"My wife found that the MRC added no discernable difference in our "typically UK sized living room".

I was not actually referring to the additional MRC but the DSP frequency and phase corrections applied through the on board processing.

"Nic you have the cutest cable management cat manager" - I second that, so sweet!!!

"Do you have a feel for the ideal minimum sized room for 8Ks (do I need to move house?!)"

Tom - If the speaker was passive then certainly yes, there would be minimum room dimensions to avoid exciting resonances - if you have a speaker that can hit 20Hz then you certainly need a room that can cope with that energy. There is a whole load of information published online - Nelson Pass or DIY Audio is always a good place to start.

However, the 8k's are DSP compensated and therefore are significantly more versatile in their placement and performance. The less ideal their placement the more processing required to rescue them - ie MRC on top of the on board corrections.

Ideal room placement is covered extensively on the net, as are ideal room dimension ratios to minimise excitation. There is also many different software packages available to highlight potential issues. If after entering the room dimensions etc it reveals a myriad of issues between 20-30Hz then it maybe unwise to chose a speaker that has a significant output in this region.

Of course, you could chose one and then tailor its response by using a graphic equaliser, DSP, MRC etc but this increases the signal path complexity, usually an undesirable and maybe one that could have been avoided by choosing a more appropriate speaker in the first place.

It is always best to try to follow the speaker placement guidelines for any speaker, even the DSP's with their ability to bend the rules. In the same way try to avoid suspended floors and be aware of the first reflection points. However I am aware that often the ideal is compromised in a domestic environment, unless you have a room built for the purposes (as many HH's would seem to have done).

I simply prefer the concept of minimal processing. I understand the M gear has some very capable processors operating at 48 bit word depth so it may be that any potential signal degradation is only theoretical... but each to their own.

If you guys all love your 8ks I'm sincerely happy for you - they're just not for me in my system at the moment smile

http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearing-test/