Full range speakers vs. Satellite set-ups

[**DONOTDELETE**]

let's see, the Wamm is $150,000.00 and the Martin Logans weigh 1,800 lbs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif ..for something a little cheaper and lighter try

http://www.kef.com/kefamerica/home.html

 

[tiktok 22]

Hi Ted,

You are absolutely right. WAY to much money and WAY to heavy! Just emphasizing that the best of the best use satellite configurations, including the Infinity IRS V.

Cheers,
Kev

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

welll, yeah..I guess you could call the Wamm a satellite configuration in that the drivers have their own separate enclosures (helps with damping vibration and reducing refraction) but not satellite in the sense that there are two (or more) speakers that create the soundstage ie. whose sound 'revolves' (like satellites) around a single subwoofer.. but I won't quibble /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[tiktok 22]

Hi Guys,

Setting aside the "high end" stuff, I think small systems tend to suffer greatly in dynamics and effiency. Not that all small systems do (some are very good at dynamics and have poor effiency). Some of these small systems require a lot of adjustment to get them to sound right in a given room(subwoofer placement and phase adjustments). Full range speakers tend to be easier to set up. They take up a lot of space and are usually more dynamic. Both can sound good if set up properly though. Sometimes this just takes some trial and error.

cheers,
Kev

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

no lack of dynamics, (or the ability to play very soft and very loud passages accurately), in the best small speakers, all they lack is a little bass, which is what the subwoofer's for..as for efficiency that is certainly true; small acoustic suspension speakers require the most power of any design, much more than huge (400 lb + ?) Klipsch Voice of the Theater speakers, even. That's why I use them with at a 100 watt per channel amp. As for ease of positioning, a critical factor when creating the listening 'sweet spot' -- satellites excell, I find they are far easier to adjust and position than larger speakers.

 

[binky]

Maybe I haven't sampled satellite systems that are priced high enough, so my generalization about sat systems should have been taken to mean, um, "real-world" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif systems that are down below a gazillion dollars. (Just jabbing at some of you who own things like them thar Klipschhorns, & such, being amp'd with rare music-smoothing tubes that'll heat your house in the winter months) Heh heh.

Or you could say that for satellite boxes I'm most familiar with Bose & Cambridge Soundworks, so it's their fault I think sat systems have no midrange. Heck, I even own a pair of Bose 901's that are great until you plug in the "required" Bose equalizer that adds audible distortion and also muffles the sound. Okay, maybe that's the reason Bose has such a bad reputation among the audiophile forums, which I discovered after I'd bought them.

ramble ramble ramble. Sorry to ramble so.

 

[tiktok 22]

Hi Bink,

You can get really good sound from a system set up from "real world" components. Right now I am using B&W 601 series two speakers powered by an adcom preamp and amplification. I am using a passive subwoofer powered by an adcom GFA-555 II and an external crossover. If you close your eyes it seems like this system is ten foot tall. Setting this system up required about a week of adjusting and tweaking. The hardest part was the smooth transition from the sub and satellites, but once I got it, it's to die for.

cheers,
Kev

 

[lessing]

I have to say, that I think the best setup for a home is 6" two way studio monitors for the front and surround, and a single sub for the low end. Yamaha two way studio monitors are not that expensive, are really flat in response, and have good real power ratings. All of the home equipment listing 200Watts output power is a huge lie anyway, because anything over 50% of its power out runs into clipping on bass notes and the distortion goes through the roof. Normal people at home, even playing really loud music hardly ever push more than a nominal 50watts, the rest of the power is for transient surges for bass notes.

Number one improvement to any stereo before more expensive equipment or speakers is a 15band or preferably 31 band graphic eq and maybe a 6band parametric if your room has really bad accoustics to fix the warmth added to the original recording by the equipment abd the shortfalls of the speakers. All speakers shape music by nature of thier design, and amps and routing equipment do as well. Pink noising and leveling a room with a large eq will flatten the response. Never touch those eqs after that, and add a cheap 5 or ten band eq to do any general adjustments you like to your sound.

Thats my long 2 cents

 

[darkgear.com]

I have always been a fan of the "buy speakers from a speaker only manufacturer and buy electronics from an electronics only manufacturer" school of thought but after hearing these I have to promote them. (and look power handling with a standard specified /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

http://alesis.com/products/monitors/index.html

These Alesis monitors have got to some of the best bookshelf type monitors I have heard. I have heard both and they are well worth the money. Oh, and the HD24 is AWESOME! Anyone in sound reinforcement and recording out there? I love this box.

