and the first 14' is mostly absorption. Atmos music and movies are a treat to hear.

For the OP, yeah, that's a crazy small room, absorption on the front wall and the first 4' of sidewalls would be necessary, as would hanging a thick rug on the back wall to tame reflections from there. See this for an example: https://www.martinloganowners.com/threads/media-room-–-quad-ml-sub-setup.17591/

 

[ejspain]

It actually is desirable, as it kills any comb-filtering due to front wall reflections; it also dramatically reduces the head-in-a-vise effect, as there is no longer a 'balance' to deal with rear-wave reflected sound vs. direct sound.
Yes, it significantly alters the perceived soundstage, but once you get used to it, it is a more satisfying listen, and the sweet spot is wider, enough for at least two people.
Absorption is THE game for multichannel setups, as dialog clarity of good instrument localization is important.
For instance, Atmos music will be one ugly smear without absorbing reflections. Immersive positional algorithms assume monopole speakers.
My room is completely treated, my front wall is covered edge to edge with absorption, and the first 14' is mostly absorption. Atmos music and movies are a treat to hear.

For the OP, yeah, that's a crazy small room, absorption on the front wall and the first 4' of sidewalls would be necessary, as would hanging a thick rug on the back wall to tame reflections from there. See this for an example: https://www.martinloganowners.com/threads/media-room-–-quad-ml-sub-setup.17591/

My room is 13.5'W x 18'D x 10'H, dual purposed for music and movies. The 11As are 4' from side walls, driver cabinet 2' from back wall, and MLP is 10'. Tried and tried and tried and I absolutely did not like absorption behind my panels. I have some front and rear bass traps, absorption and diffusion at the second/third reflection, cylindrical abfusion in the rear and some absorption in the ceiling to tame the Atmos. The good thing is, it measures well and sounds pretty darn good.