Horn i LSiC

ezc
ezc Posts: 426
edited April 2004 in Speakers
Again looking for that slight improvment I broke down & brought in a bunch of Mi-Horns. I wanted to try it on my LSiC to get the dialoug more focused. This was a rather inexpensive tweek & I figured if it dont work I can always sell it! It was easy to install took about .5 hrs, but needed is foam insulation to seal the horn to the speaker. With out the foam insulation not much improvement. I watched the matrix re. on friday. I have my speakers balanced than turned up the center 2db. Watched the movie at vol level 50 to be able to hear all the dialoug. After installing the horns I was able to watch the same movie at vol 40. I went back & re balanced the speakers setting the center at "0". Watched the movie again especially the scene in the train station where the little girl is speaking in a softer tone & the scsne right before that which the orical was speaking. I was able to watch at a vol 45 & thats with the speaker all balanced. My reference level vol is 70 & in the later evening there is no way I could watch a movie close to ref level. I got to wastch tha same movie again at 70 which is my ref level & it sounded great, at higher ref level the sound is still focused & not over powering. The horns so far has helped the center become more focused, & was a easy tweek! I wont use the horns on my mains so I dont know what it sounds like for music. liscmihorn1.jpg
Post edited by ezc on
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Comments

  • Shizelbs
    Shizelbs Posts: 7,433
    edited April 2004
    Good thinking and glad to see you like your results. I'm a little suprised you thought the LSi center was focused to begin with. Is that something you noticed with all movies?
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    additional pics
    lsicmihorn.jpg
    lsicmihorn3.jpg
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    Shizelbs

    My LSiC is a great center right out of the box if Icould listen at reference or close to reference level. For me watching movies I need to tone it down if the wife & kid is home especially if they have gone to bed. Most movies with the LSiC seemed to be lacking at lower vol. My C cross over has been replaced by a 9 x over which has helped quite a bit. I have bad room accoustics & I cantsit at an optimal distance & one side of the room is open to the kitchen. I wanted somthing to direct the sound to the seating area & not disburse the sound off to the sides. So far so good we will keep it on & rewatch some other movies to see if there is more improvment. As of right now Id say I would probably keep the horns on the center.
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  • Shizelbs
    Shizelbs Posts: 7,433
    edited April 2004
    Yeah, those are good reasons. I don't have too much experience with the LSi speakers. Its a shame that they don't perform the same when quiet as when loud. Not the same, but my Sennheiser headphones do that, and I really like it. I can understand about not having the ability to sit in an ideal situation. I find it a little unnerving. Glad to hear this helps.
    I can't help but think looking at those pics that you ripped the head off the robot from short circuit. :)
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited April 2004
    ezc,
    I own the LSIC and I don 't have the same problems you did.What are you driving it with?I can listen/watch movies late at night and at low volume levels with good performance.I have my theater system in the livingroom which is on the same floor as the bedrooms.

    I drive mine with a B&K avr307.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    I drive mine with Rotel 1065. At night I usually try to keep the vol to about 35-40 on the receiver about 50db or slightly under 50. If I could watch a movie at 60 -65 vol level Id have no problem. My system is in the lv room but keep in mind homes here are smaller than in the states. mine is 1100 sq ft 3 bd 2 bath single level on a lot of 3200 sq ft. & thats about avarage mid size home here in a mid level subdivision. I have friends on the mainland that thier front yard is larger than my lot & have homes that I could fit my whole house into thier lower living area. Oh the price we pay to live on the rock. One side of my room is open to the kitchen & hall. Our homes here dont have central ac or heat & is not insulated so sound travels easly across the home. My other problem is the back wall is too reflective. The back wall is two 4 x 8' picture windows with vert blinds. Got some fabric hanging from the blinds behind the listening area which has helped. In the future the plan is either to extend the home & add a media room or build on a lot that we have! Both choices are out of my current budget.
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  • Airplay355
    Airplay355 Posts: 4,298
    edited April 2004
    wow here there are houses larger then ur lot lol i can understand why u need to keep things quiet. do the horns make things louder? or do they just give the impression things are louder by making the sound more directional or something.
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    Airplay355

    The horns dont make it louder just clearer. I usually need to turn the vol up during softer dialoug & turn the vol down during action scenes, with the horns I can leave the vol at a lower set level & not have to turn the vol up & down. The sound is more directed to the seating area & clearer. And yes homes here are expensive. The median price home now after the recent boom is 400,000 - 450,000 My small home could sell for over 375000. I have many customers that have the same complaint about the center channel. Ill see if the horn will work for them too!
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited April 2004
    huh well if it works for yeah then very cool man.

    Your house isn't that small compared to mine.Mine is only 1750 give or take a few on the main floor and the same in the basement which we are building out.My house is a ranch single floor style home with a 9 foot basement.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    Here almost all homes dont have a basement. I had plans drawn for a home to build on our lot & wanted a basement as part of the living area. Was told the ground here is too wet & Id get water seepage even after seeling the walls. I wanted to put the media room in the basement away from the main living area. For right now just need to make due with what we got! Got to watch harry potter again last night & I do like the way the center sounds with the horns. Dialoug is easier to hear at lower vol's. If anyone else has a smilar low vol problem this may work, its not expensive, easy to try & ifyou dont like it just take it off.
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited April 2004
    Glad to hear it's working out for you. Did the horns increase the overall dynamic range? One way to test it with music is to put your receiver to 5ch stereo and unplug the other speakers.

    Maurice
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  • ezc
    ezc Posts: 426
    edited April 2004
    I havnt tried music through the horns. I will try & put them on my mains later just to see what happens.
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,083
    edited April 2004
    Originally posted by mantis
    ezc,
    I own the LSIC and I don 't have the same problems you did.What are you driving it with?I can listen/watch movies late at night and at low volume levels with good performance.I have my theater system in the livingroom which is on the same floor as the bedrooms.

    I drive mine with a B&K avr307.

    Dan

    What happened to the basement theater with Kimber 8tc all the way around??

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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