MartinLogan CLX - Manual (Page 12)

and consequently, the sound can be compromised. If your
speaker is sitting on the carpet and only foot gliders are
used, the bass can be ill defined and even boomy. The use
of spikes is recommended to ensure secured footing for
your speakers. (See ‘Solid Footing’ for spike information
and installation instructions).
Dipolar Speakers and Your Room
MartinLogan electrostatic loudspeakers are dipolar radia-
tors. This means that they produce sound from both their
fronts and their backs. Musical information is reflected by
the wall behind them and may arrive, either in or out of
step, with the information produced by the front of the
speaker.
The low frequencies can either be enhanced or nulled
by the position from the front wall. Your CLX’s have been
designed to be placed four or more feet from the front
wall (the wall in front of the listening position) to obtain
the best results; however, your room may have differ-
ent requirements. Listening to the difference of the bass
response as a result of the changes in distance from the
front wall can allow you to get the best combination of
depth of bass and tonal balance.
Now that you know about reflective surfaces and reso-
nant objects, you can see how the midrange and high
frequencies can be affected. The timing of the initial wave
as it radiates to your ears, and then the reflected informa-
tion as it arrives at your ears later in time, can result in
confusion of the precious timing information that carries
the clues to imaging. The effect is blurred imaging and
excessive brightness. Soft walls, curtains, wall hangings, or
sound dampeners (your dealer can give you good infor-
mation here) can be effective if these negative conditions
occur.
12 Room Acoustics