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RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room?

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In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by Satie on January 10, 2015 at 14:07:05

The Spectra 22 was 2 panels side by side like a Model 2, and the 2+2 was two stacked on top of two wide for a total of four panels. Same width (2 panels).

Regarding the 2 wide models - model 2 was a real disappointment, while the Spectra 22 was very very good. I really liked mine...The Spectra 3 and 33 and 3300 I expect to be even better....never heard these tho.

The only "Stacked" Spectras were the Spectra 6600 (maybe teh Spectra 8800 if it exists?)
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RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - morricab 15:06:01 01/12/15 (0)
Almost right. There was also a Spectra 4400, which I also owned, that was essentially a 2+2 with Spectra technology.

I had three different ones, the Spectra 2200, Spectra 4400 and the 1+1. Great loudspeakers all of them. I also owned Stax ELS F81s and Audiostatic RS100s. For planar magnetics I have had Apogee Caliper Signatures, Infinity IRS Betas, Infinity Modulus (planar tweeter).
RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - Satie 07:37:19 01/11/15 (15)
Yes thanks. I should remember this as I have been through this "catalog": many times before, but I still confuse the 2+2 with the spectra 22, 2200.

I really loved the 2+2, but they are too tall to fit in my basement listening room.
- RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - E-Stat 12:53:39 01/12/15 (12)
  I really loved the 2+2, but they are too tall to fit in my basement listening room.
  
  My wife and I had our previous home built and designed a dedicated space in the basement for the music system. I specified no less than an eight foot ceiling in the contract for that very reason. Once complete, I discovered much to my dismay the dumb a$$ contractor didn't follow the builder's instructions. The contractor told me that it would cost more to raise the ceiling. I showed him the contract and pointed out that it wasn't going to cost me a cent to get what I specified.
  
  I accepted a compromise with a trayed ceiling. Here's a shot from 2003:
  
  More recently, I purchased a pair of 1+1s for the garage system. While they require more power and have less bass output than the 2+2s, I find the 1+1s image much better and don't share the head-in-a-vise challenge. And I definitely prefer the line source nature of the stacked models over the side-by-side models (I began with the Model X and upgraded that to Monitor 4s).
  
  I solved the 2+2s imaging issue by moving to Sound Lab U-1s. With their uniform radiation over a 90 degree arc, you can pretty much walk around the room, stand up or sit down and not hear much difference in front of or behind the speakers. They're really spooky in that regard.
  - RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - morricab 01:31:17 01/13/15 (11)
    Yes the 1+1 image nicely, I really liked mine.
    
    The Spectra series also imaged very well because they did the trick of having the highs only coming from a narrow region of the speaker. The Spectras were also more transparent than the earlier series...they had better transformer design I guess because the panel construction was the same. The Spetras solved electrically what Soundlab and Martin Logan try to solve mechanically.
    - RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - E-Stat 07:22:04 01/13/15 (10)
      The Spetras solved electrically what Soundlab and Martin Logan try to solve mechanically.
      
      That solved the extreme sweet spot situation, but not to the extent you will find with SLs as they radiate uniform directivity over a much wider area with the angled facets. You can be significantly off axis and still have a full range result.
      
      I almost purchased a pair of Spectra 66s that were for sale near where I used to live. They were more neutral sounding than the 2+2s but do not have the transparency and imaging of the U-1s. There were, however, a great deal for the money!
      - RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - morricab 13:28:02 01/13/15 (9)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by E-Stat on January 13, 2015 at 07:22:04
        
        My smaller 2200s were more transparent than my big 4400s for whatever reason.
        
        RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - E-Stat 13:56:59 01/13/15 (8)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by morricab on January 13, 2015 at 13:28:02
        
        They used the same panels so I suspect the difference had to do with component changes in the interfaces - as has occurred frequently in the past. I had ex-Acoustat technician Roy Esposito completely rebuild the interfaces in my 1+1s making a pretty significant sonic difference. I opted for the "air" mod which offer switchable bypass to the tweeter level control. Old vs new:
        
        Speaking of panels, the Acoustats - old and new alike - have 17 micron diaphragms. The Sound Lab panels (along with the latter Quads) use 3 micron diaphragms.
        
        RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - Mendel 19:20:52 01/13/15 (7)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by E-Stat on January 13, 2015 at 13:56:59
        
        The Spectras are in house. I have them hooked up with no name speaker cable as I must reterminate my Kimber from bi wiring to the single binding posts of the Acoustats.
        I am amazed by the sound in this small room. So different from the Totems! A wall of sound with real bass. Bass is strong but tuneful in this small room. Can't imaging the need for a sub but I am coming from 5 3/4 inch woofers.
        I appear to have lucked out so far no noises, rattles or distortion just beautiful music. They do dominate the room that's for sure. If I knew how to post a picture I would.
        Appreciate the advice guys, glad I went for it. Biggest upgrade I have ever made in my system.
        
        RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - morricab 14:07:48 01/15/15 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by Mendel on January 13, 2015 at 19:20:52
        
        Super now what you will find is that this speaker will get better as you improve everything behind it, source, amps cables etc.
        
        I still miss mine sometimes...sniff!
        
        Awesome! - Sondek 07:57:38 01/14/15 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by Mendel on January 13, 2015 at 19:20:52
        
        I have an idea you're at the beginning of a long love affair.
        
        Great news - E-Stat 05:53:02 01/14/15 (3)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by Mendel on January 13, 2015 at 19:20:52
        
        You should have fun going through your musical library to hear the beauty and coherency of stats.
        
        If I knew how to post a picture I would.
        
        Place a copy on your computer. Click the "Browse" button beside the "Upload Image" link in the Post a Message! box and locate the file.
        
        RE: Great news - Mendel 15:33:08 01/15/15 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Great news posted by E-Stat on January 14, 2015 at 05:53:02
        
        Thanks guys. Been a blast so far. E-stat I have a picture on my IPad. How could I post that?
        Been experimenting with position. So far the closer I move them to me (further from the wall behind) the better they sound. Getting so close it is like giant electrostatic headphones! They are about 4 feet out from the front wall, 7.5 feet from the listening position and just about as far as I can spread them out, less than a foot from the side walls angled in towards my listening position.
        Some quick questions. The floor in my man cave is not even so the wood bases don't sit flat so they rock a little. How do people couple them to the floor? Spikes, sorbothane pucks?
        I intend to have the interfaces looked at but have read that the power supply bias level is key to performance. Apparently later versions had a pot on the circuit board to set this, but the guy I got these from says there is none on the Spectra 22 (but his Spectra 33 do have the control). Can anybody shed some light on this?
        Ok, I would like to do some routine maintenance on these, can any body shed some light on "vacuuming" the panels? Do you do it with the grill cloth on or do you remove them? Ok how do you remove them? What tool do you use on the vacuum (brush?) , how much suction is safe? Not ready to talk about the hair dry treatment yet.
        
        RE: Great news - E-Stat 16:09:07 01/15/15 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Great news posted by Mendel on January 15, 2015 at 15:33:08
        
        E-stat I have a picture on my IPad. How could I post that?
        
        Don't know if the upload works with pad devices. Do you have a PC where you could copy the file?
        
        I intend to have the interfaces looked at but have read that the power supply bias level is key to performance.
        
        In the Acoustat world, the bias is fixed. There are no adjustments. My Sound Lab backplates, however, do have bias level controls since they run at much higher voltages.
        
        Ok, I would like to do some routine maintenance on these, can any body shed some light on "vacuuming" the panels?
        
        Vacuuming isn't needed so much as periodic re-tensioning of the diaphragms via a high output hair dryer or heat gun. Search the forum and you'll find lots of posts about that.
        
        Do you do it with the grill cloth on or do you remove them? Ok how do you remove them?
        
        The grill socks are stapled at the top and bottom. In time, you will want to replace the heavy weave cloth with tightly stretched spandex. The factory cloth tends to muffle the top end.
        
        Sit back and enjoy them for a while. And experiment with placement. I might not have them spread as far apart. And precise symmetry will give you the best imaging. I'm talking using string and laser pointers for the best results.
        
        RE: Great news - Mendel 10:53:31 01/18/15 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Great news posted by E-Stat on January 15, 2015 at 16:09:07
        
        They really are not to big at all!
        
        Congrats!!! - Satie 00:35:55 01/14/15 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? posted by Mendel on January 13, 2015 at 19:20:52
        
        These should be a fit for you.
        
        Enjoy them.
- RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - john65b 07:53:47 01/11/15 (1)
  I still have two pairs of 2+2, (and a pair of Model 3) and when I had a pair of 2+2 set up, I had to remove the ceiling tiles (my ceiling is 7' 10")...
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  - RE: Acoustat Spectra 22 in a small room? - Sondek 08:20:59 01/11/15 (0)
    I've toyed with the idea of stacking my Monitor 4's like Mike Savuto has, but it was enough of a challenge with my sigot to get the 4's allowed in the house. Not to mention the expense involved. As it is, I have them aimed dead level directly at the listening position, and there is a big difference in sound from a standing position to the seated sweet-spot position, but oh what a sound in that spot.

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