[ARQuint]

Sad to say that the 801 D4s are just a fond memory. But my best recollection is that my ears were 8.5" from the front plane of the front plane of the speakers.

When I angle loudspeakers in toward the listening position to achieve the best imaging, I work with a friend using a white noise track on endless repeat. We keep changing the angle until there's a discreet "blob" of sound located centrally and when one moves his head from side to side, there's an imaginary boundary crossed where the character of the noise changes. This tedious exercise does seem to correspond to the most continuous and specific imaging when music is played. A good point to start the process, we've found, is having the speakers aimed in a way so that imaginary lines from the middle of the tweeter cross just in front of the listener's head.

I do attempt to adjust a speaker's spikes not just for leveling but to be sure that, as much as possible, the tweeter are aimed at ear level. I'm certain all of you do as well.

The "leaning in" was my clue that I needed a more robust amplifier to get the 801s to sound their considerable best. My experience was the same with my Berning Quadrature Z monoblocks that are rated at 200 wpc. (Although all 200 wpc amps aren't created equal, of course.) It was only when I borrowed the Tidal integrated that the sound was as authoritative, and the bass was fully controlled. (The room frequency sweeps were quite different with the Pass XO 80.6s and the TIDAL Intra, with some messiness in the lower octaves nearly completely eliminated.) This isn't the first speaker I've had this problem with and, as a result, I just sold the Bernings and have a pair of TIDAL Ferios coming in a month or so. They ought to handle just about anything.

My main speakers are neither Magico M1s (which don't exist) or S1s (which I have for rear speakers when I listen to m-c music. They're M2s.. Sorry about that.