MMMicroOne setup help

erniejade

New Member
Nov 10, 2014
4
0
0
1st post.

I have purchases a used set of MMMicroOne and I am having trouble getting them to sound right in my room. My room is smaller and I cannot get the MMMicroOne to not sound thin. Dimentions are 10X11X8. The wall to the right has a 12” cutout 6 feet into the wall with bookshelves. On the back wall there is an opening to a hallway. On the left wall, toward the back is the door to the garage. I have flipped the room around a few times but had the most success with the help of GIK. I am still working with them to get the rest of my acoustic issues worked out.

I had a much larger room before and have a set of Legacy Focus. They are way too big for this room and tried a set of stand mount Polk LSI9 to see if that would be the way to go. They sounded better in this room so I decided to move up the bookie chain. With the help of a friend who suggested the MMMicroOne, I bought a used pair. Right now, the Polks sound much fuller and more dynamic. I have the speakers setup 14” from the back wall and 2 feet from the sides. The couch is 4 feet from the back wall, and have tried 2 and 3 feet from the back wall as well. At 2 feet from the back wall, I do get more bass but, it doesn’t sound quite right. At 3.5 – 4 feet from the back wall, it seems to image better. I tried the MMM1 2 feet from the back wall and 2.5 feet from the sides but, that didn’t sound right to me.

I am driving them with a McIntosh MC402, Audio Research SP16 preamp and I have changed speaker cables a few times from MIT S1 to the DH labs I am currently using. The Sp16, I have bounced between RCA 3 mica 5751, Tele’s and tung Sol from 1959 for tubes. I cannot get them to not sound thin I also swapped in a SS Parasound P5 and that actually brought more bass out but, still thin next to the Polks. . My wife even stated the Polks are not as good looking as the MMM1 but sound fuller and richer. I am open to suggestions on how to get them to sound better in my room. A friend suggested it could be possible they just don’t like the McIntosh amplifier. The legacy and the polk sound good with the McIntosh. Could this just be a bad match up? I am open to suggestions to help get them to sound right. I am not married to any specific brand.

This week I am going to try them out with a subwoofer. I do have a velodyne spl1200 that has been re-capped 3 years ago I can throw in the mix.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
1st post.

I have purchases a used set of MMMicroOne and I am having trouble getting them to sound right in my room. My room is smaller and I cannot get the MMMicroOne to not sound thin. Dimentions are 10X11X8. The wall to the right has a 12” cutout 6 feet into the wall with bookshelves. On the back wall there is an opening to a hallway. On the left wall, toward the back is the door to the garage. I have flipped the room around a few times but had the most success with the help of GIK. I am still working with them to get the rest of my acoustic issues worked out.

I had a much larger room before and have a set of Legacy Focus. They are way too big for this room and tried a set of stand mount Polk LSI9 to see if that would be the way to go. They sounded better in this room so I decided to move up the bookie chain. With the help of a friend who suggested the MMMicroOne, I bought a used pair. Right now, the Polks sound much fuller and more dynamic. I have the speakers setup 14” from the back wall and 2 feet from the sides. The couch is 4 feet from the back wall, and have tried 2 and 3 feet from the back wall as well. At 2 feet from the back wall, I do get more bass but, it doesn’t sound quite right. At 3.5 – 4 feet from the back wall, it seems to image better. I tried the MMM1 2 feet from the back wall and 2.5 feet from the sides but, that didn’t sound right to me.

I am driving them with a McIntosh MC402, Audio Research SP16 preamp and I have changed speaker cables a few times from MIT S1 to the DH labs I am currently using. The Sp16, I have bounced between RCA 3 mica 5751, Tele’s and tung Sol from 1959 for tubes. I cannot get them to not sound thin I also swapped in a SS Parasound P5 and that actually brought more bass out but, still thin next to the Polks. . My wife even stated the Polks are not as good looking as the MMM1 but sound fuller and richer. I am open to suggestions on how to get them to sound better in my room. A friend suggested it could be possible they just don’t like the McIntosh amplifier. The legacy and the polk sound good with the McIntosh. Could this just be a bad match up? I am open to suggestions to help get them to sound right. I am not married to any specific brand.

This week I am going to try them out with a subwoofer. I do have a velodyne spl1200 that has been re-capped 3 years ago I can throw in the mix.


First off welcome to WBF

Many EA members here including the mfr J. Tinn. Hopefully he will chime in and offer some advice
 

erniejade

New Member
Nov 10, 2014
4
0
0
Thanks Steve. I was poking around and there is a lot of great info on this forum.

I have been struggling with the speakers for a little bit and I am not ready to give up on them yet.
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
Probably the reason the EA sounds thin is because the Polk's have about a +4dB hump around 85Hz. They are not that efficient at 88dB @ 4 ohms. The EA speakers are much easier to drive and should give you better dynamics. The Polk speakers have larger drivers and can move more air though. The only thing I can suggest to thicken them is try to place them closer to the wall/corners.

