Sunfire CRM-2 Setup
stereo_buff -- Wed, 11/05/2008 - 23:33
I previously read the review Robert Harley wrote on the Sunfire CRM-2 Cinema Ribbon speakers and it piqued my interest. In particular, I noted his statement to the effect that a rigorous and detailed setup regimen must be carried out for these speakers to achieve their ultimate glory. In one case, RH makes the statement, "You must start with the CRMs at the right listening height (ears centered on the ribbon) and with exactly the right degree of toe-in." This happens to run contrary to the manual that states, "... keep them at least one or two feet above ear level (with you sitting down)."
I have recently purchased a pair (for stereo music listening) and would like to shortcut as much experimentation as possible towards getting them set up for sonic nirvana. Beyond what is already stated in the magazine review, is it possible to get some further details on what steps were found necessary to accomplish when setting these speakers up correctly for the best sound? I realize a certain amount of fiddling is required, but if some basic pointers could be addressed (did you REALLY MEAN ear height?) it would be helpful to me, and I believe, many others.
Thanks!
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1999 - 2011 NextScreen. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
I spent the better part of a day setting up the Sunfire CRM-2 with its designer, Bob Carver. Much of that time was spent fine-tuning the placement (rather than integrating the CRM-2 with the Sunfire SubRosa subwoofer, which was surprisingly easy).
Part of the problem was that the stands they shipped to me were small and flimsy. Their only advantage was adjustable height.
The CRM-2 is extremely fussy about listening height, toe-in, identical toe-in for each speaker, and being absolutely perpendicular to the floor (that is, straight up and down). We had to bend the small platform on the top of the stands to get the CRM-2 perfectly vertical.
We positioned them exactly at ear level. Ribbons have very narrow vertical dispersion, meaning that their sound output decreases rapidly above and below the driver. This makes listening height much more critical than with point-source dynamic speakers.
The CRM-2's treble balance is very different off-axis. As you toe-in the speakers toward the listening position, the sound gets brighter. You can fine-tune the treble balance with the amount of toe-in.
The downside to this ability to adjust the treble balance with toe-in is that each speaker must have absolutely identical toe-in. Stereo imaging relies on both loudspeakers having the same characteristics, particularly frequency response. If one speaker has more toe-in than the other, imaging will suffer. The CRM-2 is the most sensitive speaker to this phenomenon that I've encountered.
It's also important to get them out into the room and away from the back wall to achieve a fully developed soundstage.
As Bob and I tweaked in the set-up, the CRM-2s just kept getting better and better. I suspect that most listeners have never heard the CRM-2's full potential. It's worth spending some time on the set-up.
I spent this past weekend setting up a pair of Sunfire CRM-2 Cinema Ribbon speakers I recently purchased. The information contained in The Absolute Sound in addition to what Robert Harley related in this thread previously helped immensely in getting me up and running in the reasonable amount of time, though not cut and dried, by any stretch of the imagination.
When it comes to setting up the CRM-2, everything that was contained in the aforementioned sources was absolutely true. Nothing is hard about it - it is just time-consuming and requires some thought. I spent several hours at it (along with an audiophile friend of mine who provided some valuable assistance) and think I am pretty close to having it "dialed in", though I'm not going to rest on my laurels quite yet. It was truly amazing to see how much a slight adjustment of the toe-in and listening height could improve the sound; to quote RH, as "I tweaked in the set-up, the CRM-2s just kept getting better and better." As good as they sound now, I can't wait to see how they will sound after the manufacturer's specified 300 to 400 hours of break-in!
Let me say that the CRM-2 is everything that RH said it is and more. Along with perhaps the most enveloping, engaging, and seductive soundstages I have ever experienced, the CRM-2 added a level of detail that I had never before experienced, revealing nuances in some of my music that I had never heard before. Moreover, the extended frequency response of the "ribbon" allows acoustic music, in particular, and its harmonic content to be realized in a manner that must be heard to be believed.
A bonus in all this is an exceptionally high SAF (spouse acceptance factor) due to the diminutive size of the CRM-2.
I also would agree with RH that many owners probably (aren't as "anal" as some of us when it comes to maximizing the sound quality and, therefore,) haven't heard the CRM-2 in all of its glory. Furthermore, it would require some effort, in a retail store environment, of someone knowledgeable to set the CRM-2 up correctly to reveal its true potential to customers which, unfortunately, I suspect is not being done either.
In the interest of clarity, I need to state that I used an existing Sunfire True Subwoofer Mk.II in my setup to supply the low end, in lieu of the SubRosa that was reviewed. However, I found the setup, as far as the subwoofer was concerned, to be just as straightforward as claimed, as well as integrating quite well with the CRM-2s, in my opinion.
I think that Bob Carver has done something truly "Amazing" again!
The CRM-2 is a nearly full-range ribbon, with all the benefits that design confers, not the least of which is no crossover in the midband. That this peformance is available for $1600 is remarkable. Even more amazing is that you get a nearly full-range ribbon sound from a tiny box.
So many CRM systems are sold to people who don't realize that careful placement will yield big rewards. They are probably put down on a shelf or entertainment system cabinet and are never moved from that spot.
I'm glad you like the system. The soundstaging is spectacular, and it has that ribbon clarity and detail.
Would a Pair of Macintosh MC275 bridged mono for 150w/channel do these speakers justice, and would they be sonically compatible?
The MC275s would be an excellent amplifier for the CRM-2.
You have stated in other places that it is "mandatory" to use a Sunfire subwoofer with the CRM-2's. Why? Why won't other good subs mate with the CRM-2's just as well or possibly even better?
The Sunfire subwoofer is supplied with an outboard amplifier/crossover that has ideal crossover characteristics for the CRM-2. If you use another brand of subwoofer, you'll need a line-level high-pass filter with flexible crossover frequency and slope. Do you intend to use the CRM-2 in a multichannel setting with an AV controller?
Yes, that is the plan!
...I have the Magnepan 12s and CC3 for L/F/C...I cannot use Maggies for surrounds, however...would the Sunfire CRM 2s complement this front arrangement?
You can use the CRM-2s for surrounds to maintain an all-ribbon system, but you must pay closer attention to placement. I would set up the CRM-2s in the rear, drive them temporarily with stereo material, turn the listening chair around, and position them as though they were stereo speakers. Then when you return the system to normal you should get optimum performance from them.
Thank you very much. (I wasn't sure if the total balance of the CRM-2s would complement the maggies.)