Even as a single guy I need to worry a little about PSAF (potential spousal acceptance factor). I personally got tired of looking at the stack and the N25s are so big they take up a ton of floor space. Right now they are sitting on the floors taking up space. I am arranging a trade with my sub dealer in the near future.
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More is not always better…just different!
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It’s interesting that you don’t seem to have reflection problems of all the glass behind the speakers, as the MBL, besides being omnidirectional speakers, are not really forgiving in mids/highs. But that’s about the only potentially negative topic I see in this great room.
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Its strange the extremes have integrated sub towers and no issues. But it maybe the D’apolito mid base melons overcoming the stacked subwoofer reflection off towers.
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The window treatments are significant enough to act as a diffuser for most.mids and highs. I have used both tube traps and diffusers at the first reflection points without any better results than the shades down. The glass is less of an issue with the omnis because of the sound field.
Us
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The profile and footprint of the MBL extreme towers is a lot smaller than the Rel
N25 profile. Plus the MBL extreme towers have better electronics (phase and delay) so you do not need to place them right next to the main melon towers. My guess is the Rels footprint is twice the size without the necessary electronics to place them away from the MBLs 101s for proper integration. If you watch the Rel setup video for a stack you will see that Rel recommends placement right by the speaker…which is fine with a dynamic speaker…but not so good with these MBL 101s…at least in my room.
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For me, not even a 10 million dollar sound system, would justify to clutter the million dollar view from that beautiful apartment.
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You don’t know yet how many other rooms have the same view 
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Perhaps, but its his living room. I’d say the view is the main feature. If I remember correctly he overviews the Mississippi River. Pretty much on the border between St. Paul and Minneapolis if I remember correctly.
I just can’t forget Manny’s Steak Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis.
Minnesota is a beautiful state with its ten thousand lakes.
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And each lake has 10 billion pesky mosquitos!
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It’s not too bad, we camped at a lake in July, in a Dutch De Waard tent, not an RV.
We just remember the fun the family had. Not the mosquitoes.
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Nice!
My wife is from northern MN, and grew up on a lake in a town with 5 lakes within city limits. I recall many a summer being eaten alive, especially up in the Arrowhead north of Duluth/Two Harbors area.
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I think we were lucky that month. We came from Texas (road trip) that year. Also, our perception of the mosquitoes might have been mild. Considering the fact that in Texas with over 100 deg F in July, being outside is not the most comfortable place either.
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@Rudolf_Appel and @jazznut as well as everyone else. I am an audio goofball that would rather allocate dollars to the stereo than extra space I wouldn’t use. The place I live in used to be a two bedroom two bath condo. It is now essentially a studio. If I was planning on staying in the building long term I would just buy another unit on the same floor. Property values are dropping so there are plenty of good deals near downtown Minneapolis…but after living here since 1989 I wouldn’t recommend it.
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@luca.pelliccioli I see that you have the ports on the rear of your speakers directed outwards. Did you try them pointing inwards? If so, any differences?
Also, are those GAIA feet under the speakers?
Thanks
Sohail
We just spent a glorious, bug free week on Great Diamond Island, off Portland, Maine.
We were there just at the right time; we slept on the upper deck one night and not a single insect. Nice.
Frigid waters though, even kayaking.
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Hi Sohail, never tried swapping the speakers because of the size of the room and the location of subs and rack always made me think I do not need. Pointing the ports facing each other can produce more impact and IMO more vibration and reverberations in my environment.
Yes I used to use GAIA footers (Dynaudio Evoke 50 before) and love them.
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Isn’t it great when that happens?
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My next upgrade is probably a Shunyata Omega USB cable. I just discover using a simple OWC Mercury Elite Pro 7200 rpm storage enclosure box with a 4TB 3.5" NAS HD, (you can put in a higher up to 16TB HD) and run a high quality, in my case, an Audience Front Row USB cable to the streamer and it actually outperforms my NAS system. I will also put in a better power supply for the OWC later. I was quite surprised how much difference the USB cable made. Of course I’m already running a Valhalla 2 USB from the streamer to a Matrix 2 and that’s about as good as USB cables come, but maybe the Omega may be even better. The OWC is just $49, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08611BWQG?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details but you have to get a 3.5" HD disk and insert it.
This is the Shunyata Omega.
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I think I would try the near field experiment with the pair right next to your listening area. A pair by your seating area and the pair by the speakers then the pair only by the seating area.
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