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Posted By: littleb preferred stand height for m22s - 07/18/04 03:12 PM
I had previously purchased the 16" stands from Axiom for my m22s. However, these have been claimed by another family member. I'm looking for another set of stands for them. Does anyone have any opinions on the "correct" height for the m22s? In my environment they seem to sound better highter up. I am starting to think that 24" is the mininum height I should be considering.
Posted By: Zarak Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/18/04 03:25 PM
I went with 24's to get the speakers closer to where the center sits. I could have gone either way as far as getting the tweeter ear level goes, since I believe it was somewhere in between the two sizes.
Posted By: Ajax Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/18/04 03:46 PM
As Zarak implied, the conventional wisdom is to have the tweeter the same height as your ears. That being said, out of necessity, I have my M60s' tweeters slightly higher than my ears and have no problem with that positioning. Do what you think is right.
Posted By: joshxfoo Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/18/04 03:50 PM
As Zarak pointed out, the idea is to get the tweeter at about ear level. I have fairly low furniture, so I went with the (17") Plateau M-17. I've been pretty happy with my decision, except that the top of the stand is a bit too wide for the M22s and thus looks a tad goofy. Oh well.

I recommend sitting in your listening position and measuring the distance from the floor to your ear. Then, subtract about twenty inches for the M22. The remaining number is the approximate height of the stand you want to get.

And be sure to take the base dimensions of the M22s into consideration. Don't make my mistake!
Posted By: joshxfoo Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/18/04 03:51 PM
You beat me to it, Jack. By four minutes! I guess I just spent too much time proofreading
Posted By: Ajax Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/18/04 04:29 PM
There is no such thing as "too much time spent proofreading."
Posted By: alan Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/19/04 03:26 PM
littleb:

The dispersion of the M22ti's tweeter off-axis (the same tweeter is used on the M60s and M80s) both laterally and vertically is good enough that I've found that the stand height isn't critical to achieving a convincingly broad and deep soundstage.

It's more a psychological effect. You may prefer the soundstage higher up, which is what will happen using the 24-inch stands. I used those initially to bring the M22s to roughly the same height as the TV screen. Previously I had them on the 16-inch stands, so the soundstage seemed lower. If you play around a bit with positioning, the character of the M22ti's soundstage--its 3-dimensional quality with good recordings and the ability to image beyond the borders of the speaker enclosures--remains consistent at either height. Using the tweeters-at-ear-height guideline is fine, but I don't find it nearly as critical with the M22. They are very adaptable and accommodating to different setups in my experience.

Now, when I switch to various floorstanders nearby, the soundstage moves lower. I find I prefer the higher soundstage and you may too.

Regards,
Posted By: littleb Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/19/04 04:36 PM
Alan,

Thanks for the reply. Yesterday I purchased a cheap pair of 22" stands to experiment with. It may be psychological, but I do find that I prefer the higher soundstage. At least one other family member has commented that the sound is clearer, if such a thing is possible with the m22s.
Posted By: WhatFurrer Re: preferred stand height for m22s - 07/19/04 04:43 PM
littleb,

I currently am using M22's as rear surrounds in a 5.1 setup. I have them on 28" stands...with spikes and all, they are closer to 31" tall before the speakers.

They perform extremely well for surrounds. I have tall furniture and prefer the taller soundstage.

WhatFurrer
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