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jeffreyw posted:2) How on earth do I do bass management with an integrated amplifier? As far as I know, the sub outs are full range so there isn't really a way to limit the frequencies coming out if the speakers. This is the back of that Wharfedale sub:  You integrate the sub with your mains by listening to test tones while fiddling with the phase switch, crossover frequency, and volume. It's easy to do with a full-range noise track and a bass frequency sweep. This is how I've always handled setup: I'm guessing your main speakers are ported, since most modern ones are. Ported speakers have a pretty steep frequency dropoff below the port frequency, so the subwoofer crossover frequency will probably end up close to the port frequency. Set the crossover to that general range, then adjust the volume and phase while listening to pink noise. If the subwoofer is out of phase relative to your mains, there should be some suckout at the crossover frequency. Next, switch to the bass frequency sweep and use it to adjust the crossover frequency. Too much overlap can result in a peak at those frequencies. Play with it until you feel like the crossover from the sub to the mains is as smooth as you can get it. You may end up toying with the volume as well after moving the crossover. This is a lot easier to do with a microphone and good software, but there's no reason you can't get great results by ear. As for subs themselves, I've always liked the Hsu Research VTF-1. You could get it shipped for under $500. It allows you to switch between two ports, one port, and a sealed enclosure using foam plugs. It also has a Q control, which is nice. TheMadMilkman fucked around with this message at 07:45 on Mar 20, 2014 |
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Mar 20, 2014 07:41
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The two sets of binding posts have a piece of metal connecting them. You can see it on the picture here: Using regular speaker cables, you just plug them into either the upper or lower set of binding posts. If you wanted to, you could remove the piece of metal, then use either shotgun speaker cables, like these:  or two sets of speaker cables to connect the speakers to your amp. This is of questionable utility. You would also have the option to biamp your speakers, where you would split the signal coming from your preamp, and then use two separate amplifiers to drive one speaker, like this:  This is also of questionable utility, and definitely fails on nearly every cost/benefit analysis.
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Jan 4, 2018 21:42
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qirex posted:Super disagree. At this point they mix movies with like 90% of the sound coming out of the center channel so you almost might as well be running 1.1. I'm insanely happy at 2.1, it centers on the screen perfectly and I could mount my tv in a more optimal position. That said I'm in the main listening position 90% of the time and 3.1 is more flexible for a wider seating area. Well, there's the B&W Nautilus. It uses an active crossover placed between the preamp and the amps. You need 8 monoblock or 4 stereo amps to drive them.
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Jan 5, 2018 01:19
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I have a 106, which is effectively the same thing. Ya, it’s really good for the price, and a huge improvement over my TV’s speakers. I initially hooked it up with optical, but that introduced an atrocious audio delay, so now it’s actually hooked up using the TV’s headphone output.
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Apr 17, 2018 05:12
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Huh, guess I should have read the manuals more closely. I’ll look into that today. Also, the enter key on an AppleTV remote triggers the bass extension on the soundbar.
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Apr 18, 2018 16:15
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pocket pool posted:Are Audioengine A5+ worth considering? I guess that's a touch above what I said but they seem to be pretty well-reviewed and also flexible regarding inputs/expansion options. They're decent for a desktop speaker. They don't measure great compared to the JBLs and run out of juice pretty quickly when pushed. If you want more options, I'd give Vanatoo a glance.
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Apr 26, 2018 21:05
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Listerine posted:A question about adding Surround back speakers to go from 5.1 to 7.1. Do they have to be the same model as the surrounds? For example if I have Ascend 340 SEs for my surrounds, do I need to add another pair of 340SEs as my surround back speakers or could I go with the cheaper 170 SEs? The 170 and 340 use the same drivers, don’t they? They should have very similar character, so go ahead and use the cheaper option.
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May 12, 2018 02:35
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No real difference. Both are used predominately for spatial effects. Given the choice, I’d put the 140s in the rear simply because we’re slightly less sensitive to sound from directly behind us, but if there was a reason you’d want it the other way (room layout or whatever), it wouldn’t be an issue.
