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I've had a pair of 3.6 for a year not being used. I want to get them back up and running but the room I'm planning on listening to them has a 7 foot ceiling. The side and rear distances are fine. How is this going to sound with limited overhead space?
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I can't squeeze the tip of my index finger between the top of my Acoustat 2+2 electrostatics and the ceiling.
Perfect fit.
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Vertical dispersion of planars is determined by diaphragm height as there's no floor or ceiling "bounce".
One advantage of a planar driver is it has much less vertical dispersion than dynamic drivers so the affect of floor and ceiling reflections is significantly minimized compared to box speakers.
A higher ceiling would be nice, but you do not need any ceiling treatment with dipoles. Also, a thin carpet may actually be better. I had a carpet pad under wall to wall carpeting and had to take it out.
You will need to treat front, rear, and side walls.
As with anything audio - experiment and listen. Don't try to do everything at once. If you do and don't like it, you won't know what the problem is. Too much is as bad as none!
In theory, I have read that Maggies do not disperse sound to the horizontal or vertical planes the same way as voicecoil speakers.My ceiling is actually under 7 feet by 1 inch. It is a drop ceiling underneath 2x10 floor joists and not a hard solid ceiling, such as drywall, so in theory this should be not as "constricted" with certain frequencies I presume.
In practice, my system sounds effin' glorious. Put it this way- when my eyes are closed I don't once think "this would sound so much better if I had 12 foot ceilings". I am using the Limage setup, and have been for a few years now and have little ambition to go "conventional".
I actually do have 12 foot ceilings in an unused front room- maybe one day I will pack them upstairs and try it out.
Edits: 04/27/24
My 3.6Rs are in a 7.4' tall room. One of the acoustic treatment companies recommended mid/high absorption panels on the ceiling between the speakers and the listening position to help with the low ceiling, but I haven't installed them yet to know if they're right or wrong.
I did that (3 absorption panels on the ceiling) just because I could, but really didn't perceive any difference, and it is too difficult to remove them and put them back to check. They may make more of a difference on a hard smooth surface like painted drywall than the 2x4 soft and pitted acoustic panels I have in my drop ceiling.
That's disappointing, but I bet they would help more with a drywall or plaster ceiling.
The reason I have not installed mine yet are because it's a pain and I have not figured out a really clean way to do it yet. I may have to put holes in the plaster and use cables that I'll attach to joists in the attic (I have access from above). I want the panels tight against the ceiling since the ceiling is low enough already and the panels are 3.5" thick.
Primacoustic make some nice cables to attach them, but if you want them flush on a hard ceiling I think you may need to just use some construction adhesive.
Edits: 04/27/24 04/27/24
Thank you, gentlemen. I'm going to get to work on this asap. The reason I have an unused pair of 3.6 is because several years ago I bought a pair of used 20.1 from a true Maggie nut. He was so meticulous. The 3.6 have been setting unused far too long and if I recall they have a unique sweet balance that is so pleasant. I'm hoping a Jolida JD1000RC integrated will power them OK because that's the only amp I have available at tis time. I have cheap wood panel walls, crackle ceiling, and cheap thin carpet. 15' X 14'.
Why are you deciding to no longer listen to your 20.1s?
(They are so much above 3.6s!)
And no, sorry ... the Jolida JD1000RC integrated will simply not deliver the best your 3.6s have to offer. :-((
As you only have this amp ... is this the reason you are giving up on your 20.1s?
Andyr, I have a modwright amp and preamp for the 20.1 and they are still playing in their larger room. The 3.6 are going in the low ceiling room. The Jolida 100 WPC tube integrated has also been one of those pieces I bought and have rarely used. The thing I dread about a matched octet of EL-34 is the cost. After all this gets accomplished I will post my experience. I really want to hear the deep bass balance in the room with low ceiling. THANKS
More space in general is nice, but they should sound fantastic with the layout being large enough.
I think it will be no problem.
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