TSi100 Receiver settings: Small or Large?

Samus007
Samus007 Posts: 2
edited January 2011 in Speakers
In my set-up I have a sub, center, and 3 rears. (For 6.1 sound) I'm not 100% sure as the best way to set up my new pair of Polk TSi100 speakers for use as front L&R. On my receiver there is a setting for "Large" and "Small". I always had towers and had the receiver set to "Large" for the fronts. I am assuming that I set these to small? Not because of their size, but because I don't really want much bass sent to them, correct?

Thanks for any help, I am a little clueless when it comes to this stuff, but i want it to sound the best I can get it.
Post edited by Samus007 on

Comments

  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,786
    edited June 2010
    Samus007 wrote: »
    In my set-up I have a sub, center, and 3 rears. (For 6.1 sound) I'm not 100% sure as the best way to set up my new pair of Polk TSi100 speakers for use as front L&R. On my receiver there is a setting for "Large" and "Small". I always had towers and had the receiver set to "Large" for the fronts. I am assuming that I set these to small? Not because of their size, but because I don't really want much bass sent to them, correct?

    Thanks for any help, I am a little clueless when it comes to this stuff, but i want it to sound the best I can get it.

    If you've got a capable sub set them to small and let the sub handle the low stuff. It will give them more headroom and take some of the demand off your receiver too.
    Oh and welcome to Club Polk! Leave your wallet at the door!:D
  • Samus007
    Samus007 Posts: 2
    edited June 2010
    If you've got a capable sub set them to small and let the sub handle the low stuff. It will give them more headroom and take some of the demand off your receiver too.
    Oh and welcome to Club Polk! Leave your wallet at the door!:D

    Perfect, I will do that. Thank you so much for your quick response. :)
  • gruversm
    gruversm Posts: 1
    edited January 2011
    Should I set the crossover to 100Hz or to a different frequency, if I also have a subwoofer?
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,093
    edited January 2011
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • polkfan38
    polkfan38 Posts: 360
    edited January 2011
    80 Hz is the THX setting for crossing over. Anything higher they say you can localize the sound. I can tell where sound is coming from down into that 50-60 Hz range with not much problem however. The TSi 100 will reach down to 60Hz. Setting the AVR to 80Hz would be perfect as the roll off in the AVR will certainly send frequencies lower than 80Hz to the mains. It is just having a buffer zone that keeps things flat.
    Things are more like they are now than they ever will be!
  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited January 2011
    That's and interesting read, Phil.

    Of course most AVRs worth their salt today allow you to cross over each and every speaker independently. Polkfan38, is also generally correct.

    And then there are your ears? The problem often occurs when you switch to STEREO sources and you DO have towers. At this point, and depending on the AVR you can try a Pure Direct mode that offs your SUB--if you have that option. Or you can fuss around with a better roll-off point where the speakers remain reasonably FLAT.

    Let me give an example in a modest setup. My M-70s are rated, by Polk to 40hz +/-3db. But I find that even though my Onkyo AVR has independent crossover settings, my system sounds best when I tweak out most of the sub and cross these over at 50hz when I am playing sources in STEREO. At 50 hz they 'behave' themselves much better than at 40hz and even exhibit a cleaner more hearable bass response? If I go to 60hz the sounds gets too thin. No science here. Just experience...for what it's worth? That setting also works fine for HT as my Onkyo has plenty of power to deal with the M-70s and the sub reaches to 25hz. The surrounds are crossed over at 80hz except for the CS2 center which can play a bit lower than that--again, I find that it is more pleasing to cross over at 60hz there rather than 80hz and it's more in line with what is going on with the towers on either side although that is, I believe the CS2's limit.

    All this, to an extent, goes a bit against the conventional wisdom of setting everything to small--which at the very least means no lower than the THX setting of 80hz or higher? That just doesn't work for me in my room?

    But if your only options are BIG or SMALL (then yes...even I have not engaged the FULL-RANGE speaker option on the AVR).

    Now that I've digressed to the MAXIMUM....sorry. As for TSI-100s, YES to SMALL or 80hz.


    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,204
    edited January 2011
    most all speakers should be set to small when there is a good quality sub in the room.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.