Height/Wides

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
edited September 2011 in Speakers
Do you need to timbre match these to your fronts? I would think possibly the wides, but not sure about the heights....

If this is the case I would need to upgrade to a 7 channel amp for L/R/C/LW/RW/LH/RH if I wanted to use both, if just one to start with my 5 channel would work and I would put my surrounds back on the AVR.

Also what speakers would you suggest for those setups? Would you go with 15's for the wides to match the 15's I have now, would you go with 7's all around, etc.

Looking forward to suggestions/recommendations.
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
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Comments

  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited September 2011
    It is always advised to match the timbre with fronts and mains but I have a CSiA6 center and used SDA 1Cs and recently tried a pair of DCM 600s and in either case it did not seem to matter, imo.

    THe sides and rears are less important.

    I would not make a descsion for mains based upon center.

    if you main purpose is HT then ymmv.

    My HT just happens to be integrated with my 2 channel, main priority for me is 2 channel.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    thsmith wrote: »
    I would not make a descsion for mains based upon center.

    I am confused by what you mean here.

    I have LSi 15 fronts, LSiC center. Do I need to go with LSi series speakers if I later on decide to use the Wide/Height speakers, and if so which ones would you recommend.

    Obviously the RTi's are much cheaper (or even the Monitors) but I want to make sure there wouldnt be any timbre matching problems as a result....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • pdxfj
    pdxfj Posts: 376
    edited September 2011
    I wouldn't think timbre matching height/width speakers would be too important since the amount of sound they will produce will be much less than your center and mains. Mostly just for background noises and such.

    I'd say just run them off the AVR and leave your amp hooked up as it is. If you have a pair of any other speakers sitting around hook them up and give it a shot.
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  • kuntasensei
    kuntasensei Posts: 3,263
    edited September 2011
    pdxfj wrote: »
    I wouldn't think timbre matching height/width speakers would be too important since the amount of sound they will produce will be much less than your center and mains. Mostly just for background noises and such.

    I'd say just run them off the AVR and leave your amp hooked up as it is. If you have a pair of any other speakers sitting around hook them up and give it a shot.

    +1. I ran a pair of Monitor 30s as heights for a while with my all RTi setup, and there wasn't an obvious mismatch. I did eventually replace them with a matching pair of RTis... but honestly, it didn't make an obvious difference. I just wanted to have a completely matched 9.1 setup.
    Equipment list:
    Onkyo TX-NR3010 9.2 AVR
    Emotiva XPA-3 amp
    Polk RTi70 mains, CSi40 center, RTi38 surrounds, RTi28 rears and heights
    SVS 20-39CS+ subwoofer powered by Crown XLS1500
    Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player
    DarbeeVision DVP5000 video processor
    Epson 8500UB 1080p projector
    Elite Screens Sable 120" CineWhite screen
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    kuntasensei wrote: »
    +1. I ran a pair of Monitor 30s as heights for a while with my all RTi setup, and there wasn't an obvious mismatch. I did eventually replace them with a matching pair of RTis... but honestly, it didn't make an obvious difference. I just wanted to have a completely matched 9.1 setup.

    Did you ever try them as wides to see if you noticed any difference panning left to right?
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited September 2011
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    I am confused by what you mean here.

    I have LSi 15 fronts, LSiC center. Do I need to go with LSi series speakers if I later on decide to use the Wide/Height speakers, and if so which ones would you recommend.

    Obviously the RTi's are much cheaper (or even the Monitors) but I want to make sure there wouldnt be any timbre matching problems as a result....

    I did not catch that you already had fronts and center.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • kuntasensei
    kuntasensei Posts: 3,263
    edited September 2011
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Did you ever try them as wides to see if you noticed any difference panning left to right?

    Yeah, I threw some loose cable out across the room and set them up as widths, but only briefly. DSX Width works, but it didn't make sense in my room because my mains are spaced out at an extreme angle due to being on either side of my projector screen. Between that and the placement of my side surrounds, I didn't feel that the width channels were as useful an addition as heights. They did steer nicely to the widths when I played main-to-side-surround phase tests, so I can see how they would help a lot if you don't get good imaging between your mains and side surrounds already.

