FX/500i placement?

Familycat

I just finished completing my set of Polks. Fronts are RTA-12C, center is CS-400i and surounds are FX/500i. None have been set up yet. I have heard that the 500's should be to the direct left and right of the listening position. It is far more conveninet to place them behind me. Any thoughts on what I should do and should they be in bipole or dipole set-up? I'm sure that this has been covered before but I am new to the Polk family.

Rick

danger boy

Rick,

Welcome to club Polk. it's fun in here. YOu'll learn alot.

With the FX series of speakers you can place them either on the side of you or behind you. They are very flexible and forgiving. They fire off the sound in two directions because of their design.

I believe they might be marked left and right... make sure you place them correctly that way. Keep them about 3 feet high on the wall from your listening level. That usually means a foot to a foot and a half from the ceiling if you have a typical 8ft ceiling. Also, place them at least 6 feet apart from each other... more distance won't hurt either.

good luck and come back and ask more questions if you got more.

AL

Familycat

danger boy wrote:

Rick,

Welcome to club Polk. it's fun in here. YOu'll learn alot.

With the FX series of speakers you can place them either on the side of you or behind you. They are very flexible and forgiving. They fire off the sound in two directions because of their design.

I believe they might be marked left and right... make sure you place them correctly that way. Keep them about 3 feet high on the wall from your listening level. That usually means a foot to a foot and a half from the ceiling if you have a typical 8ft ceiling. Also, place them at least 6 feet apart from each other... more distance won't hurt either.

good luck and come back and ask more questions if you got more.

AL

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

Yes, I have been learning a lot. It seems the more I learn the more I realize I don't know.

Yes they are marked left and right. Any thoughts on the bi-pole/di-pole knob.

As tor the CS-400i center channel, is it really a benefit to bi-wire the speaker?

danger boy

Familycat wrote:

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

Yes, I have been learning a lot. It seems the more I learn the more I realize I don't know.

Yes they are marked left and right. Any thoughts on the bi-pole/di-pole knob.

As tor the CS-400i center channel, is it really a benefit to bi-wire the speaker?

Oops. sorry left out the bi/di pole answer. If my memory serves me right.. the di pole setting if if you place your FX speakers on the sides of you. and bi pole if they are behind you. Play around with both those setting once you have them on set up. Mine are on the side wall and sounded best in bi-pole setting.

No benefit to bi wire your center channel. Although if you're curious about it.. give it a try. that's they whole thing about home theater. Yes, there are basic set up guidelines, but each set up in a person's home is different. We all have different room sizes, different gear, different hearing too. So nothing is set in stone as far as the "perfect" setting or placement. Just guidelines.

Familycat

danger boy wrote:

Oops. sorry left out the bi/di pole answer. If my memory serves me right.. the di pole setting if if you place your FX speakers on the sides of you. and bi pole if they are behind you. Play around with both those setting once you have them on set up. Mine are on the side wall and sounded best in bi-pole setting.

No benefit to bi wire your center channel. Although if you're curious about it.. give it a try. that's they whole thing about home theater. Yes, there are basic set up guidelines, but each set up in a person's home is different. We all have different room sizes, different gear, different hearing too. So nothing is set in stone as far as the "perfect" setting or placement. Just guidelines.

Will do.

I noticed you are running an Outlaw pre-amp. How do you like it? I am considering purchasing a LMF-1 sub. I am also looking at the Velodyne SPL-1200. It is double the price. Your thoughts please.

I need a complete set of cables and speaker wires. My old system is 10 years old. Not many options then. Fiber optic, progressive scan, analog, digital, co-ax. Not sure where to start. They vary greatly in price. What should I look for and where should I purchase?

Rick

mldennison

familycat,
sounds like you have a very nice home theater setup going there. as for cables, it would help if we knew what electronics that you have, that way we can help you with what cables you need. as for brands, i would stay away from Monster, most of their stuff is overpriced for what you are getting. if you dont mind buying from the internet blue jeans cable (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/) and Signal Cable (http://www.signalcable.com/) sell very good quality stuff for reasonable prices. if you would rather purchase something in a store, i would probably go for some of the Accoustic research stuff in BestBuy or CircuitCity or some of the nicer stuff from Radio Shack. It all depens on your budget.

aaharvel

if you're placing the fx500i's on the rear wall I recommend switching the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" speakers around and using the Bipole option.

danger boy

aaharvel wrote:

if you're placing the fx500i's on the rear wall I recommend switching the "LEFT" and "RIGHT" speakers around and using the Bipole option.

Why? There is a reason they are Left and Right.

Skynut

when they are on each side they fire one way but if you put them behind you they fire differently.
It is just a preference; I thought about doing this with my fx1000's b/c they are on the ceiling behind the listening position.

aaharvel

when you use monopoles, the woofer is facing the listener yeah?
well if you use a 1-woofer bipole speaker and you use it's designated "RIGHT" AND "LEFT" placement on the rear wall, the woofer fires right to the side wall. Doesn't make any sense.

Since Skynut's Fx1000's have two woofers in each enclosure, it doesn't matter.

Familycat

mldennison wrote:

familycat,
sounds like you have a very nice home theater setup going there. as for cables, it would help if we knew what electronics that you have, that way we can help you with what cables you need. as for brands, i would stay away from Monster, most of their stuff is overpriced for what you are getting. if you dont mind buying from the internet blue jeans cable (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/) and Signal Cable (http://www.signalcable.com/) sell very good quality stuff for reasonable prices. if you would rather purchase something in a store, i would probably go for some of the Accoustic research stuff in BestBuy or CircuitCity or some of the nicer stuff from Radio Shack. It all depens on your budget.

The system thus far:

Reciever-Pioneer Elite VSX-74TXVi
DVD-Older (4-5 years) Sony Progressive Scan not sure of model
VCR-Older (6-7) Sony not sure of model
TV-Sony KD-34XBR970
Sub-Outlaw-LMF1
Front POLK RTA12C
Center CS-400i
Surround F/X 500i

Hope this helps,

Rick

bionicmushroom

I have the f/x 500's and wondered about the woofer facing the wall when they were mounted behind. So they should be switched out so the woofer faces the listening position right? Also, my couch is on the same back wall where the speakers are mounted so are they behind me or really to the side??

aaharvel

bionic if you're against the back wall don't even bother. Just put the FX's on the sides, in dipole mode, and stick with 5.1.

bionicmushroom

See, thats where the problem comes in....I cant put them on the sides so they have to go on the back wall. If they were on the sides the only place that I could place them would be too far out in front of the listening position. So I guess that I am stuck with them on the same wall that the couch is placed on. I just really wasnt sure in my settings if that would be considered behind or to the side, I just assume that since they are facing forward that it would be behind right? So I should still switch them around so the the woofers are facing towards the listening position in bipole right? I appreciate your help.

aaharvel

bionicmushroom wrote:

So I should still switch them around so the the woofers are facing towards the listening position in bipole right?

10-4

bionicmushroom

Good lookin out, I appreciate it.

Familycat

They system is up and running. The system sounds very good. I have the F/S 500's on the back wall in the bipole position with the driver pointing away from the listener. I will try switching them. The CS-400i sound good. The RTA12C's are warm and clean but not much bass. My old Pioneers HPM's had much for punch while not as clean. I purchased an Outlaw LFM-1 sub and helped significantly. The Pioneer elite reciever is awsome. Still making adjustments. Though I would share.

Rick

Skynut

Good deal, glad you are happy.

psyclist57

hey rick,
as i meantioned to you,if you e-mail me your address, i'll send you the owners manual or you can pick it up at the airport.
bill