Best regards,
Randy

 

[lessing]

Alesis are awesome. Thier Eqs are a great buy too, especially the dual 31 band compact model. Its hard to buy something from a speaker only manufacturer and a electronics only manufacturer. They are all owned by each other and so in bed with each other, that you can not really say that they are different companies. Just look at the Harmon Group, This one super company is Harmon/Kardon Crown JBL and several others, I think BSS is in there.

 

[tiktok 22]

Some high end audio just for fun!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

http://www.revelspeakers.com/4way_lit.htm
http://www.marklevinson.com/index3.htm
http://www.krellonline.com/
http://www.bwspeakers.com/
http://www.wilsonaudio.com/
http://www.martinlogan.com/
http://www.dunlavyaudio.com/
http://www.sunfire.com/

 

[BuddTX]

I have a lot of thoughts on this, but first . . .

GO WITH WHAT you like! Go with what sounds best to you in your price range.

If you like the bose, then go with it, Polk satalite, go with it.

It's an ENTERTAINMENT center, and it is supposed to ENTERTAIN YOU! (Not me, and not the experts, but YOU!)

I personally do not like those tiny speakers, and a hidden sub-woofer, but my turning point was about 8 years ago, when I saw a demo of the bose satalite system (I really do not like bose bty), and in the demo, they were talking about the high "SAR" rating this system had. Now, I have been an audiophile from way back, but was not familiar with the SAR rating, and when I asked, the guy said "SAR - Spouse Approval Rating". I then had a friend who purchased a state of the art speaker system, only to take it back because his wife did not like how big it was, but he was allowed to buy the Bose system.

Now before you buy . . .

Get a reference CD or two or three, and pick ones that you like, and are familiar with. This is a little different from finding the most accurate speakers, where wou would take a recorded source, and compare it to a live source.

Go listen to some reference systems. Go to a high end stereo place on a week day, during the day (so you don't waste someone's time) and say you want to get your ears aquainted to a reference system. Now, look at sytems in your price range, starting at the store you just listened to the reference system.

When you find what you like, ask them if you can return it, no questions asked, within a couple of days, as systems can sound different in your home vs in the store.

Now, Bose is very popular, but I do not prefer them.

I like Polk and B&W speakers, if you can afford them. Polk used to be AWESOME in the lower range speakers, but then they became "mainstream", and started selling expensive systems, and, in my opinion, their lower priced systems lost their sizzle.

After you made your decision, before purchasing, do some research. Is it a "house" brand, or an unknown brand, or is it a name brand. Is their favorable reviews?

I could write forever on this, but I am at work and have to go!

Good luck and remember to have fun.

 

[ab]

Ooof, lots of ideas here.

My ideas are probably best communicated by my own audio system:

Philips CD880 custom modded for transport-only duty
custom 24/196 upconverting vacuum-tube buffered D/A converter
custom-built single-ended-triode preamplifier
custom-built single-ended-triode amplification
all custom-built single-driver full-range speaker systems
(Tannoy 12" monitor golds, several other single-driver full-range systems including a couple more pairs of other Tannoys, several pairs of vintage Goodmans, various Fostex units, etc.)

That's my audio system. Video is different entirely (there's a different goal here):

NAD DVD player
Fosgate Model 3A processor
custom single-ended-triode vacuum tube preamplifier
custom Harmon-Kardon Citation V vacuum tube power amplifier (& assorted other tube amps as the mood strikes)
big Canton monitors for fronts
custom centre and rear speakers
B&K ST140
pair custom isobaric stereo subwoofers

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

A.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

AB, you do know this makes you certifiable..? watch out for lunatics like this folks.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I was relieved to see you live in Canada, so all those tubes can do some good to help heat the house, at least..
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[darkgear.com]

Heh, TedtheLed. ab, Slick setup.

 

[Bushman]

I love my Energy Take 5.1 system. the best rated (at the time) sub $1000 home theater system out there and even with the sub i got it new for under $600. Just added a Yamaha RX-V 496 & DVD player and i was ready to go... www.energyspeakers.com GO CANADA!!!

 

[Skyline]

Sad to say, but Dunlavy Audio is history.

[ QUOTE ]
As of November 7, 2002, Dunlavy Audio Labs, LLC has ceased operations.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sigh, the Dunlavy SC-VI were my dream speakers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[tiktok 22]

Hi Sky,

The good part is there are a lot of used models and trade- ins in mint condition waiting to be had! I never thought Dunlavy was overpriced(compared to other models of this quality) when they were new, so I bet the price on used ones are very reasonable.

Cheers,
Kev

 

[Tree]

You can always get the Gaudi speaker system. Only $225,000. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have mostly full range speakers 8" low driver and 3/4" high and a 10" sub plus some smaller speakers for rear.

Full range + a sub is what I would do for home theater. Sattelite+Sub is fine for computers.