    Plus, when I set them up as heights and played a few 360 games, that was what sold me on height over width. I already get good phantom imaging between the mains and side surrounds, but that added vertical steering of height channels totally works with games! In Halo: Reach, you can shoot a rocket up at a point on the ceiling and then pan your view back down and listen for the explosion... and both DPL-IIz Height and Audyssey DSX Height do a pretty solid job of steering that sound to the appropriate position above you. It's quite impressive, especially since it works with the way 5.1 is typically mixed (i.e. the phase/level relationships that both technologies use to determine what should be placed in the height channels and how mixers place ambient sounds out-of-phase between the side surrounds).

    Also, the height effect with Blu-rays that have thunderstorms or plane flybys is absolutely fantastic. DSX also tends to raise my front soundstage up a bit so that it sounds like it is coming from the screen more than the speakers - basically as if my mains were floor-to-ceiling speakers. DPL-IIz Height is a little more subtle and remains more true to the source, but it does add enough vertical element to the mix to make it worth trying. I typically use DSX for games and DPL-IIz for Blu-rays/TV.
    Equipment list:
    Onkyo TX-NR3010 9.2 AVR
    Emotiva XPA-3 amp
    Polk RTi70 mains, CSi40 center, RTi38 surrounds, RTi28 rears and heights
    SVS 20-39CS+ subwoofer powered by Crown XLS1500
    Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player
    DarbeeVision DVP5000 video processor
    Epson 8500UB 1080p projector
    Elite Screens Sable 120" CineWhite screen
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    kuntasensei wrote: »
    In Halo: Reach, you can shoot a rocket up at a point on the ceiling and then pan your view back down and listen for the explosion... and both DPL-IIz Height and Audyssey DSX Height do a pretty solid job of steering that sound to the appropriate position above you.

    Man, now I really want a set of LSi 7's and trade in my AVR for one with DSX :frown:...

    I can so picture that in Reach too..... Thats my favorite Xbox360 game. General Grade 1 right now (because unlike most kids on there I cant play all day every day since I have this thing called a JOB lol)
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • JimAckley
    JimAckley Posts: 1,138
    edited September 2011
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Man, now I really want a set of LSi 7's and trade in my AVR for one with DSX :frown:...
    Should have bought those 7s I had. They were perfect as front heights :tongue:
    - Computer Rig -
    YAΘIN MS-20L, polkaudio RT5

    - Main Rig -
    Pioneer SC-37, Overnight Sensations, Samsung 52" LCD

    - Currently In Progress -
    Curt Campbell's Uluwatu LCR, LMS Ultra Gjallarhorn, JBL W15GTi stereo subs, 2.1 entertainment system for the gf
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    JimAckley wrote: »
    Should have bought those 7s I had. They were perfect as front heights :tongue:

    True, but I dont have an AVR capable of them yet......
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • JimAckley
    JimAckley Posts: 1,138
    edited September 2011
    Stop thinking in a fiscally-responsible manner :tongue:
    - Computer Rig -
    YAΘIN MS-20L, polkaudio RT5

    - Main Rig -
    Pioneer SC-37, Overnight Sensations, Samsung 52" LCD

    - Currently In Progress -
    Curt Campbell's Uluwatu LCR, LMS Ultra Gjallarhorn, JBL W15GTi stereo subs, 2.1 entertainment system for the gf
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    JimAckley wrote: »
    Stop thinking in a fiscally-responsible manner :tongue:

    Well lets say I am liking a 4311CI from Dakmart for 1200. Has Height and Wide PREOUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND XT32:eek:

    Dakmart is a authorized factory reseller so I get a 1 year warranty......

    Waiting till next years model comes out though so they go even lower

    http://www.dakmart.com/p12180/DENON-AVR-4311CI-9.2-CHANNEL-NETWORK-MLTI-ROOM-RECEIVER/product_info.html
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    The 4311CI also is supposed to be able to drive 4 ohm loads so I could put one set of the heights or wides on the AVR along w/ the surrounds and drive the rest with my 5 channel till I get a 7 channel one.....

    Wouldnt all my LSi's on it, but a set of Heights or Wides should draw enough power for it to be a big deal.....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited September 2011
    Post 15 reported as spam
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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