New 7.1 setup. Bi or Dipolar?

StefanH
StefanH Posts: 2
edited April 2009 in Speakers
Hi everyone,

Tomorrow, I'm going to be totally re-doing my HT. I'm keeping my RT1000i Fronts, and adding 4 f/x300i's for surround and rear. (also desperatly looking for a CS400i center to replace my cheapo center). Also using a Polk PSW250.

New Onkyo THX receiver.

My surrounds are, for now, directly to the sides at about shoulder height when sitting down on the couch, about 7 feet away to bother sides from listening position.

My rears are the same height, about 10 feet behind the couch.

First question: Bipole or Dipole for which speakers. A search on the forums indicated maybe Dipole for the sides, and Bipole for the rears. Good starting point? I see and understand the diagrams at on the Polk website about dipole/bipole, but can't really picture how the sound would actually be affected or sound better.

Second question: Since my RT1000i's have the built in subs, should I keep doing things the way I have, and tell my receiver that I don't have a sub, and keep fronts in series with the sub (The "recommended" setup in the polk manual for the sub) so that I'm passing all the lows to the fronts as well? Or should I actually use the sub out, and either abandon the built in subs on the RT's, or do something funky with the receiver crossover settings. Hope that question made sense! :).

Third question: Should I keep searching for a CS400i, or is there a more easily found Polk center that would work well? In my WTB post, someone mentioned to not go with a CSi center because the tweeters were different.

Damn glad I stayed with Polk and started reading this forum, I almost went Bose.

Thanks for the help.
Stefan
Post edited by StefanH on

Comments

  • Bernal
    Bernal Posts: 991
    edited April 2009
    StefanH wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    Tomorrow, I'm going to be totally re-doing my HT. I'm keeping my RT1000i Fronts, and adding 4 f/x300i's for surround and rear. (also desperatly looking for a CS400i center to replace my cheapo center). Also using a Polk PSW250.

    New Onkyo THX receiver.

    My surrounds are, for now, directly to the sides at about shoulder height when sitting down on the couch, about 7 feet away to bother sides from listening position.

    My rears are the same height, about 10 feet behind the couch.

    First question: Bipole or Dipole for which speakers. A search on the forums indicated maybe Dipole for the sides, and Bipole for the rears. Good starting point? I see and understand the diagrams at on the Polk website about dipole/bipole, but can't really picture how the sound would actually be affected or sound better.

    Second question: Since my RT1000i's have the built in subs, should I keep doing things the way I have, and tell my receiver that I don't have a sub, and keep fronts in series with the sub (The "recommended" setup in the polk manual for the sub) so that I'm passing all the lows to the fronts as well? Or should I actually use the sub out, and either abandon the built in subs on the RT's, or do something funky with the receiver crossover settings. Hope that question made sense! :).

    Third question: Should I keep searching for a CS400i, or is there a more easily found Polk center that would work well? In my WTB post, someone mentioned to not go with a CSi center because the tweeters were different.

    Damn glad I stayed with Polk and started reading this forum, I almost went Bose.

    Thanks for the help.
    Stefan

    Hi,
    This information can help you
    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81942
  • ESavinon
    ESavinon Posts: 3,066
    edited April 2009
    Dipole all around for movies.
    Switch to Bipole to the sides for multichannel music.
    SRT For Life; SDA Forever!

    The SRT SEISMIC System:
    Four main satellite speakers, six powered subs, two dedicated for LFE channel, two center speakers for over/under screen placement and three Control Centers. Amaze your friends, terrorize your neighbors, seize the audio bragging rights for your state. Go ahead, buy it; you only go around once.
  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited April 2009
    switch back and fourth and see which sound you like better.
  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited April 2009
    ESAVINON wrote: »
    Dipole all around for movies.
    Switch to Bipole to the sides for multichannel music.

    +1 for dipole for movies and bipole for music.
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: dsachs consulting
    Digital: Marantz SACD 30n
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Premier 350
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
  • Bernal
    Bernal Posts: 991
    edited April 2009
    StefanH wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    Tomorrow, I'm going to be totally re-doing my HT. I'm keeping my RT1000i Fronts, and adding 4 f/x300i's for surround and rear. (also desperatly looking for a CS400i center to replace my cheapo center). Also using a Polk PSW250.

    New Onkyo THX receiver.

    My surrounds are, for now, directly to the sides at about shoulder height when sitting down on the couch, about 7 feet away to bother sides from listening position.

    My rears are the same height, about 10 feet behind the couch.

    First question: Bipole or Dipole for which speakers. A search on the forums indicated maybe Dipole for the sides, and Bipole for the rears. Good starting point? I see and understand the diagrams at on the Polk website about dipole/bipole, but can't really picture how the sound would actually be affected or sound better.

    Second question: Since my RT1000i's have the built in subs, should I keep doing things the way I have, and tell my receiver that I don't have a sub, and keep fronts in series with the sub (The "recommended" setup in the polk manual for the sub) so that I'm passing all the lows to the fronts as well? Or should I actually use the sub out, and either abandon the built in subs on the RT's, or do something funky with the receiver crossover settings. Hope that question made sense! :).

    Third question: Should I keep searching for a CS400i, or is there a more easily found Polk center that would work well? In my WTB post, someone mentioned to not go with a CSi center because the tweeters were different.

    Damn glad I stayed with Polk and started reading this forum, I almost went Bose.

    Thanks for the help.
    Stefan

    KEY CONSIDERATION WHEN CHOOSING DIRECT OR BIPOLE/DIPOLE SURROUND SPEAKERS

    Arguments will vary from person to person, based upon the preference of the individual.
    Movies:
    The surround speakers should not distract your attention away from the movie.
    They should help to draw you into the film. This is what surround speakers should do.
    Surround speakers are intended to reproduce ambient effects like explosions, gunfights, the hum of a spaceship, or crickets at night so they sound like they are coming from everywhere in the room — not just where your speakers are located.
    Bipoles/Dipoles have a bigger surround sweet spot than direct radiating surrounds have.
    Bipoles /Dipoles are a closer match to the surround speaker arrays found in movie theaters.
    Music:
    With stereo music, you are essentially creating images in space with two speakers.
    You can move instruments around in space, and expect the listener to perceive more than two speakers.
    Add two more speakers in the rear and you now create the ability to pinpoint the source of the music between all four speakers, so in theory you can place an instrument anywhere in 360 degrees around your head.
    By introducing dipoles/bipoles, you destroy that image. You are more at the mercy of the room. The room will most certainly color the sound and add its own signature.
    Some may actually like this effect, but the music is less accurate. Your room's acoustics will affect bipole/dipole designs more than conventional direct-radiating.
    Direct-radiating models send sound directly toward the listeners’ ears.
    Conventional direct-radiating speakers place the listeners in a sound field in which the direct sound is more prominent. It is possible that the majority of people find stereo to be more attractive if the room reflections are strong. The sound tends to be open and spacious, with a good sense of depth like a real live concert. It has the advantage of making stereo listening region more enlarged. However, the specific images can be rather vague.
    On the other hand, there are some listeners who do not like this kind of music reproduction, and prefer to have a very specific, almost pinpoint, sense of image position. Many recording engineers prefer this because they need to be able to hear, very precisely, the results of their manipulations. As a result, recording studios are often acoustically rather dead, and the loudspeakers are directional and identical. They use identical speakers so that they are perfectly timbre matched so that the sound is not affected by the differences between the speakers. However, these same people usually prefer the more spacious sound field at home.


    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82130


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    10) SONY SA-WP16 ( Sub Woofer 2X200W)
  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited April 2009
    I have mine set to dipole since I use them primarily for home theater.

    If you have pre-outs on your receiver, send signal to your 1000's at line level rather than already amplified. Bass sounds much cleaner this way.

    the CS400 is a great center channel. Hold out for it if you can or get something to hold you over until you find it.
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
  • bdtae5656
    bdtae5656 Posts: 235
    edited April 2009
    Im looking at the FX LSI rears...whats a ideal location for these? Ear level, or a little higher? Behind or in front of you on the side walls?
    TV:Sony Bravia XBR4 52'
    Mains: Lsi m 705
    C:Lsi m 706
    Rears: Lsi m 703
    Sub: Epik Empire
    Pre:Marantz AV 7005
    Amp:Sunfire TGA-7400
    Blueray: Opp 93
    A/V Component: Panamax M5100-PM
    Cables: Signal Cable, White Zombie, MIT, Pepster's power cables