Akurate 242 speaker placement

We use the Tune Method to evaluate performance

Moderator: Staff

Post Reply
Paulinko
Member
Member
Posts: 13
Joined: 2007-02-03 15:32
Location: Switzerland

Akurate 242 speaker placement

Post by Paulinko »

Hello Fellow-Linnies

Almost two weeks ago I received a pair of secondhand 242s I won on ebay. I was very happy about their looks (Cherry with black arrays and feet). At first I was also happy with their sound. They are so much better than the Kabers they replaced. But after some listening I noticed some "uneasyness/nervousness" in the higher frequencies.

Particularly LPs which are not so well recorded or pressed sound almost unbearable. I discovered that screws of the arrays were quite loose. I tightened them carefully and it sounded somewhat better but the harshness didn't really disappear. Does anybody know how tight they should be?

I then experimented with the placement of the speakers. In two positions I toed them in but it was always better when they weren't toed in. I tried distances from the lowest recommended distance of 23 cm to 43 cm (meassured from the back of the speaker). Now they are at 38 cm and very good sounding records sound out of this world. But lesser records sound even worse than I can recall. Might it be possible that I'm just tired of hours of tunedemming? (My wife says they sound great). Or is it something I have to live with in my listening room wich is almost square ( 5,3 m x 4,9 m, roomhight 2,5 m)? The speakers are on the long wall and my listening position is about 1 m from the backwall.
Does anybody have experience with positioning 242s? I would be grateful for some hints.

Regards
Paul

LP12/Ekos/Akiva/Linto/KK/Twin Chakra/biwired 242/Melodik
User avatar
sommerfee
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 337
Joined: 2007-02-02 17:40
Contact:

Re: Akurate 242 speaker placement

Post by sommerfee »

Paulinko wrote:Does anybody know how tight they should be?
In the 3K-replacement instructions Linn says "When refitting the screws, ensure they are tightened firmly but do not over-tighten. Torque setting 200cNm"
Does anybody have experience with positioning 242s? I would be grateful for some hints.
I'm sorry, I can't give some hints, I just placed them using tune-dem. First not toed in, when everything else fits, toed in, again using tune-dem.

Axel
User avatar
lejonklou
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6794
Joined: 2007-01-30 10:38
Location: Sweden
Contact:

Post by lejonklou »

Hi Paul!

Interesting room dimensions you've got! Almost a half cube in size. This is something most audiophiles would rule out as the number one problem, but I've heard similar "bad" rooms sounding really good, so I think yours probably could, too.

The easy part is the array. The Linn instructions of 2 Nm is a bit on the high side - probably because they expect them to loosen up after a while. I say around 1.6 Nm sounds clearly better. Try that, in case you have access to some kind of torque tool. And if you do, you can also tighten the bass units to slightly above 1 Nm.

The placement is really difficult to comment on the internet. You need a focused and relaxed mind, a defined method (e.g: first distance to back wall, then distance apart, then toe in) and the Tune Method. Then you'll find the perfect position. Other people's distances won't help as they all depend on the room.
Paulinko
Member
Member
Posts: 13
Joined: 2007-02-03 15:32
Location: Switzerland

Post by Paulinko »

Hi Axel
Hello Fredrik

Thanks for your ideas. I will get a device for a correct Torque.

In the meantime I tried several things. I also checked the turntable. I think there's something wrong with it because the MajikCD sounds at least as good as The LP12. When I connect the earth with the Linto it sounds better but there is allways some humm. That's why I disconnected the earth in the first place. Is there something wrong within the TT? I have to ask my dealer.

With the 242s I can hear a lot more details and probably some mistakes in the chain I didn't notice before.

I read some threads in this forum about speker positioning. It encouraged me to keep on trying and be patient.

Regards
Paul
User avatar
sommerfee
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 337
Joined: 2007-02-02 17:40
Contact:

Post by sommerfee »

Paulinko wrote:When I connect the earth with the Linto it sounds better but there is allways some humm. That's why I disconnected the earth in the first place. Is there something wrong within the TT? I have to ask my dealer.
I had the same problem; it was caused by a loose connection between Ekos and T-Cable. (One pin of the Ekos was faulty.) So yes, I think this is a problem within the TT.

Axel
Post Reply