9

Positioning (Toe-In)

Adjusting the toe-in angle of the speakers is useful in tailoring the sound to match the characteristics of your
system and the listening room. When the speakers are facing straight forward, they tend to create a large,
expansive sound stage. As they are rotated toward the listening position, the image becomes more compact,
with increased focus, creating a greater sense of intimacy. Pointing the speakers inward is also helpful in
situations where strong reflections from the side walls are a problem.
Start with loudspeaker facing straight forward, which is according to our experience the preferred position for
listening, i.e. 20-30 degrees relative to the optimal listener position (see Fig.3), and play either a mono source, or
a stereo source with a distinct center image (e.g. solo instrument, human voice), through both channels. If the
image is not in the center carefully rotate the loudspeakers inward in small increments to bring the image in
precise center focus. Toe-in is rather delicate, and experimentation is necessary to achieve proper angle for your
listening situation. The optimum angle is usually 3-10 degrees inward.
Fig. 3
Once you are happy with the positioning of your speakers, it is important to ensure that they are completely
stable. For floor models it is essential that you use the accompanying spikes.

Room acoustics

Listening your Magus speakers in a properly set-up room can be a startling experience. The listening room is
the final link of the playback system, as important – or more important, than other components in the chain:
1)Turntable, CD or SACD player, 2)Interconnect cables, 3)Amplifier, 4)Speaker cables, 5)Loudspeakers, and
6)Listening room. Some simple and relatively inexpensive adjustments can lead to superb results as described in
chapter five.
Some of the sound you hear comes not from the actual speakers but from reflections from floor, ceiling and
walls. These reflections are dampened by objects such as furniture, plants and carpets. If the sound is bright,
soft items such as curtains and carpets can help. If the room has large window panes, drawing the curtains will
prevent reflections from the glass surfaces.
Both the amount and quality of the bass depend on the size and shape of the room and the position of the
speakers. If positioned near a side or back wall, this will accentuate the bass. A corner location will accentuate it