Current feeling on stacked quads?

oh it's all interesting. i have a lot of nice speakers and my pair of quads are quite nice. i suppose i have wondered about getting a larger throw area and somewhat higher spl. i have also thought of martin logan cls, or acoustat 2+2's. never heard the sound labs. he big apogees have always been tempting but hoonestly, i dont think i could afford to power them!

Detlof,

I have driven my SoundLab A-1PX with Atma MA-1s, Parasound JC-1s, and now Ayre MX-Rs. The Atma-Spheres are an excellent match, no question. They have three significant downsides: 1) they produce a great deal of heat, which is unacceptable for 7-8 months of the year here in subtropical Houston, 2) they take a good hour after power on to sound their best, while the MX-Rs are at the peak within 10 minutes after startup from standby mode, and 3) they are simply not as good as the MX-Rs in several respects (timbre of bass below approx. 60 Hz, soundstaging, and - most importantly - a quality of 'light' that I find extremely difficult to describe). The MX-Rs do this better than any amp I've ever heard, and said quality contributes greatly to the sense of realism.

A short comment on the JC-1s - not the absolute best available for SoundLabs, but darn close. A truly oustanding value for money. They are a ridiculous bargain when purchased used.

Mothra, I also apologize for getting off topic. I've auditioned stacked 57s just once quite a number of years ago, and was a bit bothered by the loss of the stunning midrange coherence displayed by a single pair. Then again, I don't know how the stacked pair was 'hooked together', so this comment should be taken with a large grain of salt.

Curriemt11,

The Atmas: I have MA-II Mark IIIs and apart from the heat and the time it takes for them to sound right, where I fully agree with you, I do not hear what you describe. But then MA-2s have a lot more punch than the MA-1s you had. I wonder what you mean with "light", wished you would describe this more. Is this a coloration you heard or a lack of dynamics? If I lived in subtropical surroundings I would probably also wish to try the Ayres, which are a beauty to behold and less costly than the MA-2s, although I would have to be convinced first of their deep bass performance with the Sound Labs for reasons stated above in my other post.

Stacked 57s: You are right about the loss of midrange coherence, one of the single 57's strong points. It takes a lot of fiddling around to get it right again., but it can be done.

> I wonder what you mean with "light", wished you would describe this more. Is this a coloration you heard or a lack of dynamics?

As I said, I have trouble describing it with any conventional terminology. It's a lightness or delicacy that is ALWAYS present in live, unamplified music. In my system, the Atma-Spheres did not have this characteristic to anywhere near the degree than the Ayres do. It is certainly not a function of sheer power, nor of dynamics (well, microdynamics perhaps). And since I find it closer to reality, I would not call it a coloration.

Since I would not have recognized the comparatively 'darker' character of the Atma-Spheres without having heard the Ayres, perhaps you should audition the MX-Rs?

Curriemt11,
I see now what you mean. Had a look at your system. Very nice indeed! However I don't seem to hear through my Atmas, what you heard through yours, and I am very familiar with live events as well. But then our systems are very different. I have the bigger Atmas and the U-1PX Sound Labs and a different cables-, source gear- and front end setup to yours, not to speak of the room. I am also using a pair of a-Capella plasma tweeters with the Sound Labs.
Whatever, you certainly have made me curious about the MX-Rs and I'll take up your suggestion and take two long ears-fulls at the next opportunity. Enjoyed our exchange!
Cheers,
Detlof