Would Monitor Audio RS8 speakers suit my room?

Miker

New member
Jul 26, 2007
67
0
0
Visit site
I have virtually settled on MA RS8s with Cyrus CD6 and 6vs, having heard a demo in a big room. But I've one last thought. My living room is 22 ft by 13 ft reducing to 9 ft at one end where the corner is sliced off. I would have to site the speakers at the narrow end of the room, one in the corner and the other about 6 ft away, Not ideal, I know, but short of moving radiators, changing furniture or lifting carpets, I can't see any other option.

What I am wondering, is whether the RS8s are reasonably tolerant of less than ideal positions. Or if I do lift the edge of the carpet, would a long cable run of over 15 ft to one of the speakers upset the balance?
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
It's the 'one in the corner' bit that worries me, as this will probably lead to boom from that speaker, and an unbalanced sound.

No problem with a 5m run of cable, provided you keep the other speaker run the same length, too. Loop the excess up loosely - don't coil it tightly - somewhere out of site.
 

Miker

New member
Jul 26, 2007
67
0
0
Visit site
Thanks. It's plan B then with the speakers placed on either side of the fireplace which is on one of the longer walls, with the amplifier to one side. The cable run of one of the speakers might be over nearer 6 to 7 metres by the time it is wound around the edge of the room but I assume that would be OK provided the two cable lengths are equal.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Did you listen to both the RS6's and 8's? or just the 8's. The reason I ask is that I listened to both for a good while yesterday and settled on the RS6's and was quite stunned at how much better (my opinion of course) they were. To me they were clearer, sharper, much faster and dynamic. If you didnt listen to the RS6's please please check em first. I guess this could be equipment dependent and of course depend on the sound you're looking for but I was just well surprised that the smaller, cheaper speakers sounded so much better.

The dealer had them hooked up to a Moon cd/amp combo which for Dire Straits & Norah jones, sounded stunning and for Ministry of Sound's Ibiza 2007 disc, absolutely awful - which I'm assuming is due to the compression issue discussed here.
 

Miker

New member
Jul 26, 2007
67
0
0
Visit site
Damien, thanks for your reply. No, I didn't listen to the RS6s but having read your previous posts, I will do so before I decide. My wife still has to listen to the proposed equipment and, no doubt, will opt for the smaller speakers. In the demo, the dealer played an Eva Cassidy CD which knocked me out, compared with my old tired kit. Before I decide, I will want to hear some jazz (Miles Davis?) and classical. Is my age showing? Certainly not Dire Straits! It will probably be a few weeks before I visit the dealer again. My present priority is to upgrade my Linn TT so that I can play all those old jazz records that I bought in my youth.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
If you like Jazz & Eva Cassidy I'd say you'll like the RS6's - Norah's a bit in that direction and sounded great. I'm sure you'll get them past the style police too - the RS6's aren't that noticeably different in size to the RS8's, just a touch shorter - bout' an inch or so I think.
 

Miker

New member
Jul 26, 2007
67
0
0
Visit site
Andrew, I'm still agonising over the positioning of the speakers, once I buy them. I always thought that, ideally, the listener should be equidistant from and facing the speakers. That is not possible given the shape and furniture layout of my living room. Plan B has one speaker about 6 to 8 ft away from the listeners and the other over 12 ft to the side. It also means laying cable around a fireplace and across a doorway for one of the speakers. My easiest option, Plan C, would be to position the speakers a third and two thirds along the 22 ft wall, either side of a radiator and a 6 ft settee. It would mean that listeners sitting on the settee would be slightly in front of the speakers, about 8 ft away from each. Listeners in the armchairs would inevitably, be nearer one speaker than the other, but I can't see how that can be avoided.

What do you think, please?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi All,
I prefer the RS8s over the RS6s, particularly when listening to close-miked vocals like Norah Jones and Katie Melua and found the RS6s a little harsh.
No substitute for a good listening to decide what suits your taste best...

For positioning the speakers, that is difficult. I purchased a pair of MA GR20s and I found finding the right spot hard (my room is 6.25 by 4 tapering to 3.25m on one side). MA suggests placing the GR20s close to the wall, but I prefer their sound standing a bit more in to the room. I suppose that may be true for the RS6/8s as well.
In the end I've placed mine 3.3 meter apart on the long side of the room in order to 'wrap around' my seating area, making sure the fronts of the speakers are at the same angle to the most used sitting positions (The speakers are parallel to each other, but they are placed at an angle - and different distances (37 and 88 cm) - to the wall). Not ideal, but so far the best arrangement I've found.

If you are worried about making those boxes work in your room, try if you can audition a - well run in - pair at home.
 

Miker

New member
Jul 26, 2007
67
0
0
Visit site
Thanks. I agree that I have got to "Suck it and see". Plan C would have one speaker perhaps muffled by an arm chair. I will have to trail cables over the carpet when the kit first arrives and try various options. Nothing wiil be perfect, but that's life.
 

Miker

New member
Jul 26, 2007
67
0
0
Visit site
I've just realised that decent loudspeaker cables will set me back a bob or two, given a cable run of upto 7m. I would welcome recommendations on suitable cables for my proposed kit.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts