Spatial Audio in the house

M

Mechnutt

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,432
Location
Minnesota
Paul Speltz with Anti Cables dropped off a pair of Spatial Audio M3's for me to audition. Unfortunately they are not the S models.

I received the Spatial M3's last night. I am impressed with them. They sound very similar to my Magnepan 1.6's in some respects. They are smoother, more 3d with a little more depth and image better than the Maggies. There is no fatigue at all. The Maggies have better bass and slam along with more resolution and detail. The sound stage is taller with the Maggies but that is to be expected with them being much taller in size than the M3's. The M3's are more coherent much like the Magnepan 1.7's (as opposed to my 1.6's) They definitely need a subwoofer. Overall, I could be happy with them and think that they are a great buy. I am not so sure that they are giant killers though. They perform above their price point but are not on par with some of the speakers that I have heard in the $5K range and above. I am going to have a few friends over this week for a listen. I will report back in a few days.

I am going to give Clayton at Spatial Audio a call and get the scoop on the differences between the S and non S models.

Larry
 
I had an audiophile friend over and my son an audio enthusiast with a great ear. We listened to the M3's for a few hours. We all had the same feelings about the M3's. They are a very good sounding speaker and offer a lot for the money. They do nothing wrong. They are very smooth sounding with no fatigue at all. There is little in the way of sibilants. They are very coherent, holographic, image great (better than my 1.6's in these respects) but compared to my Magnepan 1.6's they fall short in other areas. The Maggies are more musical, dynamic, detailed and resolute. Cymbals have more air and are more natural sounding. Bass down to 45hz is much better with the Maggies. Listening to the Boxer Rebellion CD "Cold Still", the first song "No Harm" towards the end of the song, bass kicks in almost like reverb and my Maggies make my room vibrate while the M3's make a wimper in comparison. Drums hit harder with the 1.6's and you can pick out nuances in music that just are not as prominent with the M3's. I am not a bass freak and by no means is my system bass heavy, but we all thought that the M3's were lacking in this area. The bass is there but when it needs to hit hard, it can't. And it is not the electronics because my BAT preamp and Pass amp are very dynamic.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not putting down the M3's. I could be happy with them. They are a very solid speaker all around and worth their price and then some. The are more listenable than my 1.6's on poorly recorded or brighter sounding music. They do need a sub crossed over at 60hz or above. I keep my dual subs at about 48hz.

Interestingly, I called Clayton the Designer and owner of Spatial Audio to talk about the M3 Turbo S model and how it differs in sound, not telling him my thoughts on the the M3. He stated that they sound similar but the S model has more detail, and just a bit more musicality with less distortion, a taller sound stage, a faster pace and tighter more controlled bass but it does not punch harder. He also told me that the pair of M3's that I have do not have the upgraded cross over that he puts in all the M3 models now. He stated that it markedly improves the midrange as before there was a little "suck out" or hollowness.

To sum it up. The M3's are very listenable with no fatigue, they have a liquid sound with excellent air and transparency. They image well and have a laid back sound (in comparison to my Magnepan 1.6's). The midrange is where its at with the M3's. I was considering up grading to these speakers, but at best they would be a lateral move. I would love to hear the S models though.
 
These are on my list for some time now. I am actually torn between M3 and M4. M3 goes lower, but M4 are more wife friendly.

Regarding the bass, I think one needs some time to get used to it. As these are an open baffle speakers the bass doesn't hang in the room so vibrations are not expected and in my case this is a good thing. Of course, this is a rather personal thing, don't get me wrong.
Also, when I heard GRs OB speakers I too wasn't quite happy with the bass, but then I spent some more and more time listening to them and eventually the bass started to sound right to me. I feel as there is no way going back anymore.

These are M4s (M4s go to 45Hz opposed to M3s 32Hz as per the webpage) and the bass doesn't sound bad through my headphones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL4-bmMgxYE (I haven't had a chance to listen to them in person though)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top