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Best choice for my set up [message #65239] Sat, 11 December 2010 10:21 Go to next message
justphil is currently offline  justphil
Messages: 114
Registered: December 2010
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Hello =) I am wanting to build a set of 5 speakers for my HT. I use a Denon 1610 receiver that is 75 watts per channel. I would want Tower fronts and wonder what I should use as surrounds and best positioning of them. The seating position is on the same wall as the surrounds as the room is narrower than wide. So would Towers be best there also to bring the speakers up to ear height?
I have a Table Tuba Sub for my low end and plan on adding a second possibly at some point to help balance out my bass in the room.
I would let Audessy do the EQing.

Thank you very much for any and all info you can help me out with.
Phil
Re: Best choice for my set up [message #65240 is a reply to message #65239] Sat, 11 December 2010 10:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18689
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

If you want all-out best, use six π or seven π cornerhorns if you can put them in corners, or three π or four π mains if corner positioning isn't possible. If using three π or four π speakers, put them on stands to get them up to the level of the screen. Either way, go with the upgraded drivers.

If you're working with a budget, you can skip the upgrades or step back to something like the two π towers for mains.

Surrounds should be at the sides and slightly above the listeners. One π or two π speakers work great as surrounds.

Don't use just one sub, go with at least two. You want bass sound sources to be distributed through the room rather than a single source. This helps smooth room modes.

Re: Best choice for my set up [message #65242 is a reply to message #65240] Sat, 11 December 2010 11:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
justphil is currently offline  justphil
Messages: 114
Registered: December 2010
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Thanks for the info. What should be done about a center channel?

Corners can't be used as my sub is there.
When you say up to the level of the screen do you mean the bottom of the speakers cabinet even with the bottom of the TV?
How do I go about purchasing plans when I make a decision on which route I want to go?
I was just looking at the 4pi and they are a 600 watt speaker. Is my small receiver enough to really power a speaker of the grade?
Thanks again =)
Phil
Re: Best choice for my set up [message #65243 is a reply to message #65242] Sat, 11 December 2010 13:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
feket663 is currently offline  feket663
Messages: 28
Registered: August 2009
Location: Hungary
Chancellor
I'm using the 4PI with 3,5 Watts 2a3 SE triode amplifier... Very Happy
Re: Best choice for my set up [message #65244 is a reply to message #65243] Sat, 11 December 2010 13:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
justphil is currently offline  justphil
Messages: 114
Registered: December 2010
Viscount
Above. I don't know what that means lol.

Can you please tell me cost on the plans for the 2pi tower and 2pi monitor?
Also was I wrong in the reading that only the woofers sold with the kits will work with this design?
Re: Best choice for my set up [message #65245 is a reply to message #65242] Sat, 11 December 2010 14:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18689
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

justphil wrote on Sat, 11 December 2010 11:07
Thanks for the info. What should be done about a center channel?

Corners can't be used as my sub is there.
When you say up to the level of the screen do you mean the bottom of the speakers cabinet even with the bottom of the TV?
How do I go about purchasing plans when I make a decision on which route I want to go?
I was just looking at the 4pi and they are a 600 watt speaker. Is my small receiver enough to really power a speaker of the grade?
Thanks again =)
Phil

I use a phantom center channel. Toe-in so the right and left axes cross just in front of the listeners.
About corner placement - I'm not against putting subs in corners but I'm definitely against putting a single sub in a corner. Don't do that.

There is some old-school conventional wisdom that suggests putting basshorns in corners. There is a reason for that, as it makes the mouth effectively larger. This is particularly important with Fitzmaurice basshorns, because they are heavily truncated.

Another way corners can be used to advantage is midbass/midrange directivity by way of eighth-space radiation. A 90° midbass/midrange horn can work really well when set in a corner, angled inward 45°. That makes the room walls effectively become horn extensions, and directivity is extremely uniform as a result. But this only works from the Schroeder frequency up, above about 150Hz or so.

But subs are a whole different story. Indoors, in small and medium size rooms (less than a few thousand square feet), the biggest problem at LF is the room. No matter what kind of bass bin you run, room modes set the directivity, and the response at any given point is almost totally determined by the room and the placement of the bass sound sources.

In a small room, just about the worst thing you can do is put a single basshorn sub in a corner. It can work in a very large room, but not in a home stereo system or home theater. Room modes make this a worst-case scenario.

So do yourself a favor and re-think the idea of putting a single sub in a corner. There's no point in upgrading anything else sound-wise if you're going to do that. Do a few searches about multisubs. It's a much better solution. You can run multiple basshorns or multiple direct radiators, just don't run a single basshorn in the corner.

justphil wrote on Sat, 11 December 2010 13:56

feket663 wrote on Sat, 11 December 2010 13:52
I'm using the 4PI with 3,5 Watts 2a3 SE triode amplifier... Very Happy

Above. I don't know what that means lol.

Can you please tell me cost on the plans for the 2pi tower and 2pi monitor?
Also was I wrong in the reading that only the woofers sold with the kits will work with this design?

A 2A3 SE triode amp is a Class A amplifier using a 2A3 output tube. It generates about 2 or 3 watts output. He is using four π loudspeakers and driving them with a 2A3 SET amp.

I'll send plans for the two π and two π tower loudspeakers. If you're going to build those, you could probably build the same speaker for each channel, or maybe the left/right fronts could be two π towers and the surrounds and possibly the center channel could be the standard bookshelf size studio two π model.

Since they do not use a horn, their directivity isn't uniform like the larger models. I don't know that I would suggest the crossed-axes orientation and the phantom center for those. It works best with constrant directivity horns. Besides, the smaller size of the two π loudspeaker makes it more feasable as a center chanel.

And - yes - all my speakers are designed for a specific woofer. Some have upgrades available, with requisite crossover changes. For example, the four π speaker can use either an Eminence Omega 15A or JBL 2226 woofer, and the crossover is slightly different depending on the woofer chosen.

Re: Best choice for my set up [message #65246 is a reply to message #65245] Sat, 11 December 2010 16:45 Go to previous message
justphil is currently offline  justphil
Messages: 114
Registered: December 2010
Viscount
Wayne. Thank you very much for the suggestion. I guess I really need to rethink my HT room. Thank you very much for the plans. I look forward to buying kits from you as money allows it =)
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