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May 12, 2018 07:53
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fknlo posted:Is there any real benefit to bi-wiring speakers vs. using jumpers? In a shocking twist to audio discussions there is an insane amount of conflicting information on this. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a benefit, but theoretically, yes. Biwiring can affect the frequency response at the crossover frequency: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scots_Guide/audio/biwire/Page3.html First you would have to determine if the change was even audible, and then you would have to determine if the change was actually an improvement. Both of those answers would require blind testing, and I can all but guarantee that none of the biwire proponents have done that.
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Jan 4, 2019 08:33
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Parts Express used to sell the speakers separately and claimed 8 ohms nominal impedance. Given that they were originally driven by a budget digital amp built in 2004, I can't imagine any decent receiver having issue with them.
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Apr 30, 2019 19:38
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an skeleton posted:So for someone who isn't an audio nerd, can I get someone to spell out for me why that's ridiculous? The sub looks huge and the speakers look really tiny in comparison. Is that pretty much it? If he had bigger speakers and positioned it more centrally somehow, would it make sense? Or is that an ungodly size for any living room? The biggest audio issue is that he could have gotten the same output with flatter bass response if he had bought two smaller subs and put them in the front corners, which would cancel out a lot of room modes. But the main reason the picture is funny is because that is a very large sub in a not-so-large room.
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May 16, 2019 14:00
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You could go with an SVS SB-1000, which would get you down to a 13.5 x 13 x 14 cabinet while keeping fairly similar specs.
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Jul 24, 2019 14:51
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Wasabi the J posted:Current setup: The 100 hz extension on the MMGWs is really optimistic, especially in a large room. Replacing those will have the biggest impact. What kind of budget are you thinking of? For subwoofers, multiple subs will pretty much always be superior, if you have the space and don’t mind having multiple boxes. Any pair SVS or Rythmik subs would work fine. The receiver is fine. There are definite advantages to going to full surround, but I get not bothering with it. I haven’t had full surround for years, and without a dedicated room, I don’t feel the need to set it up again.
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Oct 18, 2019 05:41
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Wasabi the J posted:I would like it to be lower if at all possible; a quality pair of loudspeakers would be great at any price though. Yikes. That definitely falls into the "difficult space" category. Do you have any pictures showing the whole living room? I'd like to see where you are hoping to place the speakers.
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Oct 18, 2019 14:06
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KozmoNaut posted:There is just something visceral that a big speaker with big drivers can do. Maybe it's because they need less excursion to produce the same output, but they do tend to give a better, "drier" punch than most small speakers, which can get boomy and struggle with dynamics when you crank it. No, you’re absolutely correct. 5” drivers are fine with small rooms at reasonable levels, but you definitely get some dynamic compression when you push them. Even if you’re using subs, there’s a definite advantage to a larger woofer. 2 ways with a 6 1/2 works, but a 3-way with a 5” mid and an 8” woofer is even better. I really like the new Wharfedale Linton Heritage bookshelf speakers, and would enthusiastically recommend them to anyone looking in the $1k - 1.5k range. Me personally? I’m saving up for Revel Performa F208s and foregoing subs altogether. It should be noted, though, that my system is solely for music, so LFE isn’t a consideration.
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Oct 26, 2019 03:28
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bird with big dick posted:Nearly every time i see people complaining about dialogue volume it’s not because they don’t have a center it’s because they do have a center it’s just junk. Or they just have things set up incorrectly. It’s more of a reference volume problem. Practically nobody listens at reference in a home environment because it’s just WAY too loud. So if you turn the volume down to where it’s comfortable, you sometimes end up with dialogue that’s so soft it becomes unintelligible. Being able to bump the center channel up 1-2 dB can help with that. But, depending on how the mix was mastered, doing that can introduce a whole new set of issues.
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Apr 23, 2020 05:37
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KozmoNaut posted:I care about good plots and interesting characters, not whiz-bang effects and gimmicks. Porque no los dos? Seriously, though, this is a bad argument. One does not preclude the other.
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Apr 24, 2020 14:42
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The main issue you’d have turning a speaker on its side is that the dispersion pattern from the tweeter would be different. Unless you’re sitting way off center, though, it shouldn’t be a major issue. Without knowing exactly what you’re listening to and what you’re noticing, it’s really hard to say what “more directed” means. I would say that in terms of home theater usage, I wouldn’t want a speaker that seems to draw attention more than the others. If you’re using a subwoofer (or will be in the future) there isn’t any major benefit to the dual 6.5” drivers over a single one. Getting a matching speaker makes volume matching a lot easier. All things considered I’d choose another TFE60.