Good-luck!
 

erniejade

New Member
Nov 10, 2014
4
0
0
Bruce, what you just said about the +4 around 85 hz, goes in line with what GIK said could be happening with my room. They said because the room is 11x10x 8, I could be having an issue with the ceiling being a 70/80 hz trap. They were helping me get the speakers positioned better then room treatments.

I flipped the room to what they said and it made a big difference but not quite there. Where it made the polks sound Right the EA still sounded thin so it it goes right with what GIK was saying. It looks like i need the ceiling treatments to get them dialed in better. For now I will hook the velodyne up to help.

Thanks.
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,468
11,363
4,410
hi Ernie,

I wonder what sort of toe-in/toe-out you are currently trying? I have set up the EA MM1's a few times in small rooms (at shows) and toe-in was a significant issue.

I recommend the listening position be at the point of an equilateral triangle, and that the tweeters be pointed at somewhere between the tops of the outside of your shoulders and your ears. fine tune by ear. what is exactly the best alignment will vary with the sidewall interaction.

using a laser pointer will yield results.....particularly to make sure that vertical alignment (are both speakers aiming level?) is accurate to get tonal balance. make sure your ear level is even with the tweeter height.

next experiment with floor/speaker interface a bit for best bass hookup.

then listen to the speakers for awhile. music listening without agenda over a bit of time will allow you to 'understand' what the MM1's do that makes them special. and that is what they are. if your ears are currently calibrated to another speaker there is a period of adjustment. likely there are trade-offs involved too and you have to decide what you like.

good luck.....
 
Last edited:

LarsS

New Member
Nov 11, 2014
69
0
0
Stockholm
Hi,

Used to have a pair of EA MMMicrones bought from dartZeel and the nice Mr Herve D.

Drove them initially with Audiolab MDAC as pre and DAC with nCore NC400 monoblocks and had exactly the same experience with a thin, small bodied sound. First improvement came when I replaced the supplied spikes with SoundCare Superspikes, small but noticeable improvement. Second and a very big improvement came when I replaced the nCores with a hybrid integrated amplifier that could deliver high amounts of current (ShengYa A17CS). Body and fullness was there, even wife noticed the difference.

Final and biggest improvement came when I connected my latest integrated amplifier, Norma Revo IPA-140, which can deliver 150 A peak. Replaced speakers shortly after. My advice would be to use good spikes and try speakers with an amplifier that can deliver very high amounts of current.

Good luck!

/LarsS

PS: My MMMicroOnes are now archived awaiting my son moving to his own place. DS
 

erniejade

New Member
Nov 10, 2014
4
0
0
Thanks all for the suggestions. I have a friend who doesn't live too far that has a Parasound A21 that is going to bring it over and see how it does on it.

LarsS, I took a look at the specs on the Norma. Impressive integrated! "Output Power: 140 W RMS / 8 Ohm – 280 W RMS / 4 Ohm (each channel) "Output current available: 36 A continuous, 150 A peak (per channel)" The McIntosh MC402 "A continuous average power output rating of 400 watts and with an output current of greater than 100 amperes per channel"
I forgot to also mention I am running them on the 8 ohm taps. I also tried them on the 4 ohm taps but, it I felt the 8's thickend the sound up. I believe they are rated at 6.. Funny you mention the spikes. I have a set of herbies isolators I was going to try on them next.

Mike, I do not have a laser but, I am considering getting one. Also "then listen to the speakers for awhile. music listening without agenda over a bit of time will allow you to 'understand' what the MM1's do that makes them special. and that is what they are. if your ears are currently calibrated to another speaker there is a period of adjustment. likely there are trade-offs involved too and you have to decide what you like" That makes sense. I have been too bent on listen to a cd or lp or a few songs, switch and picking appart instead of just giving them time and let myself get adjusted to them.

My history was always floor standing speakers. The Polk lsi9 are actually my first stand mount speaker and the MMM1 being my second. Past speakers ranged from JM Labs 815, Vandersteen 2ce sig and Vandersteen 3A, Polk SDA1.2 Carver Amazing ( one of my fave but sold when I lost my big room) on down to my current bigger Legacy Focus. I still own the focus but, the room is too small for them.

Peter A, book has been ordered!

Reading through this forum i found
-The E MO was set up very well, completely away from boundaries, driven by the new PBD integrated amp/DAC/streamer.
I felt the sound was a bit leaner. There was not a lot of body or warmth, but a tremendous recorded detail. decay,
and imaging.
This goes back to what Mike said, i might be listening for the wrong thing on what the MMM1 can do.
 

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