ROOM ACOUSTICS

Your Room

This is one of those areas that requires both a little back- ground to understand and some time and experimentation to attain the best performance from your system.

Your room is actually a component and an important part of your system. This component is a very large variable and can dramatically add to, or subtract from, a great musical experience.

All sound is composed of waves. Each note has its own wave size, with the lower bass notes literally encompassing from 10 feet to as much as 40 feet. Your room participates in this wave experience like a three-dimensional pool with waves reflecting and becoming enhanced depending on the size of the room and the types of surfaces in the room.

Remember, your audio system can literally generate all of the information required to recreate a musical event in time, space and tonal balance. The purpose of your room, ideally, is to not contribute to that information. However, every room does contribute to the sound, and the better speaker manufacturers have designed their systems to accommodate this phenomenon.

Let’s talk about a few important terms before we begin.

Terminology

Standing Waves

The parallel walls in your room will reinforce certain notes to the point that they will sound louder than the rest of the audio spectrum and cause “one-note bass”, “boomy bass” or “tubby bass”. For instance, 100Hz represents a 10 feet wavelength. Your room will reinforce that specific fre- quency if one of the dominant dimensions is 10 feet. Large objects in the room such as cabinetry or furniture can help to minimize this potential problem. Some serious “audiophiles” will literally build a special room with no parallel walls just to help eliminate this phenomenon.

Reflective Surfaces (near-field reflections)

The hard surfaces of your room, particularly if close to your speaker system, will reflect some waves back into the room over and over again, confusing the clarity and imaging of your system. The smaller sound waves are mostly affected here, and occur in the mid and high frequencies. This is where voice and frequencies as high as the cymbals occur.

Resonant Surfaces and Objects

All of the surfaces and objects in your room are subject to the frequencies generated by your system. Much like an instrument, they will vibrate and “carry on” in syncopation with the music, and contribute in a negative way to the music. Ringing, boominess, and even brightness can occur simply because they are “singing along” with your music.

Resonant Cavities

Small alcoves or closet type areas in your room can be chambers that create their own “standing waves” and can drum their own “one-note” sounds.

Clap your hands. Can you hear an instant echo respond back? You have near-field reflections. Stomp your foot on the floor. Can you hear a “boom”? You have standing waves or large panel resonances such as a poorly supported wall. Put your head in a small cavity area and talk loudly. Can you hear a booming? You’ve just experienced a cavity resonance.

Rules of Thumb

Hard vs. Soft Surfaces

If the front or back wall of your listening room is soft, it might benefit you to have a hard or reflective wall in opposition. The ceiling and floor should follow the same basic guideline as well. However, the side walls should be roughly the same in order to deliver a focused image.

This rule suggests that a little reflection is good. As a matter of fact, some rooms can be so “over damped” with carpeting, drapes and sound absorbers that the music system can sound dull and lifeless. On the other hand, rooms can be so hard that the system can sound like a gymnasium with too much reflection and brightness. The point is that balance is the optimum environment.

Breakup Objects

Objects with complex shapes, such as bookshelves, cabi- netry and multiple-shaped walls can help break up those sonic gremlins and diffuse any dominant frequencies.

Solid Coupling

Your loudspeaker system generates frequency vibrations or waves into the room. This is how it creates sound. Those vibrations will vary from 20 per second to 20,000 per second. If your speaker system is not securely planted

8 Room Acoustics

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MartinLogan CLS IIz user manual Room Acoustics, Your Room, Terminology, Rules of Thumb
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CLS IIz specifications

The MartinLogan CLS IIz is a sophisticated hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker that exemplifies the brand's commitment to innovation and exceptional audio performance. This model is a continuation of the legendary CLS design, which has garnered a loyal following among audiophiles and music enthusiasts alike.

One of the standout features of the CLS IIz is its electrostatic transducer design. Unlike conventional dynamic speakers that rely on moving coils and cones, electrostatic speakers use a thin, electrically charged diaphragm sandwiched between two stators. This design allows the CLS IIz to produce sound with extraordinary clarity, speed, and precision, making it particularly well-suited for accurately reproducing the nuances of vocal performances and acoustic instrumentation.

The CLS IIz also integrates a new, more advanced version of the brand's Curvilinear Line Source technology. This innovation provides a wider and more consistent sound dispersion pattern, resulting in an expansive soundstage that immerses listeners in their favorite recordings. The speaker’s tall, slender design further enhances this effect, allowing for an impressive imaging capability that places sounds precisely within the listening environment.

Another key characteristic of the CLS IIz is its frequency response. The speaker is capable of reproducing frequencies from an astonishingly low 38 Hz to a remarkable 25 kHz. This wide frequency range ensures that music and audio content are delivered with great depth and richness, fully capturing the lower bass notes while maintaining the sparkling clarity of high-frequency sounds.

In terms of build quality, the CLS IIz features a sturdy yet elegant cabinet that minimizes resonance and vibration, allowing for pure audio reproduction. The speaker's sleek aesthetic is complemented by high-quality finishes, ensuring that it looks as good as it sounds, making it an attractive addition to any audio setup.

Additionally, the CLS IIz boasts versatility in its setup, allowing for positioning flexibility that accommodates various room sizes and acoustic conditions. This ensures that enthusiasts can achieve optimal sound quality regardless of their environment.

In summary, the MartinLogan CLS IIz is a marvel of modern audio engineering that combines cutting-edge technologies with a commitment to high fidelity sound. With its electrostatic design, advanced dispersion capabilities, wide frequency response, and elegant build, the CLS IIz stands as a testament to MartinLogan's dedication to providing an unparalleled listening experience.
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