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May 21, 2020 04:48
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If you don't mind brown instead of black, Accessories4Less has the Polk S15 in stock with free shipping for $140: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/polks15brn/polk-audio-signature-s15-5.25-2-way-bookshelf-speaker-brown-pair/1.html Unless you really need the low height of the S35 center channel, I think you'd be much better served with the S30, which they have in brown for $150: https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/polks30brw/polk-audio-signature-s30-5.25-2-way-center-channel-speaker-brown/1.html They do normally have black, but their stock levels have been really low lately. If you cared enough I'm sure they'd have them back in stock eventually. For a sub, you could do the matching HTS 12 for $349 (I have zero experience with this one, but it fits in your price range): https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/polkhts12brn/polk-audio-hts-12-12-200-watt-powered-subwoofer-brown-walnut/1.html All of that, together with your chosen receiver, comes to $988.
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Jun 16, 2020 13:55
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bird with big dick posted:I can’t remember if I’ve heard those exact speakers but I do remember listening to Polks of that price range and thinking they were solid. The best thing about the Polks is that they’re sold at Best Buy, so just about anyone can get a pair, try them out, and return them if you don’t like them. I have to disagree about center channels, though. There are unquestionable advantages to a center channel in just about every setup, especially if you don’t have a perfectly symmetrical room. Even with the ventriloquist effect, I still notice, and get bothered by, hearing the phantom center shift based on the frequency of the sound being played.
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Aug 3, 2020 16:27
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Best bet is probably to fire off an email to their customer support. It's wild, though, that they don't publish that information. Klipsch does make fire-rated backing boxes for their in-ceiling speakers, and those appear to have measurements online. If customer service can't give you an answer, I'd probably try to match the volume of their own boxes. I think this is the one you'd want to copy: https://www.klipsch.com/products/me-800-c-speaker-enclosure
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Aug 4, 2020 13:49
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Those recommended clearances are ridiculous.
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Aug 20, 2020 07:11
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HDMI cable from the ARC port on the TV to the ARC port on the soundbar. Enable ARC under the sound settings on your TV. If necessary, switch the soundbar to use the ARC port. It really should be about that easy.
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Sep 4, 2020 18:59
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qirex posted:This year's RP models supposedly don't suffer from the bad Klipsch house horn sound but I haven't heard them myself. The horn on the RP is much more akin to a wave guide than a traditional horn with a compression driver. I’m still not a big fan, but I do get the appeal, especially if home theater is the main focus. They do get very loud without much effort.
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Sep 25, 2020 22:18
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It’s funny how 40 kHz sounds insanely high, but is the functional equivalent of going from 100 hz to 200 hz. My understanding is that the high extension is one way to more easily avoid any breakup modes below 20 kHz.
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Oct 2, 2020 21:29
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They’re brand new, so few people will have experience with them. That said, their sound should be fairly close to the Klipsch RP series, which you can find at any Best Buy.
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Oct 11, 2020 21:27
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Bigger speakers obviously won’t fix a bad mix, but they will help with clarity. Tiny speakers like those Yamahas distort like nobody’s business when pushed, and there’s really nothing you can do about it. It’s a losing battle against physics. So a larger set of speakers will still have the same volume swing, but the less-distorted loud parts should bother you less. The dialog should also be more intelligible, since I suspect those tiny speakers drop off well before they can reproduce male voices well. The Polk T15 bookshelf speakers can be grabbed for $70 on Amazon. Personally, I would wait and save up enough to buy the Polk S10 speakers for $200, but that’s a personal choice. The T15 would be a distinct improvement. Do note, though, that unlike most speakers, the T15s aren’t intended to be placed at war level. They actually measure substantially better if they’re 10-20 degrees above or below ear level.
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Oct 16, 2020 03:59
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You may be SOL to completely eliminate HVAC noise since it will carry through the ducts. That said, a dual layer of drywall will perform way better than foam, and a dual layer of drywall on a channel system or a staggered stud wall will do even better. 1” foam panels like that are really only effective for breaking up high frequencies within the room itself.
