Proac 3.8 Owners


I've been doing some preliminary research on Proac 3.8 speakers and can't find any information on optimum listening height for this speaker. The tweeter is located at about 44" (speaker height is 49" on spikes), but my preferred listening position height is more like 34-36"-- hey, I'm a slouch.

I've called two dealers, including the USA importer, and all were puzzled-- in fact had never thought about it. Does anyone have any info. on this? Maybe listening height is not important with the 3.8s? My Vand. 3As are adjustable for listening height by tilting the speaker forward or back with adjustable spikes-- can the 3.8s be tilted? But then 3As have 1st order crossovers and optimum listening height is important. I see the 3.8s have 3rd order crossovers. I'm hundreds of miles from nearest dealer, thus the questions/research at this point. Thanks. Craig
garfish
Garfish, the tweeters should have a 30 degree radiating pattern. Unless you are sitting very close you should not have a problem.
I guess we need to start a new thread" The strangest reasons for changing speakers". ---Come on! You wanted new speaks;right?? Blaming it on the cat, may work at another sight,but not here.'ss ok, your amoungst friends. BTW,my son has 9 cats;his speaks/Linn 200s/ he leaves sans grills;the kittys leave them alone. He does have that rolled barbed wire thing,but that's for the kids. (Not) (The 9 cats is)
Avguy; this may be a really strange reason (excuse?) to change speakers, but we've got a year old cat that is a real hell raiser and she won't leave either my Vand. 2CEs (now covered w/ tinfoil), or my 3As alone (now surrounded w/ chicken wire-- yes, I'm serious). The Vands. are completely wrapped in grill cloth (lots of scratching area) and they have to be sent to factory for cloth replacement. Well, the Proac 3.8s only have a grill cloth on the front, and it's mounted high also, so they may be fairly "catproof", but even if the cat gets to them, the grills should be replaceable fairly inexpensively. Also, Proacs have always been a well regarded speakers. We like the cat too. Cheers. Craig.
Thanks Craig. I don't know why the -s irritate me, but thanks,--nice guy!! BTW,I got the (in my case) loss of base slam from 2 places. One was a NY dealer who carries both speakers;another nice guy. I told him I was calling from 3,000 mi. away;and still we had a lenghty conversation. He said (and I believe him),the 3.8 s are a much better than mine, speaker/ but not as dynamic in the low end.(the trade off thing) What's an audio geek to do? And, like you close your posts,"cheers".I'll add; "& good hunting"; I for one, will be interested in what choice you make.
I just heard the 3.8s at the Montreal show, powered by Moon amps and MIT wires, in a pretty big room. My impression of the sound was that was powerful but somewhat "dark" sounding, meaning not very crisp and lively, more syrupy. I venture to implicate the MIT wires in the darkness (?) and perhaps the Roger Waters recording.
I thought I'd mention this just as my 2c and also as a suggestion that it might be important to be able to listen at the tweeter level to mitigate a dark perceived balance (as usual system and room matching important as well).
Comcherry; thanks for the info. re: tilting on the 2.5s, I'll look into it further. Avguy; at least temporarily, I brought your rating back to zero for your first post here-- can't understand why you'd get negs for that? I suspect you're right, the listening height thing of 3.8s may be just a "perceived" problem by us audiogeeks. Altho' LG in his STPH review did set his listening ht. at tweeter ht.-- but then he's an audiogeek too. Cornfed; lifeguard chair good idea-- in southern Calif:>) Thanks, and Cheers. Craig
Thanks for the 4 minuses....whomever.Feel better?? With a class A rating on these speakers,I would assume this is a "perceived " problem.While I'm not a 3.8 owner; I had a serious interest in a pair,at a local shop.I read the review Jan /00. Tweeter hight wasn't mentioned as a problem.The "down- side" for me, w/A.10ts would be "perceived" as loss of bass slam. Whenever we change "pieces" we go thru this/ (what trade offs.) As far as speakers / price,and range of quality,I'm in the boat with you Craig.As far as auditioning /this place doesn't have a tube amp to demo them with.I won't listen with solid state,so they might as well be 300 miles away,and I won't lug 200lbs of monos for the test. I just want to zero in on something with zero down side compromises, before hand. The reality is I "might" love these in my living-room There are so many choices in that price range,and so many opinions on all of them.As far as "loss of slam" the review hints that way/and "it" is mentioned in a couple of threads,right here.( calling them "great classical music speakers) email me if you like and we might compare notes and prices,and other choices.Even tho this post is longer its message is the same___Tweeter hight, I doubt, is a real issue.
With 2.5's the spikes allow for some degree of tilt adjustment. I suspect the 3.8's would as well/
Listening further back /better than going outside.Finding the focal point within the room seems to be the ans. I doubt they only sell them to 7 foot people.
garfish: have you ever seen those chairs that lifeguards sit/rest on at public beaches in california? you really need one. hope it fits in your listening enviroment. if not, you can move everything outdoors, unless it rains. or snows. or gets too cold. or blows down your tent. -kelly