Doc modding Marantz imperial 7

[karatestu]

I removed the 24 x 24" x 2" concrete slabs under my speakers since now I have isolation they are not required. Bloody fugly things, it looked so much better without them.

I noticed a change in sound that I liked as the height dropped by 2" so was curious to lower the spheres even further to hear what would happen. I did this before and liked it but the hourglass stand puts the drivers higher than I have ever had them. So I temporarily removed the hourglass stands and put a slightly shorter 110mm pipe under instead.





The tubes work really well half way under the circular base and half way sticking out. The height had lowered by about 4" and I liked it so not one to stop there I cut some even shorter pipes (6") and put them under.




I really like them low down both visually and sonically

[antonio66]

How to explain the difference as the sphere gets closer to the floor ? It must be due to boundary enforcement and changing distance to the ceiling As the mid bass gets closer to the junction between the floor and wall the bass gets boosted a bit. Before I did isolation at speaker and driver level the bass got too muddy at the low level with certain music.

Now with the most articulate, clean and fast bass I have ever had it is not too much. The bass detail and cleanliness stays the same but the level relative to mids gets higher. Hence I am quite liking the added oomph.

So now I have a dilemma. I like the look of the short straight pipe more than the hourglass I might like the look of the hourglass stand more than the straight but it is going to have to be shortened at both ends considerably. Once that is done there is no going back (without buying more hourglass stools at £18 a pop.

[antonio66]

Looks like you are going to have to gamble the full £18 and get the stools cut shorter.

[antonio66]

Looks like you are going to have to gamble the full £18 and get the stools cut shorter.

I think you are right Dave. There is something about the hourglass shape visually.

Sonically I am not sure now if the shape of the stand is going to make a difference big enough for my sophisticated test equipment to pick up (cloth ears).

[karatestu]

I have cut the top off one of the hourglass stands and done a mock up with yellow 30cm sphere in it with little 15cm ball on top. I didn't want to disturb the steel spheres on the small straight pipe legs. It's in the first picture below.


I would like to ask members to position these different mock up's with their favourite first. Many thanks, I would be very grateful.

Please remember the final thing will be the steel spheres with the circular wooden base with the inner tube "bumper". The yellow and pink ball are used because it's not easy to move the steel spheres from one to the other and I'm listening to them now

So, Number 1 is the steel sphere with straight pipe
Number 2 is the yellow sphere in the tall hourglass stand
Number 3 is the yellow sphere on half the hourglass stand with straight flange at the bottom
Number 4 is the yellow sphere on the smallest half hourglass stand (has been cut down)

[karatestu]

I have tried it with the half stand inverted so the flared bit meets the sphere not the base but frankly it looks rubbish that way.

[karatestu]

If I cut both halves of the stand down to 20cm total I get this (the hourglass is much less pronounced)

[antonio66]

Looks like the padlock has got to come off the wallet I think you might have to spend another £18, I like the drawing the best were you would cut off a little at the top and bottom, unless you go for number 2.
The order in which I like the others, 2, 3, 1, 4.

[karatestu]

Personally I like the short hourglass as in the drawing and the straight pipe the best. My wife likes a nice straight piping . I got a lot more replies on another forum and the voting is all over the place.

I won't have to buy any more stools if I go with the hourglass cut down at both ends.

[Toontrev]

Keep your money Stu, your drawing looks best to me.