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Oct 22, 2020 02:35
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Some of the online retailers have excellent return policies too. I ordered a pair of Wharfedales from Crutchfield and decided that I didn’t want to keep them after a month. Return shipping was only $10.
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Oct 26, 2020 18:37
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Magico makes objectively good speakers — they measure extremely well and would be considered very neutral. The issue is that the same objective level of performance can be obtained for far less. Also, the owner, Alon Wolf, is a self-aggrandizing jackass. But ya, their very top of the line stuff, like the M9 for $750,000, exist to draw attention to the brand, with the added benefit of selling a handful to Asian billionaires.
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Oct 28, 2020 21:35
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A pretty massive difference, frankly.
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Nov 23, 2020 22:11
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Regardless, though, you should get a subwoofer. You can put it at the back of the room if you want.
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Nov 27, 2020 04:00
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Both receivers will handle your speakers just fine. The mismatch between 6 and 8 ohm speakers doesn’t matter since the receivers are compatible with both. The sensitivity of the speakers might make one set play louder than another, but every single AVR can account for that. I’d get the Denon, personally.
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Dec 10, 2020 06:30
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The Yamahas are legit good for what you say you want. Order it and don’t look back.
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Dec 22, 2020 01:18
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Plug all of your devices into the TV. Plug an HDMI cable from the TV’s ARC port into the ARC port on the sound bar. Enable ARC on the TV and it will automatically forward the sound from all of the inputs to the sound bar. You can do a subwoofer crawl to find the best spot for it, but to the left will help reinforce the sub’s output, which will be nice for a smaller system like this.
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Dec 22, 2020 04:50
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Sub placement advice assumes that you have an enclosed, rectangular room. If you do, the best advice is to place the subs at the midpoints of opposing walls, ie front and back. You can also do opposing corners, or adjacent corners, which have their own benefits and issues. There really isn’t any difference between using the front two corners vs the rear two corners. If you don’t have a rectangular room or can’t place the subs in the more standard spots, well, have fun: http://www.avrant.com/a-12-step-guide-to-setting-up-dual-subwoofers/
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Jan 25, 2021 04:39
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Ok Comboomer posted:regardless of house sound or not, I would encourage anybody building a HT to strongly consider going with at least 5.25” drivers or up for the fronts and center channel. I'll go a step further, and recommend 6.5" (hell, I prefer 8"), with a big caveat that whether or not you'll care depends very much on room size, your listening volume, and how sensitive you are to certain types of distortion. But even in a small room, with low listening volumes, I agree that 5.25" really should be considered the minimum. Unless your only criteria are 'tiny' and 'sounds better than the tv speakers.'
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Feb 9, 2021 22:48
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I have to think that the 6105 rec was solely based on the idea of using all 4 ceiling speakers for Atmos. But since you don’t want to do that, the 5105 is more than enough. I’d consider SVS for speakers as well. They have a very generous return policy, but the speakers are not attractive at all. The Dynaudios mentioned earlier have great wood options.
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Apr 1, 2021 23:41
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The SB-1000 pro is stupid good for the money. They knocked it out of the park with that update. I’m also in “buy once cry once” crowd, and the “6.5” woofer is preferred” crowd, but if you’re happy, enjoy it! You can always upgrade later.
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Apr 3, 2021 22:27
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Ak Gara posted:quoting myself after a little research. Apparently it's because tube amps have pleasant high levels of even order and low levels of odd order harmonics when they distort while solid state amps have unpleasant high levels of odd order and low levels of even order harmonics when they distort. Honestly, a well-designed preamp should have inaudible levels of distortion regardless of whether it uses tubes or solid state. The biggest sound difference from tubes comes from amps using output tubes. The distortion characteristic can be part of it, but with most tube amps the difference you're hearing comes from the high output impedance of most tube amps. While their frequency response may be linear into an 8 ohm load, they'll have wild swings when presented with an actual speaker load. I've seen well-reviewed amps with 6-10 decibel swings in their frequency response after a typical loudspeaker load is introduced. That said, audio should be fun, and tubes are fun. So if having them makes you happy, run with it.
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Apr 12, 2021 05:47
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